Board of Aldermen 01-25-2022 Page 7
higher level respirator such as N95 filtering face piece, respirator, or KN95. What’s happening in California is real and not
a TV show or movie. In other news just yesterday, the New York Supreme Court struck down the Governor’s mask
mandate for schools and public areas ruling that the Governor overstepped her authority. It’s hard to believe that when it
comes to masks, Nashua, New Hampshire, is more restrictive than the State of New York.
As everybody probably knows, the Omicron variant is extremely contagious. As early as December 20, 2021, the CDC
warned that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others even if they are vaccinated or don’t have
symptoms which means that vaccinated Nashua citizens can not only catch the new variant but spread it too. Unless you
never leave your house, you will probably either get COVID now or later. Most experts predict that COVID-19 will become
an endemic disease after the pandemic phase. Once enough people have developed immunity to COVID-19 either
through vaccination or infection. In other words, COVID-19 is expected to become a recurring disease like the flu. Masks
have been largely political theater from the start. Back when Dr. Fauci and team promised we didn’t need masks and
then flip flopped and promised we did need masks. If you want to wear a mask, wear one. If you don’t want to wear a
mask, don’t wear one. If businesses require masks for entry into their establishment, then that is their choice and people
can choose to wear a mask or to go elsewhere. Masks should not be mandated. It should be an individual choice.
President Wilshire
It looks like the end of our public comment period. Mr. Sewell.
Al Sewell
Al Sewell, 5 Lincoln Avenue, Nashua. | am gratefully impressed and blessed to see that our elected officials have offered
public comment at this point in time. I’m actually appalled and embarrassed and | think if you take a look at in all honesty
the mistakes that we’ve made in the recent past of what you did not allow in recent history for public comment. | think you
would take a look at that and honestly maybe perhaps admit that that’s why you were elected in the first place. You’re
elected by the residents and citizens of Nashua to represent our interests. Clearly overwhelmingly if you look at the
Facebook poll, or talked to people in the city that we live and that we all love, you would know and realize that people can
make smart decisions and they typically do. If you follow the science and follow the numbers, the numbers are going
downward and trending in the right direction. People can make the right decisions and my belief it’s their personal
decision of whether or not they want to wear a mask or not. We should not mandate it. Absolutely should not mandate it.
Thank you for your time.
Barbara Villandry
Good evening. Barbara Villandry, 127 Peele Road. | am in favor of extending the mask mandate as people are talking
about the scientific statistics and what they know from scientists but not quoting the scientist. That doesn’t match
anything I’ve heard and | have watched a lot of news and a lot of medical people talking about this. It seems to me that
the masks in fact do work and an extension for another month should reduce our rates and get us into summer when we
can get out without the masks. So | urge you to vote in favor of extending the mandate. Thank you.
Tim Sennott
Thank you. I’m sorry to drag out your time. Tim Sennott, 62 Underhill Street here in Nashua. I'd be remiss If | didn’t
come before you and speak to those of us you're hearing a lot of opposition tonight. You’re hearing a lot of stories of
people who will leave the city and do their business elsewhere. I'd just like to remind you that there are those of us
whether they're here to speak or not that we'll continue to do business in the city regardless of whether or not this
mandate is extended or not. | am one of those people. My family is as well. | live in this city and | care for this city. |
care for the businesses here. Whether a mask mandate exists, | will continue to do my business here. | think there are
many that are like me.
I'd also just like to speak to comments that | heard earlier regarding the effect on children. | care for my 7 year old son
very deeply. As you know since the beginning of the school year masks have been mandated in our public schools. I’ve
not heard one peep out of my son about wearing a mask during the day. Yes it’s natural that we’ve had spread in the
schools. They can’t stay on all day. Children can’t eat wearing a mask. There are other things they can’t do wearing a
mask. They can’t drink water wearing a mask. Those are opportunities for spread but to date | have not heard my son
make a peep out of it other than when | asked him if it bothers him to wear a mask. He told me Dad it’s really not that big
a deal. I’m going to continue wearing mine and I’m going to continue doing business here in Nashua. Thank you for your
time this evening.
