NH AG Issues Business Mask Compliance Reminder; 711 New Cases

CONCORD, NH — Another 711 New Hampshire residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state health officials.

A little more than 450 of the tests were positive from polymerase chain reaction tests while another 250 were from antigen tests. The positivity rate for PCR tests for the day is 8.3 percent while the overall seven-day positivity rate is also 8.3 percent. There are around 6,100 active cases in the state.

The new positive test results were from specimens taken across five days: 60 on Jan. 2, two from Thursday, 17 from Friday, 437 from Saturday, and 195 from Sunday. Eighty-five of the new infections were children while slightly more than half were female.

Most of the new cases live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 128 reside in Rockingham County, 112 live in Merrimack County, and 38 live in Nashua.

The state is still investigating where 316 of the current positive cases live and around 9,000 people per day are being tested. About 267 people are hospitalized while 45,320 have recovered from the virus — about 87 percent of all cases. Nearly 546,000 people have been tested via PCR tests in New Hampshire.

Positive infections connected to K-12 school settings are at 33 in New Hampshire. New cases in Patch communities include one active case at the Peter Woodbury School and McKelvie Intermediate School in Bedford, one at 2nd Nature Academy/Nature of Things in Nashua, one at the Portsmouth Middle School, one at the Londonderry Middle School, and one at the North Salem Elementary School.

At colleges and universities, two schools have an active case each — Dartmouth College in Hanover and UNH in Durham.

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NH AG Issues Mask Compliance Guidance

Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office issued a memorandum to retail and grocery establishments concerning the mask and face-covering mandate issued by Gov. Chris Sununu in November 2020.

Edwards thanked businesses for providing services to the public, at great risk, but reminded them that employees were required to wear masks at all times and businesses needed to limit the number of customers in the business. Customers without breathing issues are required to wear masks.

"Many businesses and organizations report that their employees are uncomfortable enforcing the guidance and emergency order requirements, particularly the mask-wearing requirement," she wrote while also offering recommendations to enforce the orders easier.

The state is suggesting all businesses have signs noting that masks were required by state law or local ordinance. An employee, when possible, should have spare masks and hand sanitizer available. A station at the front door with masks and sanitizer would also be a good idea. Customers should be asked to wear masks at the door, too.

"It is easier to have that discussion at the door as a customer enters than further inside your establishment," she wrote.

If a customer said they had a health issue, accept the explanation without asking for documentation. If other customers complain, explain to them that the customer has a health issue, she suggested.

Businesses should have plans in place, too, when customers refuse to wear masks including staffing or management — including the attorney general's COVID-19 compliance phone number and email: 603-271-1225 or EO52issues@doj.nh.gov.

If problems continue, work with local law enforcement to establish a requirement plan.

To read the full guidance, view this link.

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Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

• Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.
• Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.
• When you can't practice 6 feet of social distancing, wear a face covering.
• Anyone who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to not go out to public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic and underlying health conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers should work from home as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that the virus can survive for hours or possibly days on surfaces. People should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places.
• Wear a face covering.
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Schools, Employers, Employees and Businesses (Can your employer force you to get the vaccine? It depends).
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Healthcare Providers and Public Health Partners

• Guidance to schools can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, click on this link here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 Interactive Map Dashboard, click on this link here.

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