Special Board of Aldermen 12-21-2021 Page 8
has for their idea how this is going to be enforced because without that, | can't support it. So | have other questions,
but I'm going to send them to Director Bagley if we don't pass this tonight and will send them to the Board of Health.
President Wilshire
Director Bagley, would you like to introduce the folks with you this evening?
Bobbie Bagley, Director of Public Health and Community Services
Yes, good evening. Bobbie Bagley, Director of the Division of Public Health and Community Services. This evening
we have our Chair of the Board of Health along with two of our board members - Dr. Chuck Cappetta and Dr.
Stephanie Wolf-Rosenblum is on Zoom. We also have our Chief Public Health Nurse, we have our Epidemiologist,
and our public health network services strategist is here.
Yes, we would like to Alderman Dowd talk a little bit about why this is important at this particular time. | am going to
have our Chair start us off and then if the Board of Aldermen will allow, we'll all do a presentation on why this is
important at this particular time to answer some of the questions that you might have with regards to the importance of
this at this particular time right now.
Tony Storace, Chairman, Board of Health
Good evening, everyone. Please interrupt me if | start mumbling
President Wilshire
Could you just identify yourself for the transcriptionist?
Tony Storace, Chairman, Board of Health
| will. My name is Tony Storace, 17 Cameron Drive and | am your Board of Health Chairperson.
I'd like to thank President Wilshire and the Board of Aldermen for calling this special meeting on face coverings and |
would also like to recognize Mayor Donchess, Attorney Bolton, and the rest of the administrative team. We appreciate
what you've done.
First, let me say that | respect everyone's point of view. We're here to educate everyone on the current state of
COVID. The Board of Health's role is to advise you on what we believe is within our power to minimize the spread
and the impact of this dreadful disease. You will hear from the hardworking and dedicated doctors of your Board of
Health and equally hard working team at the Public Health Department. | don't want to steal my colleagues thunder,
but just set the table for their expertise. You're going to hear about Delta now responsible for about 27% of new
infections and Omicron now at 73%. It has become the dominant variant in United States and continues to expand
exponentially. We will hear about infection rates, hospitalizations, increase in positivity tests, hospital beds - or lack
thereof - respirators, shortages of hospital staff, up swings in cases per day, community transmission, number of new
cases per day, and unfortunately even deaths. Changing daily are these stats and a little bit of something for
everyone I'm afraid.
Our chief concern is the spike from Thanksgiving holidays and what we and others believe will be a surge added to
the current holiday season. After listening to all this and making your head spin, what we'd like the Board and the
public to remember is this. We have a four prong defensive strategy to slow down the spread of COVID. If | may, |
would like to use my college football Coach’s Castle analogy. We have one vaccines and boosters representing the
Castles Army - thinking throwing hot water and shooting arrows from the ramparts. Social distancing - castles are
built away from other castles and other buildings high up on hills for a reason. Handwashing - think moats. Masks -
castles are built with thick walls for protection keeping the enemy out. Yes, | made this as a simplistic view.
Remember, it was for football players but an analogy that makes it easy to remember why we ask to use masks and
other protocols. We truly believe that if we can use these defensive strategies along with educating the public, we
have a fighting chance of slowing down the spread and minimizing the impact of COVID.
We also want the public to know that we were listening to them during the discussions and Attorney Bolton has written
into the ordinance a time limit. We hope to work together as a team to ensure the safety of the Nashua community.
I'd like to take this moment on the side just to wish everybody a joyous holiday season and best of luck with New
Year's resolutions. Thank you.
