NH Mask Mandates
 

This should make the summer even busier!

I don't think the point is the vaccine availability. The article, and the headline, is about masks, not vaccines.

Many people will want to flee Maskachusetts for mask free New Hampshire.

Portsmouth, Nashua, and Hanover have all extended the mask mandate until June 30. Believe, other popular towns will follow. Curious what approach each local business here in the lakes region takes


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Already got an email from Common Man saying all their properties will still require employee's, customers, and service people to be wearing masks.

Unfortunately, many will be selecting where to shop and dine


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I agree. Paradoxically, this will increase stress levels for many businesses as some customers steer clear of mask-free places, and some other customers are irked at masked places.

Well I hope it keeps some people out of Lago's, my favorite place.
We tried to get in Saturday night and it was 1 1/2 wait.

Vaccinations
 

Believe after May 7 the occupancy limit is lifted so wait time will decrease. But, limited waitstaff hires will limit occupancy. It’s crazy stuff going on here in the Lakes Region. I see little changing with his lifting on the mask mandate as many local businesses and town will add a mask mandate.


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Lifting mask mandate
 

Lifting the mask mandate is crazy logic. New Hampshire is experiencing increases in COVID, and lifting the mask mandate in the face of increasing COVID is just plain wrong. Just exactly what is so wrong about wearing a mask?

Of course there are times when it isn't feasible, but, by and large, wearing a mask is hardly an imposition, especially in light of the protection is provides and in light of the possible ill effects (pun intended) of not wearing a mask.

People wear warm clothes in the winter to keep warm because being cold is not good for you, and people wear sun tan lotion in the summer to protect themselves because too much sun isn't good for you, so why not wear a mask when out and about to protect your respiratory system (and, to some extent, that of your neighbor).

No one is stopping you from wearing a mask. Assume you have been vaccinated, so what is your concern? As of Monday everyone who wants to be vaccinated in NH can be, so I ask again. What is your concern?


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I totally agree, it's stupid to lift the mandate this early.

Have you seen the numbers in NH?
Infection rate is double what it was in early March.

Only 27% are vaccinated in NH.

Hey, if I see restaurants THAT I HAVE BEEN GOING TO, having staff with no masks, I won't be going there any more.

I totally felt safer in NH last summer. Right now, I feel safer in MA (even though they similarly pulled some stupid moves too).

My concern is......
 

5,800 "breakthrough" cases so far among those who have been fully vaccinated. 73% of the population hasn't even been vaccinated yet. There's still a long road ahead.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...lly-protective

The difference is, we don't have sun tan mandates in the summer time or sweatshirt mandates in the spring or fall. Everyone in the state is now eligible for the vaccine, and a lift of the mandate does not prevent anyone who is not comfortable with vaccination alone from continuing to wear a mask.

Haven’t left the house today. Anyone visit local establishments with or without the mask?


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Wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting yourself. It’s about protecting the community around you.

My wife made a good point. If a restaurant even decides to continue having its staff wear masks and now half the patrons won’t wear them we’re not going in with our masks on. And I guarantee we are not alone in our thinking. This lifting of mandate will hurt some businesses more than help.

Vaccines and masks are not a guarantee. But the more EVERYONE wears them, and the more that get vaccinated the better the statistics get and the sooner we’ll put the fire out.

My work place is in NH. Actually near the hot spots in NH. With mandate I felt safe occasionally going in. Everyone had masks and was being careful. Now I feel less safe and I won’t go in as often. It’s having the reverse effect lifting the mandate before the storm is over.

I have no problem with still wearing a mask indoors but I will be happy to have it off my face when walking around out doors.
I have seasonal allergies and it's no fun when your nose is running and you have a mask on.

We will now go out and spend more. Sick of the paranoid nonsense and the hysteria. People can live in their bubble and should stay away if they don’t feel safe. Everyone’s free will. I’ll FINALLY be able to exercise mine again.


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Spot on. Anyone who wants to wear a mask has the right to do so. You can also wear a pink Tyvek suit if you wish, no problem with me. But stop trying to force mask guilt on those that have opposing views. I’ll wear my mask on Halloween, and that’s about it.

I don't feel any less free when wearing a mask. :)

It was "overblown" to try to prevent 500,000 American deaths

As 35th President of the U.S.A, 44-year old John F Kennedy, said on January 20, 1960 at his inauguration day acceptance speech: MASK not what your country can do for you - MASK what you can do for your country! ..... :D

President Kennedy went on to say: Yes, my fellow Americans ..... if ONE mask is a good thing ...... then wearing TWO masks is a very, very good thing! ....... so's let us continue forward with our mask program ...... here .... and wear a mask, indoors, at a store or a public venue with other people around and about ...... moving forward with the ongoing pandemic ...... is still needed and necessary to mask-up in public! ... :patriot:

One funny thing about "hysteria"--it seems like every time there is a first-time poster on the Forum, his first post is some sort of extremist position attacking sensible covid mitigation efforts. One might conclude that it is a regular poster who does not want to use his "real" fake name. Pretty lame

Yeah. Busier hospitals, care givers and funeral homes for sure.

I am so sorry to wish this but I would LOVE to see one or all of you on a ventilator. I am sure you would change your tune.

I’ll still wear a mask for those that think it was overblown even though they won’t do the same for me and my family.

I think those numbers represent a really low percentage when one considers the millions of people who have been vaccinated.
There is no such thing in this life as a zero risk for anything. If you are fully vaccinated consider yourself immune because the odds are overwhelmingly high that you are.

Yes, vaccine is extraordinarily effective for most interactions, like restaurants, grocery stores, etc. But if you're interested in baseball games, rock concerts, and other mass events, protection is likely not nearly as good until many more people are vaxxed. I used to attend a couple of music events/month, I really miss them.

Raising Cases
 

A year ago the NH cry was keep out those MA-holes who will infect us....stay home!

Seasonal residents came earlier and stayed longer...supporting the local economies

Throughout the summer cases were primarily in larger metro areas and along the MA boarder.

Come fall...seasonals retreat, and anti maskers are more vocal in the Lakes Region.

By December many many more covid outbreaks in areas where mask mandates were ignored

By April 2021 small towns continue to see increases in covid cases.

So now that restaurants are opening, I am guessing they will continue to require masks as those out of state seasonals return, with masks and or vaccinated. It will be for the protection of their employees and business.

I went to Walmart, Shaws and a couple of other stores today. Though I wasn't really checking to see if people were wearing masks, for some reason I noticed a lot of people at Shaws that were NOT wearing masks.

I am thinking that I only noticed because it seemed odd to actually see peoples faces.

Disagree with you and we are all extremists? Case in point - the hypocrisy is pathetic

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Great news for sure... unfortunately it seems some that have been caged don't want to be free. For those fearing ... stay at your homes in hiding while the rest of the state goes about their business.

What you’ve described is similar to the Stockholm Syndrome. Hard to believe.

Another perspective
 

Perhaps there are more people that feel by wearing masks when appropriate will help the greater good to get back to normal. Also there is that variant factor which like so much about this virus is new and long term impact is really not known. Verses people that are only concerned about their personal choice and rights.

What if masks don’t actually serve the purpose for which you’ve been led to believe they do?

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Ok, I’ll bite. Where’s the proof? There are plenty of esteemed medical professionals that have clearly stated that mask wearing is useless against coronavirus. And I’m sure your side can quote medical professionals that will state they do work. So who’s right and who’s not?

Wearing a mask isn't being caged.

Being on a ventilator and drugged to unconsciousness is being "caged".

Yes, I'd like to avoid the later :)

Not so much a response but rather a question. I have been reading about this issue on the forum for a year. Over the course of the year, has anyone changed his/her mind about masks? Seems the same people are arguing the same points over and over.

I have a daughter that's an RN. She's exposed to Covid patients every day. She told me just tonight that she wears an N95 mask with a disposable paper mask over that along with a face shield. She replaces the paper mask every day and the N95 mask every other day. She's been doing this for the past year with on going negative Covid tests.
Either she is very lucky or she's doing everything right.
She also said we had a very lite flu season because of social distancing and masks this past winter.
The biggest issue is most people don't wear the proper mask or don't wear the one they have properly. Not all masks are created equal.
Medical facilities have been using N95 masks for ever, way before we saw Covid. But I guess they just wear them to look professional.:rolleye1:

Yes, I agree with you.