COVID-19 Resources for Individuals and Businesses

This page was last updated on July 7, 2020

For Self-Employed | For Employers | For Employees | From the Office of the Governor | Other Information

For Self Employed Individuals

Maine Department of Labor

• The Maine DOL Bureau of Unemployment Compensation.
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Information
• Unemployment Information Related to COVID-19
• Unemployment Videos Related to COVID-19
• Information on Unemployment Eligibility, pdf file, 196 kb
• Federal Guidance on New Programs Related to COVID-1

Small Business Administration

• SBA Paycheck Protection Program  - The Paycheck Protection Program resumed accepting applications July 6, 2020, at 9:00 AM EDT in response to President signing the program's extension legislation. The new deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan is August 8, 2020. 
• Guidance to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)

• COVID-19 Relief Consumer Loan Program provides no- to low-interest consumer loans through a loan guarantee program involving Maine’s banks, credit unions, and FAME.

Maine Department of Health and Human Services

• Maine CDC COVID-19 Updates
• Accessing Assistance through Maine DHHS,
• Aging and Disability Services COVID-19 Resources
• Child and Family Services COVID-19 Resources
• MaineCare COVID-19 Resources

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• How to Protect Yourself
• What to Do if You're Sick

For Employers

Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Resources

On April 28, Governor Mills issued a plan for Restarting Maine's Economy, which includes a staged approach for re-opening businesses and identifies specific industries which are authorized to re-open during Stage 1, starting May 1, 2020. Industries approved include guided hunting, fishing, and boating operators, and marinas.

In order to open, individual businesses must commit to complying with a checklist of requirements developed for their industry by completing an online form.

• Approved industries fo re-opening, safety checklists for approved industries, and compliance form
• DECD’s Business Answers Phone Line:  1-800-872-3838
• DECD’s Business Answers Email Address:  business.answers@maine.gov

Small Business Administration

• SBA Paycheck Protection Program  - The Paycheck Protection Program resumed accepting applications July 6, 2020, at 9:00 AM EDT in response to President signing the program's extension legislation. The new deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan is August 8, 2020. 
• Economic Injury Disaster Loans SBA is accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance applications on a limited basis only to provide relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. Agricultural businesses includes those businesses engaged in the production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)).
• Small Business Administration’s Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Maine and US Departments of Labor

• Unemployment Information Related to COVID-19
• Unemployment Videos Related to COVID-19
• Information on Eligibility, pdf file, 196 kb
• Information from Maine DOL on unemployment, Maine leave laws and other issues - https://www.maine.gov/labor/covid19/
  
• FAQ’s from U.S. DOL about the Fair Labor Standards Act: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/pandemic
  
• OSHA’s COVID-19 webpage, including links to interim guidance and other resources for preventing exposures to, and infection with, the novel coronavirus—now officially named COVID-19.: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/
• U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (PDF).

Finance Authority of Maine

• COVID-19 Relief Interim SBA Finance Loan Program provides FAME Direct Loans of up to $100,000 with special terms available to eligible borrowers who provide proof of commitment for SBA financing. Eligible borrowers will provide proof of commitment for SBA financing with the intention the FAME loan would be originated for use to business owner until such time as SBA loan is funded. The SBA loan would then pay-off the FAME loan.
• COVID-19 Relief Business Direct Loan Program provides FAME Direct Loans of up to $50,000 with special terms available to Maine-based businesses experiencing interruption or hardship due to COVID-19.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Resources for businesses and employers from the U.S. CDC

US Chamber of Commerce

• Guidance for Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19

For Employees

Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)

• COVID-19 Relief Consumer Loan Program provides no- to low-interest consumer loans through a loan guarantee program involving Maine’s banks, credit unions, and FAME.

Maine and US Department of Labor

• Unemployment claims can be filed at https://reemployme.maine.gov/
• Unemployment question can be submitted online at https://www.maine.gov/labor/contact/index.html
• FAQ’s from U.S. DOL about the Fair Labor Standards Act: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/pandemic

Maine Department of Health and Human Services

• Maine CDC COVID-19 Updates
• Accessing Assistance through Maine DHHS, pdf 446 kb
• Aging and Disability Services COVID-19 Resources
• Child and Family Services COVID-19 Resources
• MaineCare Services COVID-19 Resource

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• U.S. CDC Coronavirus Information

US Chamber of Commerce

• Workplace Tips for Employees

UD Department of Commerce

• Department of Commerce COVID-19 Information for Employees

COVID-19 Response Information and Resources from the Office of the Governor

• Information and Resources from the Office of the Governor
• July 1: Due to improving public health metrics in those states,visitors from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are exempt from the 14-day quarantine requirement or negative COVID-19 testing alternative, effective July 3.
• June 26: Nearly 100 Maine cities and towns will receive a total of $9 million in grants to support local COVID-19 prevention efforts.
• June 22: After outbreaks in other states, indoor bar service in Maine will not resume as scheduled on July 1 in order to protect public health.
• June 15: Dine-in service in all York, Cumberland and Androscoggin county restaurants has been permitted to begin June 17. Several other businesses outlined here are also now permitted to re-open.
• June 12: The date Maine lodging establishments may start accepting guests that are not residents of Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire per the Keep Maine Healthy plan, has been accelerated to June 26.
• June 10: Gov. Mills has extended Maine's state of civil emergency through July 10, 2020.
• June 8: A new plan, Keep Maine Healthy, has created a testing alternative to the 14-day quarantine for visitors to Maine starting June 26. It allows residents of New Hampshire and Vermont to travel to Maine without testing or quarantine, and visit Maine lodging starting June 12.
• June 8: COVID-19 testing capacity will quadruple in Maine in July, and more people in Maine with elevated risk of exposure will be able to be tested for the virus. 
• June 5: Business re-openings in 13 Maine counties have been accelerated through the Restarting Maine Plan.

Other Information

• Coronavirus.gov — The primary portal for public information, curated by the Coronavirus Task Force at the White House, working in conjunction with Center for Disease Control, Health and Human Services, and other agency stakeholders. 
• What the U.S. Government is Doing — A catalogue of all U.S. government activities related to COVID-19.
• FDA Emergency Preparedness – COVID-19
• NFI – Seafood and Coronavirus
• USDA Inspection Services
• National Sea Grant Law Center COVID-19 Resources (including information on the CARES Act) 

This webpage will be updated regularly.

---