PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s state of the emergency about the coronavirus pandemic is entering its final two weeks.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills declared the “state of civil emergency” in the early stages of the pandemic. The declaration has allowed Mills to use all available government resources to try to contain the spread of the virus.

Mills has said the emergency order will end on June 30. Many Republicans in the state have charged the order has gone on for too long and given Mills too much authority. She has maintained that the order has played an important role in the fight against coronavirus in Maine, which has faced a lower burden of the virus than many states.

Mills extended the order a final time on June 13. She has said the end of the order is “a welcome milestone that reflects the progress Maine has made in getting people vaccinated, reducing the spread of the virus, and getting back to normal.”

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