ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox and Mayor Caroline McCarley wish to provide regular updates to the community regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as officials continue to monitor the crisis locally and nationally.
There are currently 12 active COVID-19 cases in eight households in Rochester.
Outdoor Dining
Late last week, before the Memorial Day holiday, city officials released a list of Rochester restaurants that are re-opening for outdoor dining. The city’s leadership team encourages residents to support local business in a responsible manner as business owners do their best to re-open and follow the vital public health protocols.
Guidelines for staff and customers during this restricted reopening include:
- Spacing out all outdoor tables to keep guests at least six feet away from each other.
- Allowing no more than six guests per table.
- Encouraging customers to call ahead or make a reservation to prevent groups from congregating in the waiting areas, and staggering reservations.
- Sanitizing tables, chairs and all tabletop items, such as condiments, after each group leaves.
- Asking patrons to wear a facemask when entering and leaving the outdoor eating area.
- Requiring those who deal with customers directly to wear a face mask or face covering and encouraging all staff to practice social distancing while working.
- Providing hand sanitizer for both staff and guests, and requiring staff to frequently wash their hands.
- Disinfecting all front-of-house high touch surfaces, such as door handles, screens, counters and keyboard, at least every two hours.
- Using menus that can be disposed of or sanitized after each use.
More information about the restrictions and guidance can be found here.
Outdoor dining applications are still being accepted. Please contact Jenn Marsh at [email protected] for more details.
Stay at Home 2.0
The Stay at Home 2.0 plan, unanimously approved by the Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Taskforce and approved by the New Hampshire Public Health, allows for the gradual reopening of certain parts of New Hampshire’s economy.
On May 22, Youth/Amateur sports and child care centers were allowed to re-open under strict guidance. Residents and business owners are strongly encouraged to review the materials provided by the state in the links above.
In compliance with New Hampshire’s Stay at Home 2.0 universal guidelines , the following industries have been provided guidance to re-open as of June 1:
The City of Rochester expects to provide more information to business owners and the public regarding these industries in the coming days.
Public Input for Virtual Meetings
Residents are now able to provide public input during live, virtual city meetings.
In order to sign up to provide live input, residents will need to fill out and submit this form online by noon on the day of the meeting. Residents must call into the meeting using the number which they have provided on this form so that they can be identified during the meeting. The number will not be visually displayed on broadcast or streaming.
This form will only need to filled out once and will be in effect for all subsequent meetings.
Residents will still be able to submit comments for all City Council meetings by emailing [email protected] or leaving a voicemail at 603-330-7107. For all other city meetings, please connect with the appropriate staff for the committee for the email address or voicemail number. Comments for City Council meetings can also be mailed to City Clerk/Public Input, 31 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867 and must be received at least 3 days prior to the meeting date. Emailed comments for all meetings must be received by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting and voicemails must be left by 12 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
Free PPE Program for Businesses has Ended
The state has announced that a free personal protective equipment program for businesses has ended.
National Guard Deployment May Extend
Governor Chris Sununu has made a formal request to President Donald Trump to allow for an extension of the New Hampshire Army National Guard mobilization to Sept. 30 to allow for members’ continued service to the community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mask Advisory Continues
The NH Department of Health and Human Services continues to recommend that all Granite Staters wear cloth face coverings when outside of the home to help slow the spread of COVID19. This advice is based on new data about how COVID-19 can spread before a person has any symptoms. A mask helps protect others around you if you are infected and don’t know it.
A cloth face is not a substitute for physical distancing and other prevention
measures. Members of the public are strongly urged to remain at least 6 feet away from others, even when wearing a mask.
The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. These types of masks are critical supplies that should be reserved for health care workers and first responders.
The CDC has provided guidelines to help residents fashion their own cloth masks.
COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, has been declared a Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization and has moved Governor Chris Sununu to declare a State of Emergency in New Hampshire and President Donald Trump to declare a National Emergency.
For the latest updates from City officials regarding the public health emergency, visit the City website at www.rochesternh.net and the Rochester News and Events Portal at rochesterportal.com.
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