City Council Extends Stay at Home Emergency Order Until May 18
Requirement for employees to wear face masks begins April 30
PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland City Council voted to extend the Stay at Home Emergency Order until May 18th, 2020 at its April 27th meeting. The emergency order also includes a number of amendments including:
- A temporary program to pay $1,000 to the owner of a non-owner-occupied short-term rental unit to convert to a long-term rental for a Section-8 or General Assistance tenant;
- The removal of gun shops from the exceptions to the list of essential services;
- Permitting construction according to according to the requirements of the State of Maine Stay at Home Order;
- Allowing shipping and other methods of sales from non-essential businesses in accordance with Governor Mills’ Executive Order;
- Aligning most real estate activities with Governor Mills’ Executive Order, except for occupied buildings with more than four rental units; and
- Requiring that persons in essential and non-essential businesses wear a mask or face covering in most circumstances.
An updated list of Frequently Asked Questions has been posted on the City’s COVID-19 Resources page in order to assist the public in understanding the Council’s actions.
Face masks order
As of Thursday, April 30, 2020, any employee of an essential or non-essential business must wear a face mask or similar cloth face covering while in the workplace. Employees do not need to wear a face mask if they do not interact with the public AND will not be within six feet of another employee or person. Employees also do not need to wear their face masks while on break and eating or drinking. Employees with a medical condition where a mask would be contrary to their health or safety do not have to wear face masks, but are encouraged to wear alternative face coverings that are safe for them.
Masks or face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the employee. Masks can include cloth face coverings, bandannas, etc. Employees can create their own no-sew masks from bandannas or old t-shirts. An example can be found here.
Although the City’s Emergency Order does not require businesses to provide face masks to their employees, businesses are encouraged to provide their employees with masks.
The public is encouraged to stay up to date on the latest information from the Maine CDC. The City is posting information related to COVID-19 resources on a dedicated page at https://www.portlandmaine.gov/COVID19.
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