Governor Janet T. Mills and Attorney Aaron M. Frey responded to a Statement of Interest filed by the US Department of Justice in which it is trying to undermine the health and safety of Mainers by trying to end the 14-day quarantine to be practiced by non-essentials entering the state of Maine. In her response to the DOJ Statement, the Governor wrote:
“Maintaining the 14-day quarantine, a proven tool to prevent the spread of this deadly disease, has never been anything other than protecting the health and safety of Maine people at a time when millions are expected to flock to our state from COVID-19 hot-spots. I imagine it would have been for this same reason that so many other Governors have enacted similar reasons,” said Governor Janet Mills. “My administration has long said that we are working hard to find an alternative to that quarantine and we are continuing that effort every day. I am deeply disappointed – and frankly disgusted that the US Department of Justice is making a concerted effort to undermine the health of the people of Maine – objections they never raised when the President and his own task force took steps to limit travel. It seems to me that their only actual interest here is, at best, political or at worst to harm Mainers, not defend them.”
The Executive Orders and the Restarting Plan at issue in this lawsuit were carefully crafted and have been reviewed and updated in order to protect Mainers’ health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the requirement for individuals travelling into Maine from out of state to self-quarantine for 14 days (with exemptions for essential workers) was examined by my office, which determined it was a lawful requirement consistent with Maine’s public health challenges,” said AG Aaron M. Frey.
The twelve page frivolous Statement of Interest referred to above and filed on behalf of Bailey’s Campground, Inc. (Civil Action: 2:20 – Ct. 00176-) complained that the Maine government’s restrictions violate the Constitution. The frivolous Statement was signed by Alexander Marugeri, Deputy Assistant Attorney General.