Maine puts kibosh on reopening of bars for indoor service

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - People are welcome to enjoy a summery drink in Maine, but they won’t be able to enjoy that drink inside a bar.

Gov. Janet Mills’s administration is indefinitely postponing the reopening of bars for indoor service because of recent outbreaks in other states, Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said Monday.

Those outbreaks involving bars in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Idaho show how easily the coronavirus spreads in that environment, she said.

“This was a difficult decision but necessary given the increased public health risks and the outbreaks we have seen across the country,” Lambrew said.

Bars, breweries and tasting rooms have reopened for outdoor seated service. Indoor service was originally scheduled for July 1.

Most of the state’s economy has been allowed to reopen, but the state continues to review epidemiological data and other markers to ensure public health is not compromised, she said.

In other coronavirus-related news:

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THE NUMBERS

Another 14 people tested positive for the new coronavirus over the the past 24 hours but there were no deaths, the Maine Center for Disease Control reported Monday.

The latest numbers bring to 2,971 the number of people who contracted the coronavirus while the number of deaths remained unchanged at 102 in Maine, the CDC said.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

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FIRST RESPONDERS

Four ambulance crew members and at least five others in the Houlton area have tested positive for the coronavirus, Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, said Monday.

Two separate ambulance crews who contracted the virus had transported a patient first to a hospital in Houlton and then to a hospital in Bangor, the Maine CDC said. The patient tested positive during a routine screening before undergoing surgery at Northern Lights Eastern Maine Medical Center.

All four Houlton Ambulance Service crew members tested positive for the coronavirus, along with the patient and four others who were close in contact with the crew members or the patient.

It’s unclear whether the virus originated with one of those nine people, or someone else. It remains under investigation, Shah said.

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BOWDOIN COLLEGE

Bowdoin College announced Monday that nearly all classes will be taught online this fall.

The plan calls for some students to return to liberal arts college campus in Brunswick but most students will remain off campus.

New first-year and transfer students will be among those allowed on campus, but sophomores, juniors and seniors will remain off campus for the fall and take their classes online.

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