Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday removed the requirement that people wear face coverings in all outdoor public settings.

The change is effective immediately.

The move reflects recent guidance from the U. S. Centers for Disease Control that indicate the risk of transmitting COVID-19 in outdoor settings is low.

While the outdoor requirement has been lifted immediately, the Maine CDC still advises that people wear face coverings in outdoor settings where it is difficult to maintain physical distancing.

WDEA Ellsworth Maine logo
Get our free mobile app

Face coverings are still required for indoor public settings, and there are no changes to Maine’s physical distancing requirements.

In a statement, Mills urged all Mainers to get vaccinated and enjoy the outdoors.

"With the summer months nearly upon us, this offers a great opportunity for people to get outside and safely enjoy all that Maine has to offer. I applaud all the work Maine people have put in to protect themselves and others and continue to encourage them to get vaccinated and wear a mask when inside or when around others so that we can get this pandemic fully behind us," Mills said.

"Scientific studies continue to show that outdoor activities are much safer than indoor ones," said Maine CDC Director Nirav D. Shah. "As more Maine people become vaccinated against COVID-19, outdoor activities become that much safer."

The Maine CDC guidelines will be updated in the coming days to reflect the changes, Mills said.

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

 

More From WDEA Ellsworth Maine