I will not publish the entire email here but I will summarize it’s salient points, which I believe to be sand-poundingly ridiculous. What follows is a perfect example of government overreach, cover your ass bureaucracy, and anti-scientific reasoning made to look like prudence. Here goes:
If I plan on vacationing in Maine I will have to self quarantine for 14 days, a shelter in place order that prohibits even trips to the grocery store. If we desire food and groceries we must avail ourselves of limited delivery services. Since the majority of rentals with On The Water In Maine are less than two weeks, this would mean that all out of state visitors to the state would be faced with a very quiet and isolated vacation. However, the good Governor, in her grace and wisdom has offered us an olive branch. If we desire to avoid the two week quarantine we can get tested for COVID no later than 72 hours before our arrival in the State. If the test is negative, we can skip the quarantine!! But here’s the sand pounding sophistry part...nobody in Maine is authorized to demand to see our negative test while we are there because of...HIPAA laws. When I say nobody I do mean nobody. Not the cops, not our rental agency, not anyone who owns a restaurant or store that we are about to enter. The results of our COVID test then will be our little secret. So the entire project will be based on the honor system. Let’s set aside for a moment the worthlessness of such an exercise and turn our attention to the science involved here. If someone gets a negative test for COVID, all that tells us is that he or she did not have the virus on the day they were tested. It provides no such reassurance that he or she may not have been exposed to the virus during the long trip to Maine. Any number of virus-y things may have happened during the 72 hours after the negative test was acquired. Moreover, while we are in Maine, we might pick up COVID while pumping gas, eating a lobster roll, or standing in line at RiverDucks Ice Cream. So, what public health purpose does this totally confidential, 72 hours old negative COVID test serve the State of Maine, other than making her Governor look like a loopy gasbag?
It should be noted that the entire State of Maine has had fewer cases, hospitalizations and deaths than....Henrico County, making these draconian, business-crushing mandates especially hard to comprehend.
What has been my response to Tiffany Ford and my friends at On The Water In Maine? I fired off the following email late last night...
Tif,
Pam and I have read through this email which I’m sure was very difficult for you to have to write. My wife will reply with more detailed thoughts, but I wanted to answer myself as well, since I have plenty to say.
First of all, we have no intention of cancelling our reservation. Although it is very clear to me that your Governor clearly does not wish us to come to Maine, and will be extremely distressed if we do, my answer to her is an emphatic, “NO.” I will not cancel my four weeks in Maine. There are many reasons why, not the least of which are the many many fine businesses that we have grown to love over the years in the Camden area to which our cancellation would do great harm. The Smiling Cow, Once Upon a Tree, Hazel’s, The Waterfront, Camden Deli, The Droughty Bear, Riverducks ice cream, and...On The Water in Maine. We both know how important the short tourist season in Maine is to these and many other wonderful businesses in the Mid-Coast area. To bail on them because of this nonsensical government overreach would be unconscionable. Also, our July in Maine isn’t just a vacation, it is a crucial part of our lives and the lives of our family. The central role that OTWIM has played in so many of these trips has been something that we highly value. Your great care an attentiveness to our needs while we are up there has made everything so much easier and care free. There’s simply no way we would back out on ourselves OR you.
So, we will get tested and go about our lives. We will obey all the rules for social distancing and mask wearing. But we will NOT back away from our commitment to come to your beautiful state, despite your Governor’s wishes.
God Bless,
Doug
You forgot to mention that lodging establishments are required to have us sign a document indicating that we are either quarantining or have received a negative test result and will keep it on file for 30 days (for tracing purposes, I suppose). So "the honor system" requires a signature oath of sorts. I am willing to do whatever it takes to be respectful of the requirements they have put in place (as ridiculous as they are) to keep us all safer while visiting their state. Also, in case anyone is interested, quarantining means that we can still do outdoor activities like social distanced hiking and swimming and boating . . . but we could not be around any other people, which prohibits shopping, going to the grocery store, and dining out (including picking up takeout). So you COULD still enjoy a vacation there under quarantine, but it would look very different. I just hope that the tourism industry in ME can survive this. A huge majority of their restaurants and stores and lodging places are small businesses and would be hurt the most by these regulations. They have such a short summer season there, that this could be devastating for those business.
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