Name: Nashua Board of Health unanimously recommends curfew for bars, restaurants
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Nashua Board of Health unanimously recommends curfew for bars, restaurants

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Despite protests from business owners, Nashua’s Board of Health voted Monday to recommend aldermen set a 9:30 p.m. curfew for restaurants, bars and other establishments.Aldermen may soon schedule an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal after the unanimous decision.“We are not out to hurt people or take their livelihood away from them or be the Grinch who stole Christmas or whatever. These are hard decisions to make,” said Dr. Tony Storace, chairman of the Board of Health.According to the proposal, no indoor activity could take place after 9:30 p.m. at establishments where face masks cannot be worn the entire time, meaning restaurants, bars, nightclubs and select entertainment facilities.In an email to Mayor Jim Donchess and select aldermen, Seth Simonian of The Flight Center in Nashua said other businesses are not being held to the same standards as the restaurant and bar industry.“Out of the business we do have, almost 60% of it occurs after 8 p.m. and much of it comes between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays,” wrote Simonian. “If a curfew is put in place, you will be forcing many businesses to make the decision to close until it is lifted.”Kurt Mathias, owner of Boston Billiard Club and Casino in Nashua, asked board members: “What is the difference between someone eating dinner with a drink at 7:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m.?”Aaron Penkacik of Nashua said that family gatherings seem to be spreading the coronavirus substantially more than dining at restaurants or bars.“It feels to me like this is a knee-jerk reaction to do something because you don’t know what to do, and that is not how you solve problems like this,” said Penkacik. “ … You are focusing on the wrong part of the problem.”Board of Health member Dr. Charles Cappetta said the individuals who are on the front lines battling COVID-19 and writing death certificates need as much help as they can get; they cannot wait another week.“We have to have a healthy public to have a healthy economy. We can’t have one without the other,” Cappetta said.In the past 14 days, Nashua has experienced 903 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 individuals, according to Angela Consentino, public health nurse. More than 10% of those tested are testing positive, she said.“Anybody who is listening, this is not the flu. We just lost our Speaker of the House … we have a number of House reps who are sick. They do not have the flu — they have a real disease and we could lose more,” said an emotional Alderwoman Patricia Klee, who is also a state representative.Alderman Michael O’Brien said he has spoken with many business owners in Nashua about the proposed curfew.He suggested that a tiered approach be considered, with a curfew being the last phase after public health officials visit establishments to stress the importance of mask-wearing and social distancing.“The time crunch for that has passed us,” said Bobbie Bagley, director of public health in Nashua.Board of Health member Dr. Stephanie Wolf-Rosenblum said the community is in crisis.She said a curfew alone will not reduce cases enough to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. That, she said, will take the combination of mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and proper ventilation.“Our worst fears are being realized. I have to say that I do not believe that this has been taken seriously in the community,” said Wolf-Rosenblum said.The aldermen’s next scheduled meeting is Dec. 22.© Copyright 2022 , 100 William Loeb Drive Manchester, NH&nbsp;| &nbsp;|Powered by from .Sorry, an error occurred.You are logged in&nbsp;Sign up withThank you .Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.Check your email for details.Sign in withSubmitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.×Thank you.Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.Rate:Begins:Ends:Transaction ID:A receipt was sent to your email.This offer is currently unavailable.Close

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Despite protests from business owners, Nashua’s Board of Health voted Monday to recommend aldermen set a 9:30 p.m. curfew for restaurants, bars and other establishments.Aldermen may soon schedule an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal after the unanimous decision.“We are not out to hurt people or take their livelihood away from them or be the Grinch who stole Christmas or whatever. These are hard decisions to make,” said Dr. Tony Storace, chairman of the Board of Health.According to the proposal, no indoor...

Nashua Board of Health unanimously recommends curfew for bars, restaurants

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