PORTLAND, Maine — If you are traveling outside of the state of Maine for April vacation, there are COVID-19 protocols you need to be aware of before you return.
If you leave the state, you must either:
- provide a negative test result within three days of returning to Maine. You must quarantine while you wait for your test results.
or
- quarantine for 10 days upon arriving in Maine
There are two exemptions:
- Traveling within New England (New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island) does not require testing or quarantining.
- A person who is fully vaccinated, meaning 14 days have passed since their final dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Those who have gotten one dose are not exempt.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said Thursday during a media briefing that there is no recommendation against traveling, but rather, that people travel safely.
"We urge people to travel safely. People can travel if they follow the protocols, keep distant, wear their masks, wash their hands, make sure they don't go out if they're not feeling well. We do recommend testing frequently when you are traveling because you are going to different place and having different exposures," said Lambrew.
Many school districts will be offering testing at the end of next week. DHHS urges people to test prior to arrival.
Some districts are offering multiple rounds of testing, both the weekend before school resumes and early in the week, to catch any lingering cases.
The state has thousands of BiNax Now rapid COVID-19 tests it is distributing to schools.