Danielle Huntington, of Vermont, in a Sunny Old Orchard Beach This Afternoon.  She Was Taking a Much Needed Break from Working on her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health & Counseling at Goddard College, Known for Its Independent Research & Studies.

Joseph’s by the Sea, a Popular Seafood Restaurant, Suffered a Kitchen Fire in mid-July. It is still Not up and Running According to Workmen on the Scene Today. For More, Please Visit Post herein Dated July 19, 2021 on the Fire.

Normally the main street of Old Orchard Beach is packed with tourists enjoying the long Labor Day weekend.  Not today.

The main street had only a few tourists window shopping – some saying they were enjoying having the street mostly to themselves.

Meanwhile, store owners and their employees were speculating about the reason for the lack of tourists on their street. One employee of a retail store pointed out that between 40% – 50% of their business comes from Canadians  crossing the border into the United States.  However, this year the Canadian government has not permitted its residents to come into Maine although the ban into Canada has been lifted.

Other reasons given by store owners included the fact that children had to return to school two weeks earlier than in previous years.  That has kept many families at home and not traveling to destinations like Old Orchard Beach.

The most common reason given by small business owners is the recent surge in cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Two days ago the Maine CDC reported that 624 new cases of COVID-19 had been reported.  The knowledge that the Delta is highly contagious and there have been “breakthrough” cases despite being fully vaccinated, has had a chilling impact on tourists normally flocking to the beach resort.

A brief stop for pick-up food at the over 50 year old Clambake Seafood Restaurant, in Scarborough, with its four large dining rooms put a sharper point on the matter.  As of 5:00 pm., the dining rooms were empty and there were about three others inside picking up to go orders.

“We’ve been coming here for 30 years and I’ve never seen it so quiet,” said Danielle Huntington, a Vermont resident.  “I was here last year at the exact same day and it was packed.  Even our hotel is deserted.”   Danielle and her husband are staying at the near by. Carolina Resort Motel, on Roussin Street.  “We’ve seen four people there since we arrived.  The bar is always full but it was closed yesterday.”

Fran Roman and her husband, from New Jersey, are first time visitors to Old Orchard Beach.  “We expected to see a lot of people here, but we haven’t see many at all.   At least there are no big lines to contend with,” she said this afternoon.

Likewise, Congress Street in Portland, was largely empty late this afternoon.  With the warm weather and the recent resumption of the popular First Friday Art Walk, few participants in the monthly event lined the streets.  Normally, Congress Street is  packed with art lovers taking in the creations of artists anxious to promote their work to the street audience this event usually attracts.  Not today.

A bookstore employee said:  “This is not the worst business has been.  I’ve seen worse.  Tomorrow will be better.”