Administration will continue to review and revise guidelines to reflect progress on vaccinations and align with Maine’s strategy to combat COVID-19  Augusta, MAINE –   The Mills Administration today posted updated COVID-19 Prevention Checklists for General Guidance and for Community Sports. These updates come after Governor Mills announced the Moving Maine Forward Plan, a new, multi-month plan that aims to provide clarity and predictability for Maine people and businesses in advance of the summer months and to establish Maine as a safe place to visit.   Community Sports Guidelines: The Department of Economic and Community Development posted a new COVID-19 Prevention Checklist for Community Sports. These changes allow for all levels of play for low-risk sports, and for most levels of play for moderate-risk sports. High risk sports may also resume but only within team competition. The Community Sports Checklist applies to community-based sports clubs, teams, and events. It does not apply […]

Augusta, MAINE – In line with President Biden’s directive, Governor Janet Mills announced today that her Administration is accelerating the schedule of Maine’s vaccination plan to make all Maine adults eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. In announcing Maine’s age-based vaccination approach two weeks ago, Governor Mills said the timeframe could be accelerated based on an increase in supply of vaccine. “From the outset, our vaccination plan focused on creating an infrastructure to get shots into the arms of as many Maine people as possible as quickly and equitably as possible,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Our large-scale community vaccination clinics can vaccinate more people as soon as our federal partners can increase weekly […]

A new study, published on 27th January in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, conducted by an international team of scientists led by Dr Michael Antoniou of Kings College London, found that exposure to glyphosate and its commercial Roundup formulation, can disrupt the function of the gut microbiome (bacteria and fungi) and internal body systems with potentially serious effects on human health. One’s “gut bacteria” is vital to good health, without it serious illnesses can occur. In controlled laboratory animal experiments, glyphosate was found to alter the composition, and the biochemical function of the gut microbiome by the same mechanism through which the chemical acts to kill weeds (inhibition of the shikimate biochemical pathway), even at doses claimed to be safe by the […]

Governor moves to age-based vaccine eligibility to continue focus on older Mainers most at risk of dying and to ensure speed and efficiency of vaccination effort  Augusta, MAINE – In an effort to save lives and ensure that health care providers can efficiently and quickly vaccinate as many people as possible, Governor Janet Mills announced today that Maine will adopt an age-based approach to expanding vaccine eligibility. As a result, beginning next Wednesday, March 3, 2021, Maine will expand eligibility for the vaccine to those 60 years and older.   The planned schedule, which is subject to change depending on fluctuations in vaccine supply including an acceleration if supply increases, is as follows:  March 3: Eligibility expands to residents age 60 and older  April: Eligibility expands to age 50 and older  May: Eligibility expands to age 40 and older  June: Eligibility expands to age 30 and older  July and beyond:  Ages 29 and […]

02/16/2021 By Ramona du Houx AUGUSTA – People’s lives are at risk yet there have been a number of incidences where preference of whom should get the sought after COVID-19 vaccine have taken place. For example Maine Health gave priority to their own staff, which Gov. Mills has admonished. In other states there have been cases of fraud where people posed as providers only to distribute and sell the vaccine for profit. People are dying, this is a criminal act. In Maine, Attorney General Aaron M. Frey has issued an advisory to all COVID-19 vaccine providers in Maine warning them against administering doses of vaccine to ineligible individuals. This advisory comes in response to reports of improper administration by large providers […]

February 16, 2021, The Maine Department of Education is sponsoring a workshop by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Moving Beyond the Movement: Fostering Authentic Transformation for Sustainable Outcomes.  This Learning Series was originally scheduled for earlier this month but it has been rescheduled and the registration has opened back up for additional attendees! Please see the updated dates below. Updated Learning Series Dates & Syllabus: Wednesday, February 17, 7:00-9:00pm Module 1 – Now is the Time: Using the past to inform the present: How do we apply anti-racism, anti-bias, and equity to civics and history classrooms? Wednesday, February 24, 7:00-8:30pm Module 2-Be bold. Be brave. Be inclusive: Engaging your stakeholders: How do we facilitate community engagement around anti-bias work? Wednesday, March 3, 7:00-9:00pm Module 3- Culturally relevant pedagogy for all: How […]

02/10/2021 AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) announced that a case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 has been detected in Maine on February 10, 2021. This is the first case in Maine of this variant, which was initially discovered in the United Kingdom and has now been detected in 34 other states. A Maine resident developed symptoms in early February and tested positive for COVID-19. A sample was sent to an independent laboratory as part of Maine CDC’s process to identify potential COVID-19 variants. The Maine CDC was notified of the results this morning. The individual is a resident of Franklin County with a history of recent international travel. The individual and other household members who tested […]

02/11/2021  Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa announced today that nearly $1.4 million was recovered for Maine consumers through investigations conducted by the Insurance Bureau’s consumer divisions in 2020. Additionally, policies valued at $818,000 were matched to Mainers through the Life Insurance Policy Locator, managed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), of which Maine is a member. “Throughout 2020, despite the majority of our staff working remotely, we maintained our normal daily schedules and support services for consumers and also put in place a number of pandemic-related orders and bulletins to protect Mainers,” Cioppa said. 2020 Bureau of Insurance Complaint Investigations and Recoveries: The Bureaus Consumer Health Care Division, which deals with health, life, long-term care, Medicare supplement, annuities and disability insurance, […]

February 8, 2021 The National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC) has selected Maine for its 2021 DON’T QUIT! Campaign, a national effort to encourage physical fitness in youth.  “The coronavirus pandemic has only reinforced how important it is to keep our bodies and minds healthy,” said Governor Mills. “I thank the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Centers for bringing this campaign to our state and I encourage all eligible schools to apply.” As part of the campaign, the NFGFC, which seeks to encourage and reward innovation in the field of youth fitness, will gift DON’T QUIT! Fitness Centers to three Maine schools that use new and unique methods to promote student physical activity and wellness to help them construct fitness […]