Last week, Maine sportsman and author George Smith passed away after a courageous four year battle with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

George loved Maine. And Maine surely loved George.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

George Smith was an avid sportsman, a prolific writer, and a good-natured friend to all.

He was Executive Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine for 18 years and he helped create, and then later served on the board of, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, which has provided more than $20 million for conservation and outdoor recreation projects.

For decades George Smith also wrote columns for The Maine Sportsman magazine, the Kennebec Journal, the Bangor Daily News, and the travel column Travelin’ Maine(rs). He published three books, A Lifetime of Hunting and Fishing: The Ones That Got Away and the Ones That Didn’t, Maine Sporting Camps, and A Life Lived Outdoors: Reflections of a Maine Sportsman.

In addition to all of that writing, for 13 years George hosted the television show “Wildfire,” a show I got to appear on once and a while, that was dedicated to hunting, fishing, conservation, and environmental issues.

George also gave back to the State of Maine through public service, serving five years on the Winthrop Town Council, three terms as Mount Vernon Selectman, one term as Kennebec County Commissioner, seven years on the Mount Vernon Planning Board, and 38 years as a trustee of the Dr. Shaw Memorial Library.

George was the very embodiment of the character of Maine. He was strong but kind, independent but compassionate, wise but humble.

His decades-long advocacy on behalf of conservation contributed to the preservation and the protection of forests, lakes, and streams across our state. Now that will all be enjoyed by generations to come. He put his money where his mouth is. He donated 125 acres in Mt. Vernon to the Kennebec Land Trust, lands to be preserved and protected in perpetuity.

George’s love and respect for our great state is only surpassed by the love which its people, including this Governor and many governors before me, all had for him.
His was a life so fully and so well lived, even as he fought the ALS disease with his characteristic grit, fortitude, and courage to the very end.

I am deeply saddened by his passing, but I know that Maine will best honor his legacy by exploring and loving the camps and cottages, diners, inns, lakes and lands — everything that makes Maine this special place — as much as he loved them too.

My heart goes out to his wife and co-explorer and co-author, Linda; to his children and grandchildren; to his brother, Gordon; and his sister, Edie, during this difficult time.

May the citizens of Maine all emulate his great love for this great state.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Maine’s making good progress on preventing the spread of COVID-19, there’s no question about that. The number of new cases, number of people in the hospital with COVID, the rate of people dying with COVID, those are all decreasing. At the same time, the number of vaccines we have administered is increasing – one day this week alone we administered over 10,000 doses, the highest number in a single day to date.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

We are ramping up our efforts to deploy every dose of vaccine we get as quickly as possible to reach people in every corner of our state — last week we partnered with Scarborough Downs to open a large community vaccination site, and the new site at Bangor’s Cross Center is up and running and this week we partnered with 24 private pharmacies beginning to vaccinate people all across the state.

That progress is important, but this process sure is complicated. Maine is undertaking the greatest logistical challenge in generations.

The success of this effort depends on so many factors, including things outside our control.

The limited number of vaccines we get from the federal government; the ultra-cold storage necessary for the Pfizer vaccine; the two dose regimen for both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines; Maine’s unique demographics – our much higher percentage of older people and people with underlying medical conditions as well as our far flung rural communities, our dispersed population — these are all challenges we are dealing with.

Because of those issues and because of the limited supply of vaccine we focused first on vaccinating Maine’s health care, public safety, and critical COVID-19 responders — the people on the frontlines of the coronavirus battle; we next focused on protecting the most vulnerable of our citizens, not those whose professions simply bring them into contact with the public, but those people who are most likely to suffer and die if they do contract COVID-19 — that means, statistically, people age 70 and older.  

There are nearly 200,000 people aged 70 and older in Maine and to date, only 71,000 of them have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. We are about a third of the way there, just in the first doses administered for that particular vulnerable population.

Late last year, the U.S. CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued a document that recommended that states vaccinate quote “frontline essential workers” with older adults after health care workers. 

We’ve gotten hundreds, if not thousands, of questions from Maine people from all professions asking if they will be deemed “essential workers” and if so, when they will be able to get the vaccine.

Well, first, we still have nearly a hundred and thirty thousand people over the age of 70 who are waiting for their vaccine. Next week we will be getting about 22,000 doses from the federal government. At this rate, it will take several weeks just to reach the next phase of our vaccine distribution plan and believe me no decisions have been made regarding who that phase might include.

And things may well change between now and then, for better or for worse. New vaccines may become available, ones that are easier to store and distribute, our supply of existing vaccines from the federal government may change, or the rate of transmission, hospitalizations or deaths in Maine could shift, particularly with the new, more contagious variants of the virus appearing in our state.

This is a race against time.

People are eager to know who will be in the next phase of our vaccine distribution plan. But it would be premature to make that decision today. Things are likely to change before we are ready to implement the next phase.  

Secondly, I have said it before, but I will say it again — everyone in this state is essential. There’s no one who’s not essential in my view. Right now, we are targeting our limited supply of vaccine to save the most lives, but every single person in Maine is a priority. You are all my priority.

Course the uncertainty around vaccines is definitely frustrating, but I will always be honest with you about the hurdles we are facing and what we’re doing to get around them.

As you await your vaccine, please keep the faith. You will be vaccinated; it is just a matter of time.

And to those who have been vaccinated and those who are still waiting, please stay safe. Take the steps we know will keep us all healthy – wear your mask, watch your distance, wash your hands and avoid gatherings. 

Speaking of gatherings, next week is February school vacation. I know people will be tempted to organize social occasions with friends and family during this time, but please remember COVID-19 is not taking a vacation. 

So find fun things to do safely, especially outdoors like hiking, snowshoeing, skiing or ice fishing. This week I signed an Executive Order to create a free fishing week from Saturday, February 13 to Sunday February 21. Just register online at mefishwildlife.com/icefishing and fish for free without a license on Maine’s waterways. Of course bag limits, and other rules and regulations, apply.

I hope to see you out on the ice next week.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Boy I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love a Super Bowl party. And, while I have no favorite, I’ll be very excited to watch the fireworks between Tom Brady, making his tenth Super Bowl appearance, and the much younger Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City with its superior record of 16 wins and 2 losses.

Hey this is Janet Mills, Governor of the great State of Maine. Thank you for listening.

Regardless of the odds and the outcome of the game, you should know that the NFL is taking every precaution to avoid this Sunday’s game becoming a super spreader event, with the COVID-19 virus scoring extra points.

So, as tempting as it is to watch the game at your favorite watering hole, or to get together at someone’s house who has a big screen tv, please don’t forget the silent and ever-present danger of COVID-19 which could ruin your game or could even take your life. COVID-19 is not taking Super Bowl Sunday off.

In the good news category, late last week I got a call from Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, inviting me to identify four Maine healthcare workers who would enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to the Super Bowl with roundtrip travel on the Patriots jet.

Wow, we are so grateful for the generosity of the Patriots and the Kraft family. Four health care superheroes, who have been fully vaccinated are attending the game in Tampa. I want to personally congratulate:

Joe Looper, an Emergency Department Nurse at Mercy Hospital, also a member of the National Guard who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

And Cathy Bean, manager of Clinical and Community Health Services Northern Light Home Care & Hospice.

Lisa Ireland, an RN at RiverRidge Center who is on the frontlines of this pandemic every day.

And Dr. Patrick Keaney, pulmonary physician at Mid-Coast Hospital who has both cared for the patients in that hospital, COVID-19 patients, and served as the hospital’s source of information, sometimes working six weeks straight without a break.

This special gift from the Patriots and the Kraft family can in no way fully expresses our gratitude to the thousands of frontline healthcare workers in Maine, all of them, whether physicians, CNAs, nurses, therapists, EMTs or support staff – professionals who comforted patients as they took their last breath; staff who provided a lifeline to critical care patients isolated and deprived of contact with loved ones.

It is those individuals who have spent their days and nights for ten months straight keeping people alive in the ICUs, in the nursing facilities, in emergency rooms and ambulances across our state, putting themselves and their own families at risk.

It is those same courageous individuals we should think about before deciding to have a party Sunday evening or before joining an impromptu crowd to celebrate the winning touchdown and ignore basic public health precautions. At any party without social distancing, COVID-19 will be a silent spectator.

I also want to thank the healthcare professionals who are providing their precious time, on-duty and off-duty, coming out of retirement and working at our new mass vaccination clinics, giving a shot of hope to communities all across Maine. The excitement is contagious, sighs of anticipation and relief are palpable.

I hope that you will join me in honoring all of our health care heroes. Honor them and protect them by watching Sunday’s game safely at home without a crowd instead of hosting or attending a party where COVID-19 can spread. It’s a small inconvenience, a small sacrifice to make for a lot of good reasons this year, so we can all get together next year and watch Tom Brady’s 11thappearance at the Super Bowl.

Remember, COVID-19 doesn’t care who you are rooting for, so please wear your mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Maine is beginning to round the corner on the post-holiday surge of COVID-19.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

On Thursday, Maine reported a lower positivity rate of 3.64, a decrease from almost 6 percent on December 31. Maine’s 7-day new case rate has declined by 35 percent in the last two weeks. 

All that is good news, although we are very wary about the continuing pandemic, but with the holiday season behind us now and in light of these better numbers, this week we decided to end the 9:00 p.m. early closing time for businesses, effective Monday, February 1.

That early closing time was aimed at reducing the higher risk of COVID-19 transmission during those later indoor entertainment hours when people are more likely to lower their guard and not adhere to basic public health and safety measures.

And it was geared to the holiday season in particular. We were very wary about people getting together in public places and catching the virus.

So that measure, that so called curfew, which is similar to what other states have done, that allowed businesses to keep their doors open during the daytime and evening and allowed curbside pick-up and delivery service before and after 9:00 p.m. We really wanted to keep those businesses viable but at the same time protect the public from the virus.

Starting Monday, those businesses that had been subject to this requirement — restaurants, movie theatres, casinos — they may all resume late evening operating hours if they choose, while continuing to follow basic public health and safety guidelines.

The progress we are making is encouraging, but boy the pandemic is far from over.

Every time we wear our masks, watch our distance, and avoid gatherings, we all help put a lid on this virus and help get our state back on track and back to normal faster. We want Maine people to be healthy. It’s the highest goal we have and our number one focus.

It’s not only the right thing, it’s also the very thing that will bring our economy back. As all the economists tell me: you can’t have a healthy economy if you don’t have healthy people.

We have been luckier than a lot of states.

People have moved here, stayed here, paid taxes here, and enrolled kids in school here because they feel safer here. And we welcome them, we want them to continue living here, working here, shopping here.

For all kinds of reasons, we’ve got to keep our state healthy.

Right now, we are working to get as many vaccines into the arms of Maine people as quickly and efficiently as possible — as of Friday, more than 137,000 people have been vaccinated. But even if you’ve been vaccinated, once or both times, it’s important to keep taking those basic steps that public health experts all advise will keep us all healthy.

Speaking of staying healthy, I want to also acknowledge that President Biden this week announced that his administration is opening a special health care enrollment period for marketplace coverage on HealthCare.Gov from February 15th to May 15th, extra months to allow people to shop for better health insurance coverage at affordable prices.

I sure welcome this news, and I applaud the President for this decision.

The pandemic has thrown into sharp relief how important it is for Maine people to have affordable health care so they can see a doctor, receive the care they need, and stay healthy.

My Administration has been focusing since day one on making health care more affordable and more accessible to Maine people and businesses – right now for example, more than 70,000 people have health insurance as a result of MaineCare expansion.

With the open special open enrollment period fast approaching, I encourage Maine people who are looking for affordable health insurance to visit CoverME.gov — that’s CoverME.gov — from February 15th to May 15th to learn about coverage options, find local assistance, and think about applying for better, more affordable health insurance.

In the meantime, please stay healthy and stay safe.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you so much for listening. 

Along with millions of Americans, I was moved by the historic Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris this week. Among other things, for the first time, children across our nation can look upon a woman, and a woman of color, serving her country in the second highest office in the land and those kids now know that their futures too are limitless.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, thank you for listening.

The President and Vice President assumed office during a difficult time. The coronavirus pandemic rages on, with more Americans falling ill and more people losing their lives every day. Thousands of people are out of work through no fault of their own. Small businesses are struggling to survive. Families are wondering when help will come so that they may pay the mortgage, send their kids to school and pay for fuel and food.

President Biden spoke eloquently to the divisions that have plagued our nation and the mission he and all Americans now assume to heal the wounds of the past and address the many crises that our nation can no longer ignore, not for one minute more.

With the peaceful transfer of power we renewed our hope for a united nation, where our divisions are healed by a recognition of our common bonds and shared loved for this nation.

A nation where we are not simply Republicans or Democrats or Greens or Independents; but a nation where we are all Americans, united by our sacred freedoms, our fundamental liberties and our civic responsibilities and bound by the promise of a more perfect union.

There is hard work ahead, but as Americans, we are defined by our resiliency, our ability to rise to the challenges of our times and our commitment to creating a better, safer world for our children and for their children, regardless of the magnitude of the problems we face. Maine joins that challenge.

As Amanda Gorman, the youngest Inaugural poet in history, so powerfully put it: “We lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony to all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true. That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped.”

On behalf of the State of Maine, I have extended my sincere congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris. I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to turn back the coronavirus pandemic, to get our people back to work, to strengthen our economy, and to chart a more prosperous future for all Maine families and for all Americans.

As the poet and the playwright have said, “History has its eyes on us.”

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.