Portland issues stay-at-home order for residents, nonessential businesses
The city of Portland on Tuesday announced a stay--at-home order for residents and nonessential businesses in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
All nonessential businesses in the city must close their physical locations to the public, officials said.
The order goes into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday, city officials said.
The stay at home order is in effect for five days, and the City Council is expected to extend it during a meeting on Monday.
"I was propelled to take this action based on the data we have related to the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Southern Maine," City Manager Jon Jennings said. "This was not an easy decision to make given the impacts it will further have on our economy, but my hope in doing this stay at home order now is that if we restrict as many activities as possible for a short time, then we can re-emerge from this crisis sooner.
According to the order, all travel including, but not limited to, travel on foot, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, golf carts, automobile or public transit for essential services is permitted.
Mayor Kate Snyder said the order still allows people to go to the grocery store or pharmacy if they need items. She encouraged people to stay home as much as possible.
Snyder said the order is about getting people to think and behave differently.
The order allows restaurants to continue to offer takeout service, but customers cannot enter the establishment.
Violators of the order face a $500 fine.
The announcement came shortly after Gov. Janet Mills ordered nonessential businesses and operations in Maine to close their physical locations to the public.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that the state has 118 cases of coronavirus. Cumberland County has the most cases with 74.
Jennings also announced that two employees at the city's General Assistance have tested positive for coronavirus. The GA office has been closed to the public.
Jennings said a second Portland police officer has tested positive for the virus.
He said the India Street Clinic will reopen next week. A staffer tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month. The quarantine for co-workers exposed to the virus by the staffer ends this weekend.
Brunswick and Bangor imposed similar restrictions earlier this week.
A list of essential services, according to the city's order is below:
1. Health care operations and pharmacies;
2. Grocery stores, certified farmers' markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food
banks, convenience stores, and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of canned food,
dry goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, pet supply, fresh meats, fish, and poultry, and any other
household consumer products (such as cleaning and personal care products). This includes
stores that sell groceries and also sell other non-grocery products, and products necessary to
maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences;
3. Food cultivation and processing, including farming, livestock, and fishing;
4. Businesses and organizations that provide food, shelter, medical, and social services, and
other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy or homeless
individuals, and any associated parking in a parking garage that is related to these services;
5. Newspapers, television, radio, and other media services;
6. Gas stations and auto-supply, auto-repair, and related facilities;
7. Banks and related financial institutions;
8. Hardware and building material stores;
9. Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, building cleaning and maintenance, and other service
providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and
essential operation of residences and essential businesses;
10. Businesses and organizations providing mailing and shipping services, including post
office boxes;
11. Colleges, universities, community colleges, trade schools, and other schools exclusively
for the purposes of facilitating distance learning, no in-person instruction is authorized;
12. Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers;
13. Businesses that manufacture or supply products needed for people to work from home;
14. Businesses that manufacture or supply other essential businesses with the support or
supplies necessary to operate;
15. Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, goods or services directly to residences;
16. Airlines, taxis, public transportation, marine transport, and any other transportation
providers providing transportation services necessary for purposes expressly authorized in this
Proclamation;
17. Home-based care for seniors, adults, or children;
18. Residential facilities, housing authorities, and homeless and other shelters for seniors,
adults, and children;
19. Professional services, such as legal or accounting services, when necessary to assist in
compliance with legally mandated activities;
20. Childcare facilities providing services that enable employees of Essential Services as
defined herein to work as permitted. To the extent possible, childcare facilities are
recommended to operate under the following conditions: Childcare should be carried out in
stable groups of 10 or fewer ("stable" means that the same 10 or fewer children are in the
same group each day); Children should not change from one group to another; If more than
one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group should be in a separate room.
Groups should not mix with each other; and Childcare providers should remain solely with
one group of children.
21. Medical marijuana facilities;
22. Funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries;
23. Animal shelters, veterinary clinics, animal feed and pet supply stores;
24. The State or Federal Judicial Branch;
25. Government facilities, agencies, and services needed to ensure the continuing operation
of the government and provide for the public health, safety and welfare, including but not
limited to police, fire, EMS, code enforcement, and trash collection;
26. Businesses and organizations providing for the construction and maintenance of essential
infrastructure, including utilities such as electricity, water, wastewater, and
telecommunications;
27. Industrial manufacturing facilities;
28. Construction businesses; only existing or ongoing construction projects conducted by
these businesses may continue so as long as, to the maximum extent possible, all persons must
be at least six (6) feet from any other person;
29. Insurance businesses;
30. Security companies; and
31. Hotels and other places of accommodation, except to the extent that said hotels and
places of accommodation include bars, restaurants, meeting facilities, and other facilities
required to be closed by City or State emergency proclamation or executive order.