In the time of social distancing, who do you choose to repel, and who’s an insider?

By Sofia Voltin

We’re sheltering in place. On essential trips to the grocery store we wear gloves and masks, and maintain a six-foot distance from fellow shoppers. On the drive home, we spot passing cars with New York license plates. Tensions rise.

The coronavirus has put an ugly magnifying glass on distrust of folks from away. Within the first week of April, an online petition to keep tourists and summer residents out of Maine gained over 23,000 signatures. One of the first communities to try to ban visitors and summer residents was North Haven. The island’s year-round population may hover around 380, but its cultural influence stretches far beyond the state borders (see “Star Map of North Haven Island,” Summerguide 2014).

Read the full story in the digital magazine above.