Governor Mills Extends Business ‘Curfew’ Through End of December
According to WGME, Governor Janet Mills has extended the "curfew" on certain types of businesses through January 3rd, 2021.
The curfew forces certain types of businesses, like entertainment venues and restaurants, to close nightly by 9 o'clock.
The initial concept for the mandate was to limit the "riskier" late-night behaviors of college kids home for Thanksgiving break. Likewise, the theory behind extending it will prevent people home for the Christmas and New Year's holiday from taking part in the same behaviors.
This extension of the mandate comes on a day when the state saw a near record high of 290 new cases of COVID-19 and the day after the state saw a record 364 new cases of the virus.
While many see the reason for the extension of the mandate, some speculate it may be doing more harm than good. With the state's not spots closing down early, gatherings will switch to residences where the same safety precautions (masks, social distancing, etc) will not occur as they would in a restaurant, bar, or tasting room.
In addition to the safety concerns, business owners are concerned about the income they will be losing.
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