National Emergency Medical Services Week

EMS Week is a perfect time to honor those frontline heroes dedicated to providing emergency medicine that saves so many lives every day.  We understand that the 2020 EMS Week was probably not a top priority due to the COVID-19 crisis. This year’s campaign will focus on What EMS is and what we do.

The 2021 EMS Week theme: "THIS IS EMS: Caring for Our Communities."  This theme is particularly meaningful now, to remind people that every day we are still there to respond, support, and care for the needs of our communities.

We send our best wishes for the constant safety and good health of all EMS personnel on the first lines who continue to take care of our communities.

Maine to Adopt U.S. CDC’s New COVID-19 Guidance

Following a review by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maine’s Governor announced today that the State of Maine will adopt the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (U.S. CDC) new guidance which allows fully vaccinated Americans not to wear face coverings indoors, effective May 24, 2021.

Maine will also lift the physical distancing requirement at indoor public settings where people are eating or drinking and therefore would be removing their face covering – such as indoor restaurants, bars, dining areas in camps or in congregate living facilities, and break rooms.

Consistent with the U.S. CDC’s guidelines, it is recommended that people in Maine who are not fully vaccinated wear face coverings in indoor public settings. The U.S. CDC requires people to wear masks on all planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation.

The May 24th date aligns with Maine’s previously-established timeline to remove restrictions and allows those who have not yet been vaccinated to receive at least their first shot prior to the change. This includes youth ages 12 to 15 who just became eligible for a vaccine this week. To schedule a vaccine appointment, visit Maine.gov/covid19/vaccines or call 1-888-445-4111.

Additionally, in light of the increased role the U.S. CDC has assumed in issuing guidance, the State of Maine will begin retiring its COVID-19 Prevention Checklists and transitioning to U.S. CDC guidelines as appropriate. The Maine Department of Education’s requirements and recommendations for schools, along with other Federal requirements, remain in effect at this time. Additional Federal guidance from the U.S. CDC for schools and other venues is expected.

Businesses and other organizations may, consistent with legal obligations, adopt policies for their employees or clients that either require vaccination or require proof of vaccination in order to avoid wearing a mask.

Tick Prevention and Property Management

Reducing your exposure to ticks lowers your chances of getting a tickborne disease. While it is good to take preventative measures against ticks all year, you should be extra careful during warmer months when ticks are most active. If you work or play outdoors, you should:

• Wear EPA-approved repellents.
• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Walk in the center of trails.
• Wear long-sleeved, light-colored clothing.
• Tuck your pant legs into your socks and your shirt into your pants.
• Check your clothing and gear for ticks and do a full-body tick check when coming back indoors. Pay special attention to under the arms, behind the knees, between the legs, in and around the ears, in the belly button, around the waist, and in the hair.
• Take a shower within two hours after spending time outdoors, which will wash off any unattached ticks.

What types of repellents should I use to prevent ticks?

• Use repellents that contain 20% DEET or greater to effectively repel ticks for several hours. Other EPA-approved tick repellents for use on skin include picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535.
• Products containing permethrin can treat clothing/gear and last for several washes. Permethrin treated clothing is shown to be highly effective at preventing tick bites.
• In general, products containing natural ingredients tend to be less effective at repelling ticks than other EPA-approved repellents.
• You should always follow the instructions on the label.

What should I do after returning from a tick habitat?

• Ticks can be very small and are hard to see. After being outdoors be sure to check your clothing and gear and conduct a full-body tick check by looking and feeling for ticks.
• Ticks can attach anywhere on the body, so it is important to check your whole body. However, ticks prefer warm, moist areas of the body. These areas include under the arms, behind the knees, between the legs, in and around the ears, in the belly button, and in the hair.
• Showering within two hours of coming indoors may help wash off unattached ticks. This also provides a good opportunity to do a tick check.
• Placing clothes directly in a dryer and drying on high heat can effectively kill ticks on clothing.

What should I do if I find an attached tick?

• Remove attached ticks as soon as possible. While there are many tick removal devices available, a pair of fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal spoon work best.
• If you are using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure.
• If you are using a tick spoon, place the notch on the skin near the tick. Apply slight downward pressure while sliding the spoon forward to remove the tick.
• Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.
• Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, dish-soap, nail polish, or other folk remedies to remove ticks. They are generally not effective and may increase the risk of infection.
• After removing the tick, disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.

How can I reduce tick habitats around my yard?

• Remove leaf litter and brush from your yard. This will decrease the areas where ticks can hide.
• Keep your lawn mowed to 3 inches or less. This lowers the humidity at ground level making it difficult for ticks to survive.
• Create a 3-foot barrier of mulch or crushed stone around the outside of your yard. Ticks do not like to cross over dry areas.
• Do not plant invasive plants such as Japanese barberry and glossy buckthorn. These plants provide the perfect habitat for deer ticks. If you already have these plants in your yard, consider removing them and planting native perennials or shrubs.
• Increase sunlight by pruning the lower branches of trees or thinning out shrubs and hedges. This will cause ticks to dry out and die.

What can I do to chemically control ticks in my yard?

• You should talk to a licensed commercial pesticide applicator if you want to apply pesticides to your yard. Pesticides do pose risks if improperly used.  
• A single spray of pesticide product labeled for wide-area tick control, applied with appropriate volume and pressure, can be effective in controlling ticks through the summer.
• A second application in the fall can kill adult ticks and help reduce tick populations the following year.
• Spraying open fields and lawns is not necessary.
• Your yard is not often your only exposure to ticks and tick habitat. It is important to do daily preventative measures to avoid tick bites, like daily tick checks and wearing repellents.

Additional Resources

• How to Choose Tick-Control Products (PDF)
• Find the right EPA-approved tick repellent for you

Legislative Office: 207-287-1440