Updated Nov. 3, 2020
NOTE: The reimbursement period for Keep Maine Healthy grants has been extended through Dec. 11, 2020.
Municipalities and Tribal governments are best positioned to create local COVID-19 education and prevention plans. They know their streets, business, parks, residents, and visitors and where and how activities can be most effective.
Such activities would extend the Maine Center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) work to promote public education and public health activities, implementing physical distancing measures, and providing technical assistance to local businesses to help them follow best practices described in COVID-19 Prevention Checklists. These plans will help ensure the safety of Maine people and summer visitors.
Accordingly, the State encourages municipalities to develop a plan and, upon approval, implement their own COVID-19 prevention, education, and protection plans and will be providing funding to reimburse municipalities the costs associated with these activities. Effectively, these local actions will be an extension of the Maine CDC actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As part of Keep Maine Healthy, the Maine CDC will oversee this initiative.
Municipalities and Tribal governments will submit plans that include one or more of the following:
- Public education activities: This could include printing and posting of existing State or national COVID- 19 information and/or developing local educational activities that are consistent with CDC guidelines. Costs eligible for reimbursement would include staff time for planning and education activities and costs for signage, materials, website development, brochures and mailings.
- Physical distancing and public health support: This could be fences, tape, and signage for physical distancing in public spaces and closed streets; hiring or reassigning staff to limit crowds in front of restaurants, bars, beaches and other sites; new traffic pattern signage and education; purchases of personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer to be made available for staff, visitors, and for use at public locations; providing extra cleaning supplies and additional staff time required for enhanced cleaning and management of public spaces and restrooms.
- Local business assistance: This includes staff time for a Code Enforcement Officer, Local Health Officer, local law enforcement, or other person designated by the municipality or Tribe to be the local contact for educating local businesses on best practices. This may include following up on public complaints and, for certain cases, providing information to State officials when there is a potential public health violation that cannot be quickly resolved through educating the business or individual.
This initiative is for the short term (August 1 – Dec. 11, 2020). Costs associated with approved public health education and prevention activities during the funding period from August 1 through December 31, 2020 will be reimbursed.
Costs incurred between August 1 – December 11, 2020 that are directly attributed to this education and prevention campaign will be considered for plan inclusion and reimbursement; however, reimbursement is not guaranteed until the application is approved by the CDC.
This program allows for municipal implementation in partnership with community organizations, including visitor centers, public health groups, or chambers of commerce.
Cost settled contracts will be awarded to all approved municipalities and Tribal governments.