The City of Nashua has issued an ordinance this week, requiring the wearing of masks in public places. The order, passed Thursday evening, requires masks to be worn when customers visit any business in Nashua. The Group Nashua Liberty has announced that it will hold a protest in response to the order.
Related: New Poll Question: “Will You Comply with any State or Local Mandate to Wear a Mask in Public?”
Nashua Liberty’s Facebook page describes itself as “an informal group of liberty-oriented Nashua locals, and the broader New Hampshire liberty community.”
I reached out to the event organizer, Robert Farinelli, but had not received a response before publication.
The event is scheduled from 5-7 pm on May 23rd and looks to send a message to city alderman that the mandate goes too far.
The Nashua Ordinance as proposed by the City Department of Health asks that
ORDINANCE O-20-018
1. Employees of all businesses shall wear a face covering over their mouth and nose when
interacting with the public and whenever they are within six feet of a co-worker or a
customer.
2. Members of the public entering any business, including without limitation any outdoor
area where business of any sort is conducted, work site, or government building must
wear a face covering, such as a fabric mask, scarf, or bandana over their nose and mouth.
3. Members of the public entering a restaurant for the purpose of picking up food for takeout or any other purpose must wear a face covering over their mouth and nose. Members
of the public dining outdoors at a restaurant may remove face covering while seated at
their table.
4. Residents, visitors, and members of the public entering or present at a residential or
commercial building complex of greater than two (2) units must wear a face covering
over their nose and mouth while in common areas and communal spaces.
5. As used herein “face covering” means a covering made of cloth, fabric, or other soft or
permeable material, without holes, that covers only the nose, mouth, and surrounding
areas of the lower face. A face covering may be factory made or homemade and
improvised from ordinary household material.
6. Notwithstanding the above this order does not require children under 10 years of age to
wear face covering (parents should make their own judgment). Face covering is not
recommended for children less than 2 years of age.
7. A face covering is also not required to be worn by any person if said person can show a
medical professional has advised that wearing a face covering may pose a risk to said
person for health related reasons.
The order is effective immediately.
You can join the Nashua Liberty protest from their Facebook page, the event page, or just show up. As a matter of disclosure, citations (fines) for disobeying the ordinance are at the discretion of City police and, based on other reporting, are more likely when multiple violations of city orders occur simultaneously. Fines can range up to $1000.00.
Updated: Removed ‘Tomorrow” from the headline and opening paragraph. Changed ‘Saturday’ to May 23rd.
