The tourism plan announced Monday afternoon by Gov. Janet Mills received a mixed reaction from local hotel, inn and resort owners, including confusion on how to confirm and enforce that out-of-state residents have tested negative for the coronavirus.
Billie Cooke sits on the front porch of the Inn at The Agora in Lewiston on Monday afternoon. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
According to Mills’ updated plan, starting in July, out-of-state tourists will not have to quarantine for 14 days if they sign a compliance form certifying that they tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of checking in at their lodging.
Tourists from New Hampshire and Vermont can start visiting Maine without a 14-day quarantine starting Friday, according to Mills.
Olga Dolgicer, who has served as innkeeper at the Munroe Inn on Pleasant Street in Auburn for six years, said she appreciated the governor’s willingness to make adjustments to her plan, but was concerned about how hotels, inns and resorts are supposed to ensure guests are being truthful in signing a compliance form.
“How am I supposed to enforce it?” Dolgicer said. “I don’t want to have to police my guests.”
Dolgicer said she visited New York City recently and was impressed with the number of people wearing masks and protective equipment, even in their vehicles.
“I’m fine with out-of-staters coming here, based on what I’m seeing in New York and other big cities,” Dolgicer said. “If anybody visits us from Boston or New York or another major city, I’ll do my job, make sure to disinfect my inn, and as long as my guests are in compliance, we’ll be OK.”
However, Dolgicer said that despite Mills’ updated plan to remove the 14-day quarantine for travelers who tested negative for the coronavirus, her business has already felt the effects of the restrictions initially put in place by the state.
“At my inn, the only calls I receive right now are from local people who are homeless and looking for lodging,” Dolgicer said. “Other than that, I have no bookings for July or August, and normally, I have a lot this time of year.”
In Lewiston, Billie Cooke, owner of the Inn at The Agora on Walnut Street, said she was confused by the governor’s latest plan.
“I’m just wondering how we’re supposed to confirm that people signing the confirmation form have actually tested negative,” Cooke said. “Are we supposed to enforce it? Does somebody else enforce it? I don’t know.”
Cooke said a very small percentage of her customers come from New Hampshire or Vermont.
“Most of the people staying here come from Bates College, and in terms of out-of-state tourists, a majority of them come from Massachusetts, New York, the West Coast, or from a different country,” she said.
Cooke said she was also unsure whether she’s liable if a hot spot pops up in Lewiston and it was traced back to her inn.
“One issue I’m worried about is people coming in, saying, ‘Yeah, I tested negative,’ even though they didn’t, so they can get lodging,” Cooke said. “What does that do to my liability if they test positive later?”
Jessica Donovan, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch, said she was “appreciative of the change in quarantine requirements.
“While we expected to see some adjustments to this prior to July 1, I was surprised to learn that exceptions were made for New Hampshire and Vermont residents,” Donovan said. “I’m not sure I fully understand the science or travel pattern behind that particular decision.”
“Quarantine or no quarantine, all we can do is keep the honest people honest,” she said.
“There’s no foolproof way to stop travel that contradicts the mandates, so the focus has to be on ensuring our safety measures are in place and our teams are well trained,” she added.
Karolyn Castaldo, director of communications for Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, said it was “encouraging that New Hampshire and Vermont residents are able to travel freely to Maine, given our proximity to the New Hampshire border.”
“Only time will tell if adding the testing alternative for other out-of-state visitors will have a positive impact on increasing reservations and visitation this summer,” she added.
Several inns and resorts from Oxford and Franklin counties did not respond to requests for an interview by Monday evening.
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