AUGUSTA — With the U.S. CDC announcing Friday it is relaxing its mask guidance for communities where hospitals aren’t under high strain, Governor Janet Mills is calling on the Maine CDC to review the guidance and see how Maine’s masking policy can be amended.

In a late Friday night press release to the media, Gov. Mills released the following statement on the updated masking guidance from the U.S. CDC: 

“Maine has experienced a significant and welcome decline in hospitalizations over the last several weeks, which further reinforces my belief that as the circumstances of this pandemic change, so too should our public health recommendations,” she said.

“To that end, I have directed the Maine CDC to review this new Federal guidance in order to inform Maine’s own recommendations as we enter a brighter, more hopeful period and take additional steps towards normalcy,” she continued. “Our guidance should be simple, straightforward, and reflect our assessment of the risk the virus poses in Maine. Throughout the pandemic, Maine people have stepped up, and with our positive downward trends, it is time that they feel a sense of relief too.”