The latest “Covid-19 prevention checklist” issued by Democratic Governor Janet Mills lays out   a series of rules one might expect amid the pandemic – such as good hygiene and social distancing. But one guideline for restaurants has raised eyebrows, demanding that servers don collared face shields reminiscent of those fixed to dogs after a medical procedure.

“Front-of-house staff may wear a face shield in lieu of a face covering only if the shield is designed to be worn inverted, attaching below the face (e.g. as a collar) and open at the top of the shield, with the shield extending above the eyes and laterally to the ears,” the guidelines say.

Face shields that are open at the bottom, directing breath downward, are not acceptable replacements for face coverings for front-of-house staff.

While the rule only applies to those who decline to wear a typical face mask, netizens have hounded the Mills administration over the outlandish guideline, mocking the collared shields as demeaning “cones of shame.”

“Let me guess, Governor [Mills] is a Democrat. Dog cones for the people. We call that the cone of shame in our house because my dog hates it. Imagine how people feel wearing this stupid thing,” one user said on Twitter.

Many assumed the news was a joke, perhaps thanks in part to a viral photoshopped image of a smiling waitress decked out in what appears to be a Coca Cola-themed lampshade. Though the photo is a fake, it helped to bring attention to the very real face shield rule, which has largely escaped the attention of national media.