Most companies in Hanover lift masking requirements

Many restaurants and clothing stores quickly lifted their own mask requirements after the City lifted their mask mandate.

by Griselda Chavez | 7/2/21 5h00

Following the Hanover Selectboard’s decision to suspend the mask ordinance on June 14, just after the start, many businesses in the city also lifted their requirements for individual masks for customers. However, some companies still require their employees to remain masked, and some more intensive cleaning policies and other health protocols remain in place.

In an emailed statement, City Manager Julia Griffin wrote that local businesses were told by the Upper Valley Business Alliance on June 8 that the Hanover Selectboard planned to suspend the mask ordinance on June 14.

According to Ruthie Murray, director of The J List, the women’s clothing store has “officially put away [their] masks ”, as of June 18, because all store employees had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for more than a month.

“Certainly anyone is free to wear one if they are more comfortable, including staff and customers,” Murray said. “Everyone who works here, however, is fully vaccinated so most of us have stopped wearing them.”

Although masks are optional, Murray found that “about half” of the store’s customers continue to wear a mask. According to Murray, many customers enter the building with either a mask or one in hand and tend to ask if masks are required inside.

Murray said that as an “optimist” she did not expect to return to masks unless the city requires it, citing her store’s cleaning policies and the vaccinated status of her employees. However, she added that if there is a need for the company to adhere to such policies, The J List will abide by them.

“It’s been nice for us to be able to really see people’s initial reactions when you talk to them,” Murray said.

Likewise, Clara Boland, head barista at The Nest Kitchen, said there was no requirement for vaccinated workers or customers to wear a mask as of June 14.

“Everyone who has their vaccine, we don’t make them wear their mask – client or worker,” Boland said. “We have our employees who show us that they have been vaccinated, but with our customers, it’s more based on trust.

Dunk’s Sports Grill general manager Alex LaCroix said the restaurant owner’s policy is that neither staff nor patrons are required to wear masks as of June 15.

“With the majority of our team members vaccinated, we were very happy to hear the news, so we lifted the mask’s mandate internally – for guests and for team members,” said LaCroix.

LaCroix added that Dunk’s has maintained sanitation policies in place since its opening This can. Dunk also recently reverted to full guest capacity, but this change is unrelated to the removal of the Hanover Mask Mandate, according to LaCroix.

Ramunto’s Brick and Brew Pizzeria mask policy differs in that staff members are required to wear masks regardless of their immunization status, owner Kim Cullen said. According to Cullen, they “encourage” customers to always wear a mask indoors.

“[Our] the staff carry [masks], and we’re doing it because we want to make sure everyone feels comfortable coming in, ”Cullen said.

In addition, Cullen said Ramunto’s also continued to take safety measures such as a daily health check of staff members, contact tracing, specific cleaning procedures and reduced seating.

Pannipa Pace, owner of Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine, said she has decided that her employees will always wear masks because it seems “normal” to have one, but masks are optional for customers.

The Hanover cooperative lifted its mandate to mask customers on Thursday, delaying longer than other local businesses to allow more people to finish getting vaccinated, according to a June 17 blog post by chief executive Paul Guidone. However, employees and suppliers are still required to wear a mask until the company achieves an “internal vaccination rate similar to surrounding states.”

The Hanover mask term hiatus came about two months after New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, let the state mask term expire on April 15. But Cullen said he didn’t mind Hanover’s delay in lifting his own tenure.

“I think the city is in a difficult situation. I think everyone is just trying to do the right thing, ”Cullen said. “I’m not the type to be very hard on everyone’s decision, and I think it’s great that everything is going in the right direction. I’m just glad we got away with it. “

“We understood that there was a much bigger picture in place for us to contribute,” said La Croix. “We were happy to do so – and we had no reaction from our team members, and the majority of the guests were reliable.”