Graham, Donna
From: Laurie Ortolan
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2021 11:57 PM
To: Board of Aldermen
Cc: Board of Health
Subject: Mask Mandate
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unknown.
Members of the Board,
I am against the reinstatement of the Mask Mandate for Nashua. At this point, this will not be an effective
means for reducing the numbers by January 31, 2022 or shortly thereafter.
Eighteen months into this event has provided ample time to educate the public regarding hand washing, social
distancing, masking and vaccination. Given the significant number of positive COVID cases for Nashua
combined with the vaccination rate, the City is well on its way to a significant level of natural or pharmaceutical
immunity.
To institute a mandate for all businesses but leave restaurants, bars, clubs and casinos open with a largely
unmasked population simply makes no sense, particularly during the Holiday season.
Recently, an Alderwoman spoke about her first hand encounter with fatigued hospital staff overwhelmed with
COVID cases. If the concern is really for hospital staff, then closing bars, casino's, clubs and
operation restaurants for take out only would offer a reasonable attempt to reduce hospitalizations. Forcing
masking on everyone else seems nonsensical.
The situation with New Hampshire's hospitals appears to be in part the result of short sighted legislation that
restricted hospital expansion over a 40 year period to reduce the competitiveness between facilities. This has
created a bed shortage.
https://jbartlett.org/202 1/12/state-laws-have-limited-the-supply-of-new-hospital-beds-for-decades/
Unsurprisingly, COVID will act much like the flu with variants appearing yearly. If we trust medical experts,
this new variant does not require a different booster and, while more contagious, it is less severe.
I believe that Nashuans have made their decisions regarding their medical preferences and risk assessment and
government imposed mandates will be unwanted, unwelcomed, and ineffective.
Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday,
Laurie Ortolano
41 Berkeley St
