With the 2020 travel season in Maine being devastated by state-issued test and quarantine mandates, a group of frustrated innkeepers gathered in Ogunquit on Monday to challenge the governor’s restrictions for out-of-state guests.
During a press conference at the Meadowmere Resort, the innkeepers protested Gov. Mills’ rule that guests (from all states except Vermont and New Hampshire) receive a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before they check into a hotel, inn or bed and breakfast. Calling it unworkable, expensive and most importantly — unattainable — they demanded it be lifted.
“Our lodging members are telling us ‘we can’t survive,’” said Greg Dugal, government affairs officer for HospitalityMaine. “This is the only state with these Draconian measures put upon one industry.”
Tired of hearing guests lament that tests are hard to come by, innkeepers took matters into their own hands. The group conducted a grassroots COVID-19 testing survey in popular Maine drive markets. Results revealed that in 10 states, from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey to Pennsylvania, more than 9 out of 10 test requests were refused. Over and over again they heard, “You can’t get a test without symptoms and going on vacation is not a viable reason to request a COVID test.“
As the only business sector in the state requiring negative results from visitors, innkeepers feel targeted and unfairly singled out. Fear that this season will be wiped out, they are challenging the rule.
Press Play to View Video of the Press Conference Below
Perspectives on the Mandated Testing Requirement from an Ogunquit Maine Innkeeper
My name is Eric Taubert and, as an Ogunquit innkeeper, my biggest question for the Governor is: Why is the lodging industry the only industry being singled out to police the medical status of visitors to Maine.
As we are all aware, our state has been full of day-trippers from elsewhere for weeks now. They have been walking on our streets, beaches, and scenic paths. They have been shopping at Maine stores. They have been eating food from Maine restaurants. They have been purchasing gas from Maine gas stations.
All of our fellow businesses have been (and continue to be) allowed to openly serve these guests with no restrictions, and no requirements stating they are responsible for sussing out where these guests have come from, how they happened to arrive in our state, whether they have quarantined (as currently required), and/or what the “virus status” of these guests may (or may not) be.
Yet, for some reason, the only industry that has been absolutely restricted from conducting any business at all with these very same guests is the lodging sector. And now, we are the ONLY industry in the entire state that is being required to request medical test results from our guests.
So a visitor can arrive in Maine from any state in the country, then visit a gas station, shop at a grocery store, visit a museum, shop at a boutique store, sit on a beach, stop at a salon and get a haircut, and more — and none of the owners of those businesses need to require anything at all from these visitors, no quarantine questions, no medical tests — BUT, the second they want to stay in one of our overnight rooms, Maine innkeepers (ALONE) need to ask the guest questions, inform them of policies, require medical testing, and demand that they sign “certificates of compliance” before we can serve them?
And our lodging industry, and our facilities, are very likely among some of the lowest risk settings in which these guests are likely to find themselves during their visit to Maine — in their own private rooms at our inns and hotels.
It seems these outlandish requirements are being selectively placed on the lodging industry alone – and represent a huge-to-overcome burden for our sector, that no other industries are being forced to confront.
It really feels as if the Governor of Maine wants a much lower level of traffic to Maine this year – she knows that the COVID test requirement is absolutely going to make that lower level of traffic happen for her – and that is precisely why the testing requirement has been put in place.
THE PROBLEM – the lodging sector of our state is being utterly sacrificed in the process.
I speak with innkeepers and lodging providers daily – all of us are at the point where we are afraid to even put out any marketing inviting potential guests to come to Maine and take advantage of the “new testing protocol” to enjoy all of the natural splendor our state has to offer. The fact is, every single time we telegraph that message, we are seeing almost no uptake from guests. PLUS, the few guests who still have advance reservations (made before the pandemic hit) are frustrated by the new complexity level of state requirements for virus testing (and the signing of “certificates of compliance”), so they call us and cancel. ALSO – many of these guests live in areas where it is not possible to just request a COVID test while they are symptom free, so they can go on a vacation. We’re all seeing it. To quote one of my fellow innkeepers from earlier today: “Every time I say anything about testing in a newsletter or social media post, all I get is new cancellations. I sent out an email to guests today and actually got zero new reservations and NINE cancellations.“
The only things that are going to help the lodging sector at this point are either the sensible removal of the testing requirement OR a massive bailout for inns and hotels covering all of the many, many costs we’re incurring as a result of being forced to be the sole gatekeepers keeping tourist traffic out of Maine.
If it has been decided that the lodging sector is going to be the sole gatekeeper to keep everyone out of our state – then we need to be compensated so we can survive.
The state of Maine is trying to launch an in-state testing mechanism – but there are too many flaws in the plans for this in-state testing protocol: Only a very small percentage of guests are even considering jumping through that hoop. There are privacy concerns. Compliance concerns. Liability concerns. There is not enough planned bandwidth for rapid tests, so guests will be able to actually get their results before they arrive at our properties. AND if our guests need to take a test and quarantine at our properties until they receive results – what are we supposed to do if they get positive results? We’ve asked everyone about this and no one has a good answer. Do we send them home? Will they actually be mandated to share their newly discovered positive status with us? Who will be in charge of policing that? There is no REAL plan in place, here.
We all want to keep Maine as virus-free as we can. Here at Hartwell House Inn, we have followed every single rule and mandate that has been put in place – and we will continue to do so. We want our guests and our staff to remain safe and healthy – and will always do everything in our power, going above and beyond, to see that happens. But at some point the questions need to be asked: Why is the Maine lodging the only industry being forced to police this virus? And why are those forcing us to do the policing not putting a plan in place to save our industry as part of the process?
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