Salons, Gyms in 13 Counties Given Green Light To Open June 12

Nail salons, gyms and tattoo parlors in 13 rural Maine counties will be allowed to open June 12 under an accelerated economic reopening schedule from the Mills administration. Also on June 12, bars and tasting rooms in those counties may open for outdoor seating.

The new schedule, announced Thursday, does not apply to Androscoggin, Cumberland and York counties, where community transmission of COVID-19 is present.

For bars, tasting rooms and tattoo parlors, this marks an acceleration of the schedule. They had been scheduled to reopen on July 1, in the third phase of the plan.

The updates come in light of low count trends for COVID-19 in the 13 counties. In those counties, the "relatively small number of cases has largely either remained steady or decreased," according to the administration.

These businesses, if they opt to reopen must comply with added health and safety precautions set out by the state.

"I continue to urge Maine people to take steps to protect themselves and others, including wearing a face covering, staying six feet apart whenever possible, and practicing good hygiene such as washing your hands frequently," Gov. Janet Mills said in announcing the new schedule. "As we continue to gradually reopen, steps like these will be critical to protecting not only ourselves but others as well."

Restaurants in the 13 rural Maine counties -- including Penobscot County -- were allowed to reopen on June 1.