With bars set to reopen in November, Maine sees spike in COVID-19 cases - Press Herald

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A day after Gov. Janet Mills announced bars would be allowed to reopen on Nov. 2, statewide COVID-19 cases spiked, with 48 new cases on Wednesday.

Bars are considered a major risk factor for COVID-19 spread, but state officials on Tuesday contended that with new restrictions in place, bars will be functionally more like restaurants. Restaurants reopened this spring and summer, although with new restrictions in place. Bar reopenings were put on hold after bars were found to be vectors of “super-spreading” events in other states.

After subtracting previous cases that were probable but turned out to be negative, Maine had a net of 39 additional cases on Wednesday. There were no additional deaths.

Two people walk along Free Street in Portland. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Maine had started October with lower daily case counts in the 20s and 30s, before Wednesday’s spike. In September, there were several surges in cases and numerous outbreaks in York County.

Bars and tasting rooms reopening were part of the governor’s “Phase Four” reopening announcement, which included additional capacity for restaurants and other indoor gatherings starting Oct. 13.

The new rules will allow those places to expand to 50 percent of capacity, or 100 people, whichever is lower.

The current indoor limit is 50 people.

Places where people are more often standing or exercising, such as gyms, will continue to have a 50-person limit. The outdoor limit of 100-person gatherings remains.

Research has shown bars to have a greater risk factor for spreading COVID-19, and they have been vectors of some super-spreading events in other states, such as a bar in Michigan that was connected to nearly 200 cases in June.

Several Maine bar owners said Tuesday they generally support the administration’s move.

Bars that closely follow the new rules should operate more like a restaurant in terms of seating and how customers move about the business.

For example, according to a checklist released by the Department of Economic and Community Development, all customers regardless of whether they are at a bar or restaurant “must remain with their dining party and not mix with other dining parties.”

Also, “all patrons at tables, bars, and counters must have a seat and must be in their seats except when walking in, picking up their order (if applicable), traveling to and from the restroom, and leaving the establishment. Customers should not stand/mingle in any counter or bar area (i.e., groups should not interact with each other).”

This story will be updated.

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