A Summary of Governor Mills’ Executive Orders During Pandemic
Fred Horch with help from Support Brunswick
Last updated: 3:00 pm Wed, May 20, 2020
This is a summary of the Executive Orders issued by Maine Governor Janet Mills after her proclamation of a state of civil emergency on March 15, 2020, to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Essential Executive Orders
Stay Safer At Home (Order #49) April 29, 2020
- Extend orders #14, 19, 28 and 34 until May 31
- Begin implementing the Restarting Plan for Maine’s economy on May 1
- Require people to wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing is difficult
Quarantine Travelers to Maine (Order #34) April 3, 2020
- Require any person traveling into Maine to self-quarantine for 14 days
- Suspend lodging reservations
Stay at Home (Order #28) March 31, 2020
- Stay at home except to participate in essential activities:
- obtaining necessary supplies
- maintaining health and safety
- caring for family members and friends
- traveling for education,
- engaging in outdoor activities, and
- traveling for government purposes
- When out of the home, maintain a minimum distance of six feet from other people
- Do not use public transportation except for an essential reason
- Transport no passengers in private vehicles other than immediate household members
- Close schools
- Prioritize remote order and curbside pick-up for essential retail businsses
- Limit in-store gathering:
- < 7,500 square feet : 5 customers
- 7,500 to 12,000 s.f. : 15 customers
- 12,000 to 18,000 s.f. : 35 customers
- 18,000 to 40,000 s.f. : 45 customers
- 40,000 to 60,000 s.f. : 70 customers
- > 60,000 s.f. : 100 customers
- Require stores to
- Actively enforce social distancing requirements in and around their facilities
- Post signage instructing customers to remain six feet apart
- Mark floors with social distancing reminders
- Disinfect handles of carts and baskets
- Minimize customer handling of merchandise
- Offer separate hours for at risk customers
- Install protective shields between customer and checkout (if the store is larger than 75,000 s.f.)
Essential Businesses and Operations (Order #19) March 24, 2020
- Require all businesses (including non-profit organizations) to implement and actively enforce social distancing in and around their facilities.
- Divide businesses (including non-profit organizations) into essential and non-essential.
- Allow essential businesses to continue their activities.
- Require non-essential businesses to cease operations at sites that are public facing or at sites that require more than ten workers to convene in space where social distancing is not possible.
- Allow non-essential businesses to continue certain activities:
- Taking orders by phone, email or other remote means.
- Delivering orders.
- Maintaining the value of the business’ inventory.
- Preserving the condition of the business’ physical plant and equipment.
- Ensuring security.
- Processing payroll, employee benefits and related functions.
Restrict Gatherings of More Than 10 People (Order #14) March 18, 2020
- Prohibit gatherings of more than ten people throughout Maine
- Close dine-in facilities of restaurants and bars
- Allow carry-out, delivery and drive-through food and beverage service
All Executive Orders (Governor’s Office List of Official Documents)
https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/official_documents
Executive Orders Currently In Effect
# | Effective Dates | Description of Order |
54 | Starting May 15, 2020 | Allow the Department of Corrections to prohibit transfer of inmates |
53 | Starting May 12, 2020 | Require vehicles to be registered within 30 days of this order |
53 | Retroactive to March 15, 2020 | Extend property tax due dates, interest accrual and collection of liens |
52 | Starting May 12, 2020 | Modify or suspend requirements for education credentialing |
52 | Starting May 12, 2020 | Authorize school bus drivers to use lights to control traffic while delivering food, etc. |
51 | Starting May 6, 2020 | Establish the Economic Recovery Committee |
50 | Starting April 30, 2020 | Suspend watercraft excise tax in some municipalities during state of emergency |
49 | April 29 to May 31, 2020 | “Stay Safer at Home” |
49 | April 29 to May 31, 2020 | Prioritize public health |
49 | April 29 to May 31, 2020 | Extend Executive Orders #14, 19, 28 and 34 |
49 | Starting May 1, 2020 | Start implementing the “Restarting Plan” for Maine’s economy. |
49 | Starting May 1, 2020 | Require face coverings in public settings |
48 | Retroactive to March 1, 2020 | Maximize federal COVID-19 funding for MaineCare |
47 | Starting April 27, 2020 | Increase eligibility for children’s homeless shelters |
46 | Starting April 24, 2020 | Extend licenses of law enforcement professionals |
46 | Starting April 24, 2020 | Extend deadline for basic law enforcement training |
45 | Starting April 24, 2020 | Expedite delivery of property tax relief checks |
44 | Starting April 24, 2020 | Extend deadline to report “sentinel events” (unanticipated deaths, etc.) in healthcare facilities |
43 | Starting April 24, 2020 | Waive 30 day waiting period for financial orders |
42 | Starting April 21, 2020 | Make terms of Loan Guarantee Program more consumer friendly |
41 | April 21 to June 6, 2020 | Suspend IF&W authority to establish open season date to hunt wild turkey |
41 | May 2 to June 6, 2020 | Set period for wild turkey open spring season |
41 | May 2 to June 6, 2020 | Suspend certain requirements for hunting wild turkeys |
41 | Starting April 21, 2020 | Suspend issuance of fishing derby and bass tournament permits |
41 | April 21 to July 31, 2020 | Suspend collection of whitewater rafting outfitter user fees and allocation fees |
40 | Starting April 16, 2020 | Prohibit attempts by landlords to evict tenants by unauthorized means |
40 | Starting April 16, 2020 | Suspend writs of possession (i.e. evictions) for reason of nonpayment of rent |
40 | Starting April 16, 2020 | Extend notice periods for landlords |
39 | April 10 to July 14, 2020 | Change date of primary election to July 14 |
38 | Starting April 10, 2020 | Allow contact lenses to be dispensed pursuant to a prescription no more than 3 years old |
37A | Starting April 24, 2020 | Allow some notarization remotely by two-way audio-visual technology rather than requiring the signatory and Notary Public to be at the same physical location. The signatory must send the original signed document within 96 hours (4 days) to the Notary Public. |
36 | Starting April 7, 2020 | Extend renewal dates for guide licenses from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 |
35 | Starting April 6, 2020 | Allow health care providers to use telehealth to provide services |
35 | Starting April 6, 2020 | Allow veterinarians to use telehealth to provide services |
35 | Starting April 6, 2020 | Allow Counselors and therapists to use telecommunications to provide services |
35 | Starting April 6, 2020 | Allow health care professionals to renew licenses without continuing education requirements; suspend expiration of most healthcare-related licenses during the public health emergency |
34 | April 3 to May 31, 2020 | “Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in Maine” |
33 | March 30 to May 31, 2020 | Adjust expiration dates of seafood licenses and permits |
32 | Starting April 1, 2020 | Suspend requirement to produce fire burn permits at scene of burn |
31 | Starting March 31, 2020 | Extend filing deadlines for property tax exemptions |
30A | Starting April 9, 2020 | Extend annual current use taxation application deadline |
29A | Starting April 27, 2020 | Exclude federal stimulus payments from determining eligibility for benefits |
29 | Starting March 31, 2020 | Expand eligibility for Maine General Assistance |
28A | Starting April 10, 2020 | “In-Store Gathering Limits” |
28 | April 2 to May 31, 2020 | “Stay At Home” |
28 | April 2 to May 31, 2020 | “Limit Vehicle Travel” |
28 | April 2 to May 31, 2020 | “Close Schools” |
28 | April 2 to May 31, 2020 | “Limit Essential Retail Businesses and Operations” |
27 | Starting March 30, 2020 | Permit hypodermic needle exchange programs to operate safely |
25 | Starting March 27, 2020 | Relax standards for Maine Quality Centers Program |
24 | Starting March 26, 2020 | Relax recycling and solid waste rules |
23 | Starting March 26, 2020 | Allow pharmacies to ship investigational drugs to Maine residents |
22 | Starting March 26, 2020 | Suspend requirements for medical exams for children in custody of DHHS |
21 | Starting March 25, 2020 | Relax enforcement of elver fishing laws |
20 | Starting March 24, 2020 | Allow family care providers to care for three children without being certified |
19A | April 7 to May 31, 2020 | “Essential Businesses and Operations” |
19 | April 7 to May 31, 2020 | “Essential Businesses and Operations” |
18 | Starting March 23, 2020 | Extend compliance dates of certain motor vehicle laws |
16 | Starting March 20, 2020 | Allow physicians, PAs and nurses to practice via telemedicine; suspend license expirations and fees |
15 | Duration of school year | Require all school districts to continue to pay their hourly employees |
14 | March 18 to May 31, 2020 | “Restrict Gatherings of More Than 10 People” |
Executive Orders No Longer In Effect
# | Effective Dates | Description of Order |
41 | April 25 and 27, 2020 | Youth-only hunting of wild turkey. |
37 | Starting April 8, 2020 | Amended by Order 37A |
30 | March 31, 2020 | Amended by Order 30A |
26 | March 27 to April 30, 2020 | Superseded by Order 50 |
17 | March 20 to April 30, 2020 | Allow people to fish without a license |