Board of Aldermen 01-25-2022 Page 3
in the healthcare system here in Nashua for the past two years. This includes the hospitals, long-term care facilities, and
nursing facilities. We've got staff that’s — this is like a (inaudible) and they're getting sick from it and even if we can just
stop one or two cases — one or two people from going into the hospital over the next month is going to give them the relief
and the respite that they need to keep moving forward and hopefully not leave the healthcare field. Right now we’ve had
ten people pass away the past week. I’m sure by tomorrow or the next day there will be a couple more from this. Again if
we can stem the virus from circulating in the area whether you're inside or wherever you are inside, again, save one, or
two, or just a few people from going in to relieve some of the pressure from the system, that’s important and it could also
help somebody from getting ill as well. Thank you for your time this evening. I’m glad this is being brought up for
consideration.
Laurie Ortolano
Laurie Ortolano, 41 Berkeley Street. Please end this mask mandate on January 31°. First of all, I’d like to know can you
provide the legal authority the Board is relying on that permits New Hampshire cities and towns to require face coverings.
Does the City of Nashua need to require or mandate face coverings because of grant money you're receiving by the
federal government. Given the way these ordinance are written, they’re call out as an emergency act. Can you identify
the emergency you're relying on for these face covering ordinances and State law Chapter 31, Section 5, requires that
cities and towns obtain permission from the courts to spend money in a city emergency and have we done that?
| take objection to the Mayor’s comments. His information to Alderman Comeau was not correct. The hospitals do not
break out incidental cases. They're reporting incidental and COVID admissions and they are admitted. People go to the
hospital to have their gall bladder out. They get there, they get COVID tested and their positive. They're admitted.
They’re counted as COVID but they're there to have their gall bladder removed. Two weeks ago | checked on those
numbers. There were 30 something cases in the hospital. Twelve were incidental. Massachusetts has requested that
hospitals break out all incidental cases. We're not doing that in New Hampshire. The doctors who came to the Board of
Health meeting last week and spoke to the Board of Health, they were surprised visitors who were given public comment
and the few members of the public were there were not given public comment. That is not correct. They were not on the
agenda. It was a very disingenuous meeting for those of us in the public that wanted information. Those doctors came
with one data point.
| had written a letter to the Board of Health and asked them to gather data and show us the whole pictures and in come
doctors with one day’s data point. Southern had 46 patients. A record high on Wednesday. Sunday it was 14. They
changed dramatically and we need running data. I’d like to know when the first ordinance where you came up with all the
statistics that our local hospitals are reporting 60 to 80 percent of the patients are unvaccinated and ill. If you’re following
the data now, more of these patients going into the hospital are vaccinated. In fact, the Board of Heath doctors who came
- the two hospital doctors said that Director Bagley asked them if more of the patients in the hospital are unvaccinated,
she said no it’s 50/50. They both said that.
Alderman O’Brien
30 seconds.
Laurie Ortolano
And they both said the booster makes no difference. So | do not think we need this legislation. The Mayor said a 14 day
average data he gave me, that’s bad data. Get the seven day data, that’s what’s posted on the New Hampshire
dashboard. Look at the fall. It has come down dramatically and this is yesterday. Today it’s down another — | just
checked it. It just clicked in and it’s down another five percent. Please go another week, lift the mask, peel them off
everyone and be done (inaudible) this mask forever and it’s time to take it off. Thank you.
Laura Colquhoun
Laura Colquhoun at 30 Greenwood Drive. I’m requesting that the Board vote against the extended mask ordinance for
the City of Nashua. The real science is now telling citizens’ masks are useless however, the City of Nashua Board of
Health still wants the residents to wear masks. All of the City of Nashua is doing is hurting both the residents and the
small businesses within Nashua. It is unbelievable that within the City of Nashua you can go to a bar, restaurant, or a
casino and not wear a mask. However, if you go to any other store you need a mask. Can anybody tell me the science
that states that the virus does not enter the bars, restaurants, or casinos because I’ve been researching it and | cannot
find anything the science of this? If the Board of Aldermen will have — get the Nashua residents have had enough and
they now want to live their lives. I’m asking the Board of Aldermen not to extend the mask ordinance within the City of
Nashua. Thank you.
