Analysis of public health data prompted Maine to maintain strict restrictions on Massachusetts travelers, but not several other states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, a spokeswoman for Maine Governor Janet Mills said Thursday, answering a question that seemed to affect Governor Charlie Baker previously. on day.
During a press conference Thursday to announce that starting next week, the state would move to Phase 3 of the administration’s phased approach to reopening the economy, a journalist asked Baker why Maine had left residents Massachusetts off your list of people who don’t have to be quarantined for 14 days when you visit.
According to Mills’ “Maine Healthy Maintenance Plan”, out-of-state visitors from New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are not subject to the 14-day quarantine, leaving Massachusetts, and other areas, on the scale. .
There’s a caveat: A Massachusetts resident hoping to spend a few summer days in Maine may show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, if done more than 72 hours in advance. But the rapid change in testing has been cumbersome for some hopeful vacationers.
“I don’t know the answer to that question,” said Baker. “But today I’m going to call the governor of Maine and I’m going to ask him and see what she says.”
Baker said he was surprised to learn that was the case, given the state’s recent positive test rates.
“We will communicate with them,” Baker added.
The Globe did too.
Jackie Farwell, spokeswoman for Maine Governor Janet Mills’ office, said the basic premise of Maine’s approach is to identify states where residents are generally as safe as Maine’s.
“The underlying epidemiological reason is that if the average resident is generally as safe as a Maine resident, coming to Maine does not carry an increased risk of COVID-19,” Farwell said in a statement. “In its assessment, the Administration takes into account several measurements of data and relies on the totality of the evidence, rather than a single metric.”
Farwell said Maine wants to welcome Massachusetts residents, which is why the state offers the 72-hour trial alternative.
“We urge Massachusetts to make sure that the evidence is widely available,” he said.
Farwell said Mills is confident in the evaluations conducted by his public health team.
But if the Baker administration wants to continue discussing these data, he said, Mills “has no objection to his public health officials speaking to ours.”
It was not immediately clear if the Baker administration had asked its people to call the people of Maine.
Matt Stout of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Steve Annear can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.
