COVID-19: Communities, Workplaces, and Schools

Communities, workplaces, and schools all play a role in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Update for Employers: If you have an employee who tested positive or is a close contact, please work with them directly to determine when it is safe for them to return to work. Maine CDC is no longer providing release from isolation and release from quarantine letters. Maine CDC does not recommend that employers require a negative test to return to work for individuals who tested positive.

 

On this page:

 

Recommendations for COVID Positive Cases

Maine CDC created informational packets with recommendations for certain groups:

 

Community Mitigation

Community mitigation activities are actions that people and communities can take to slow the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Mitigation strategies include:

  • Personal protective measures (handwashing, wearing face coverings, etc) that individuals can use while in community settings
  • Social distancing (maintaining physical distancing of 6 feet or more from others)
  • Environmental surface cleaning at home and in community settings like schools and businesses

Please see U.S. CDC's full Community Mitigation Framework (PDF).

 

Businesses and Workplaces

Worker safety and support is critical to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. CDC has many resources available including health and safety steps for specific occupations.

Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has industry specific COVID-19 prevention checklists for safely operating businesses. A general checklist (PDF) is available for all businesses to follow and can be used if your business/organization does not have a specific checklist. For questions about checklists or what you need to do to open your business, please contact Maine DECD by calling 1-800-872-3838 or by emailing business.answers@maine.gov.

U.S. CDC also has guidance available for cleaning and disinfecting facilities as well as guidance for reopening buidings after shutdown.

As businesses work on updating and revising their safety plans and contingency plans for if a case is identified in their workplace, a number of questions may come up that businesses need help answering. First, check to see if U.S. CDC has addressed the question in their frequently asked questions website for businesses. If that question is not addressed, you can contact Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821 or by email at disease.reporting@maine.gov (this email is not secure and patient information should not be sent).

 

Schools and Child Care

Please see Maine's Department of Education (Maine DOE) webpage for COVID-19 for the most recent updates and resources for schools.

U.S. CDC also has Interim Guidance for Administrators of K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs available. This guidance should be used in collaboration with Guidance from Maine DOE.

If you are looking for child care, please visit the Child Care Choices website. Please visit Maine's Child Care Subsidy Program website for information on the Child Care Subsidy Program and information on applying.

See Maine's school-based guidance for Abbott BinaxNOW testing.

Day and Overnight Camps

For day and overnight camps, recommended testing strategies:

  • Antigen testing
    • One option is to order BinaxNOW antigen testing (compatible with pooled testing option below) by filling out this form to apply and follow the BinaxNOW guidance available on our webpage.
  • Pooled PCR testing
  • Private PCR testing
    • Connect with and purchase PCR tests from a private lab facility.

Additional U.S. CDC Guidance

 

Posters

Guidance and Other Resources