Coming to a town near you?

Maine. North Haven Island bans all outsiders.

NORTH HAVEN — In an extraordinary step, the North Haven Select Board voted Sunday to ban visitors and seasonal residents immediately to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to the Penobscot Bay island.

The order approved by the board states that “people who do not reside on the island full time may not travel to the island due to the significant increase in risk associated with the transmission of COVID-19.”

Contractors who work on the island but do not live there may not travel to North Haven.

All travel to the island shall be limited to travel for “essential purposes,” the order said.

The island has an estimated year-round population of 355, but that swells significantly during the summer. The town held its annual town meeting on Saturday and concerns were voiced by some residents about the impact of seasonal residents arriving, possibly carrying the new coronavirus.

“Essential purposes” as defined by the emergency order means to receive or provide medical care, to provide direct care to people who reside on the island; to resupply bulk food items, fuel, and other products required for human consumption, habitation, and well-being; to conduct law enforcement activities, to fulfill Knox County, state, or federal obligations and to perform duties related to those obligations; and travel for other similar purposes associated with lifesaving, firefighting, and other activities related to the emergency care of persons or property.

24-hours ago I’d have said this was an unconstitutional unenforceable (though try telling that to an armed Islander) action. Today, I’m not so sure it won’t be imitated by towns all across the country. It’s a scenario predicted by almost every dystopian end-of-world novel written; if you’re bored while social-distancing the next ten months, I recoomend The First Second After, by William Forstchen. It was a funner read, back when.