New mask mandates went into effect this week – what you need to know
Maine had some of the biggest changes to our pandemic mandates happen this week. Read on to find out what you need to know and how it is changing our mask wearing policies.
Larissa Brown, MS is an international Life Coach that specializes in helping her clients create healthy and joyful relationships. She is the founder of EmpowerME: Coaching & Workshops.
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Now that over 50% of Maine’s population has been fully vaccinated, Governor Janet Mills announced that effective this past Monday, May 24th, she would be lifting the requirement that face coverings be worn in all public places, with the exceptions of schools, childcare settings, on public transportation, and in healthcare facilities. You can read the full executive order here. Although not required, people who are not vaccinated are still being encouraged to wear masks.
Additionally, Mills also lifted the limits that had been placed on gatherings and customer limits placed on businesses to go into effect that same day. You can read that executive order here.
Something else that is important to understand, is that private businesses are entitled to make their own choices about how they want to handle mask requirements and occupancy limits. Businesses may continue to ask all customers to wear masks, they may also ask that if a customer is not wearing a mask that they provide proof that they are fully vaccinated. Customers do have a choice about whether or not they want to share this information but the business also has the choice to deny entry to anyone refusing to wear a mask and show proof of their vaccine status.
If you can, try to have patience as your local businesses are attempting to figure things out in the upcoming weeks.
How am I handling these changes?
My policy is to follow the science, guidance, and recommendations of the CDC. According to the current information on the CDC website, fully vaccinated people can now “resume activities without wearing masks or social distancing.” Information is changing all the time as we continue to learn more, but currently they believe that fully vaccinated people are unlikely to have asymptomatic infection or transmit COVID to others.
With this new information, I’m happy to once again offer the choice to start seeing clients in my office without face coverings. I strongly recommend that any clients that are not vaccinated continue to wear masks to their appointments but I will not be asking for proof of your vaccination status.
To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate
Leave it to a global health crisis to bring out a lot of passionate opinions in people, am I right? The truth is, I know that there are a lot of reasons why someone might decide to wait to get vaccinated or may not want to get the vaccination at all. It’s a personal choice and we all have to decide what is right for ourselves and our bodies. I don’t mind sharing that as of yesterday (5/26) I am now fully vaccinated but I also respect each and every one of my clients in whatever choice they make. My plan for how to proceed with sessions is to follow my client’s lead, if you show up to your appointment wearing a mask, I’ll wear a mask also, no questions asked.
It has been a long year and I’m looking forward to seeing your faces!
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