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Employees of Brunswick’s grocery stores, banks, convenience stores and any indoor, public-serving locations must wear masks or face coverings under a new town order, the Portland Press Herald reports.





The unanimous Brunswick Town Council decision on Tuesday was backed by Kristin Jhamb, a doctor at Brunswick’s Mid Coast Hospital, who said she was worried that more must be done to prevent coronavirus.

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It’s uncertain whether any other municipality in Maine has enacted such an order, which goes into effect on Friday. The council also debated, but did not approve, a motion requiring the general public to wear face masks or coverings inside public spaces.

Large stores where there are high volumes of people are the “biggest vector” of the virus, Jhamb said.

Many Maine retailers who remain open during the pandemic have already enacted safety measures, including plexiglass screens at cash registers and floor markers that help people maintain the six feet of social distancing required to help stop the spread of the disease.

The council also voted Tuesday to deem realtors as “essential,” arguing that people moving during the pandemic likely are doing so out of necessity. The motion to include the general public in the mask requirement failed with a 5-2 vote, the Press Herald reports.

Watch: How to make your own face covering

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