Joe Lawlor

Press Herald

Joe Lawlor writes about health and human services for the Press Herald. A 24-year newspaper veteran, Lawlor has worked in Ohio, Michigan and Virginia before relocating to Maine in 2013 to join the Press Herald. He is still considered “from away” but since then, he has learned what a “dooryard” is, eaten “whoopie pies” drank Moxie and boiled some “lobstahs.” The stories he enjoys most are when he learns something and meeting inspiring people. He lives in South Portland - aka “SoPo” - with his wife, Melanie, and two school-age children.

Latest

Published
July 9, 2020

Maine reports 26 new COVID-19 cases, one additional death

The number of Maine deaths now stands at 111 since the pandemic began, but active cases of the disease declined again Thursday, even as the state continues to expand testing.
Published
July 8, 2020

Mills issues order for businesses to enforce state’s mask requirement

The governor’s order, which took effect Wednesday, applies to businesses in 7 coastal counties and large inland cities including Augusta, Bangor and Lewiston.
Published
July 8, 2020

Maine reports 20 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths, as testing expands

The state has gone 5 consecutive days with fewer than 25 new cases, and its rate of positive tests continues to fall.
Published
July 4, 2020

As workplaces reopen, Maine parents scramble for child care made scarce by pandemic

Twenty percent of Maine’s licensed child care programs are closed and some will never reopen, leaving parents looking desperately for slots that were in short supply even before the pandemic.
Published
July 1, 2020

Mills beefs up mask-wearing mandate, exempts 3 more states from quarantine, testing rules

Gov. Janet Mills says visitors from Connecticut, New York and New Jersey will not have to quarantine or prove they recently tested negative for COVID-19 because of low rates of positive tests and virus prevalence in those states.
Published
June 30, 2020

UMaine System forms partnerships for virus testing at all campuses

Teaming up with The Jackson Laboratory and ConvenientMD is a key part of the system’s plan to reopen in the fall for on-campus instruction, details of which will be announced Wednesday.
Published
June 26, 2020

BIW receives $132 million contract modification from federal government

The contract will pay for $70 million in improvements to the shipyard and $62 million for capital improvements for DDG 51 suppliers.
Published
June 26, 2020

MaineHealth receives $800,000 telehealth grant

The parent company of Maine Medical Center will use the grant from the Federal Communications Commission to acquire videoconferencing equipment and expand its existing telehealth programs, which have seen a huge surge in use during the coronavirus pandemic.
Published
June 26, 2020

Science says: Stay outside, wear the mask, don’t sweat the groceries

Infection trends in the wake of street protests and business reopenings are shedding new light on how the virus that causes COVID-19 moves from person to person, and how it can best be contained.
Published
June 24, 2020

What to expect as movie theaters, bowling alleys and other venues reopen

Here are answers to common questions about going to some places that used to accommodate crowds but will have to adjust to coronavirus restrictions.