Governor Janet T. Mills Makes Delay Announcement at Todays Daily COVID-19 Briefing.
A “New York Fried Chicken” Restaurant is Scheduled to Open in the Closed Bob’s Clam Hut Venue, at the Corner of Washington and Cumberland Avenues.
A New Coffee Shop/Cafe is Under Construction on the Ground Floor of the WEX Building on the East End of Portland; Next to the Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro. Is This The Planned Speckled Ax?
Governor Janet T. Mills announced today that the reopening of in-door restaurant dining in Cumberland, York and Androscoggin Counties has been delayed indefinitely. In-door dining had been scheduled to reopen on Monday, June 1st, as the start of Stage 2 in her safe reopening plan. The Governor endorsed out-door dining and curbside pick-up as exists in Portland currently that follows Maine CDC guidelines.
This decision to delay the reopening comes amidst an increase in hospitalizations as well as an increase in case counts in these three counties in the recent past the Governor explained.
Some restaurants had expressed reluctance to open on June 1st because of the uncertainity as to whether or not patrons are ready to return and risk exposure to the coronavirus. However, several mhn.com spoke to said they might reopen in mid-June. Now THAT is an uncertainity as well with today’s announcement from Governor Mills.
Retail businesses. as previously announced. will be permitted to reopen on June 1st with enhanced safety precautions in place – as outlined in the Maine CDC.
Dr. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. announced there have been 81 deaths in the state of Maine. The most recent two were senior citizens from Cumberland County. There have been 260 hospitalizations and 2,137 cases of the COVID-19 – both confirmed and probable cases. The latter two figures are upticks that led to the Governor’s announcement at the briefing regarding the indefinite delay of the indoor restaurant industry reopening.
“Surprised,” was the reaction of Robyn Violette, general manager of the high end Fore Street restaurant, 288 Fore Street, at the news of the delayed reopening. She was not watching the daily briefing, but someone who was informed her of the news. “We are anxious to open. Every day we get reservations. People are calling in. The wheels to open have been turning now. We need to be able to stop food orders and that takes time,” she said. “About a week or so.” Fore Street had planned on opening on June 8th, along with Scales, and Street & Co. Dana Street is a principle at all three top tier Portland restaurants.
“The news of the delayed reopenings did not come as a shock given the recent upticks in new cases and hospitalizations,” said Ryan Rush, General Manager of Boone’s Fish House & Oyster Room, 86 Commercial Street. The popular waterfront restaurant was set to open both its two outside decks as well as its inside dining on Monday, June 1st. Because of this change in policy, Rush said he expects to lose fewer than 100 indoor seats. Rush said he’s been following the daily briefings closely and was aware of the recent upticks in new cases – due to more extensive testing allowed by the expanded testing capability now possible because of the agreement with Idexx. Rush said he was aware that the Governor’s Stage 2 reopening plan allowed for flexibility under certain conditions.
“There’s a saying in public health. When we go looking for cases, we find them,” Dr. Shah has said at past press briefings. “We are looking for them. We are finding them.”