AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday signed a curtailment order to address a projected revenue shortfall caused by the pandemic.

Her order curtails the General Fund by $221 million and the highway fund by $23 million but avoids deep program cuts and layoffs of state workers, and keeps the state’s $259 million “Rainy Day Fund” intact, Mills said.

Congress and President Donald Trump must act immediately, the governor said, to provide additional aid to state and local governments "to preserve critical services for Maine people and chart a full economic recovery.”

In July, the revenue forecasting committee projected a $528 million revenue shortfall in the General Fund for the two-year budget ending June 30, 2021.

The curtailment order replaces $97 million in state spending with one-time federal relief and adopts about $125 million in savings and efficiencies across departments. The latter includes savings from higher Medicaid reimbursement rates included in the CARES Act.

In 2021, the governor would seek legislative approval for $130 million from efficiencies and higher Medicaid reimbursements, while also requesting $70 million in proceeds from the state liquor store operation.

Also included in the curtailment order is approximately $23 million in savings to address the shortfall in the highway fund. An additional $17 million of highway fund savings would require legislative approval.

In other coronavirus-related news:

THE NUMBERS

Another 21 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, the Maine Center for Disease Control reported Thursday.

That brings the total number of people who’ve tested positive to more than 4,960, the Maine CDC said. The number of deaths was unchanged at 138.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

UNE TESTING

The University of New England is undertaking additional testing measures on its Biddeford and Portland campuses as York County remains a hotspot for COVID-19.

Students who feel they're at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus can be tested for free, UNE President James Herbert said in a letter to the university community.

Examples of activities that place a student at higher risk include attending a party, church or other social event where masks are not consistently worn, travel outside of Maine or close contact with someone known to have the virus.

“Students who volunteer for such testing will be granted immunity from any potential conduct violations related to the activity that puts them at increased risk,” Herbert wrote.

There is currently one active case of a UNE student with COVID-19, but York County is host to several outbreaks. The largest is at the county jail where more than 70 people tested positive. The Maine Center for Disease Control is also investing an outbreak at a church and at a VFW.