AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills extended the State of Civil Emergency for thirty days through September 3. The Governor’s Office says the decision to extend the emergency "is in line with nearly every other state in the nation," which, according to the National Governors Association, also has ongoing emergency declarations. New Hampshire renewed its state of emergency last Friday.
“Maine people have taken the tough but necessary steps to protect the health and safety of us all, and it is their actions that are allowing our economy to reopen in a gradual and safe manner,” Mills said in a statement. “But we cannot let our guard down. This deadly virus is still with us, and while I am proud of the progress Maine has made, we are not immune from the surges we have seen in other states. We must all stay vigilant and stay safe.”
A State of Civil Emergency proclamation allows states to continue to draw down critical Federal resources and to deploy all available resources to respond to COVID-19.
This is the fifth time Mills has extended the proclamation. Under Maine law, State of Civil Emergency Proclamations may only be issued in thirty-day increments.
As of August 3, adjusted for population, Maine ranks third lowest in the nation in terms of positive cases; eighth lowest in the nation in terms of deaths; fourth lowest in terms of patients ever-hospitalized out of the 36 states reporting; and fifth highest in the percentage of people who have recovered out of the 42 states reporting.
As of Wednesday, 124 Mainers have died out of 3,992 COVID-19 total cases. 3,568 of these cases are confirmed by test and 424 are probable.
