Trump holds campaign event in northern Maine where hundreds gather without masks

Just two hours from the St. Stephen, Calais, Maine border, over a thousand people came out to Levant, Maine to meet President Trump over the weekend. Trump, who is on campaign trail before next week's Presidential election, scheduled a last-minute event at an apple orchard in Levant. Many of the participants, including the President, did not wear masks. The event was in Penobscot County, which has over 30 of Maine's nearly 800 active cases of COVID-19 and is next door to Washington County, which borders Charlotte County, and has over 20 active cases of virus.

The number of active cases in north eastern Maine is concerning for many Charlotte County residents who worry that the dozens of locals who work across the border in the U.S., as well as the Campobello Island residents who are allowed to enter the U.S. to obtain essential goods and services, will heighten Southwest New Brunswick's exposure to COVID-19.

At a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Russell said all Charlotte County residents who have symptoms or believe they have been exposed to the virus can get tested near the Charlotte County Hospital. At the same press conference, Premier Higgs said that he doesn't currently have plans to extend the Campobello ferry beyond its already extended season, which will terminate in December. The ferry notably connects the island to the rest of New Brunswick, offering islanders a route to essential goods that doesn't require entering the United States.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the St. Stephen waterfront on Saturday to officially unveil the first 2-km stretch of the 177-km Coastal link trail, which starts in St Stephen and connects to Saint Andrews, St George and ends in Saint John. The Honourable Tammy Scott-Wallace, Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, as well as St. Croix MLA Kathy Bockus, and St. Stephen Mayor Allan MacEachern attended the event. Once completed, the Coastal Link Trail will connect the East Coast Greenway, which runs from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida, with the Great Trail of Canada, creating the longest linear trail in the World.

Charlotte Dial-A-Ride is currently looking for more volunteer drivers to assist with the transportation needs of the community. Without public transit in the area, the charitable organization has a long history of filling the needs of individuals without access to vehicles in rural southwest New Brunswick, doing over 6,000 rides last year alone. Demand for rides is similar this year, with COVID-19 creating a new type of demand.

"We are delivering groceries to people in quarantine as well as essential goods to vulnerable citizens who are in isolation," said John Castell, a volunteer for Charlotte Dial-A-Ride. Drivers and passengers are required to follow COVID-19 guidelines for safety and drivers are compensated for their mileage. Visit Charlotte Dial-A-Ride.com for more information.