Granite State Times

The city of Portsmouth has issued a mask mandate following a recent surge of positive COVID-19 cases in the area, according to Seacoast Online.

The masking requirement extends to all people over the age of 5 who are in publicly accessible indoor locations, including workplaces "shared by two or more non-same-household employees," says the New Hampshire Union Leader.

“When the rates of infection and hospitalization no longer present a public health risk, this directive will be rescinded,” City Manager Karen Conard told Seacoast Online.

Conard, who announced the mandate on Jan. 7, stated that it was necessary to help mitigate the public health risk posed by the extremely contagious omicron variant, according to a public health directive from the city of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Health Department.

“Given the current metrics relative to percent positivity and hospitalization utilization due to COVID, the health officer has determined that in order to protect the public health, proper face coverings must be used in all publicly accessible indoor areas and places of employment,” Conard said, according to Seacoast Online.

Indoor facilities, such as private residences or residential units, public or private schools, those using indoor swimming pools and athletes actively engaging in sporting events are exempt from the mandate.

Music students, vaccinated entertainers in public settings and gymnasiums that have “instituted other mitigation measures” are also exempt. Additionally, anyone with a medical or developmental issue will not be required to wear a mask.

"Thank you to new Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern and City Manager Karen Conard for empowering the city health officer to do her job in a timely way during a crisis,’’ Rep. David Meuse (D-Portsmouth) tweeted on Jan. 8. "New cases in Portsmouth have doubled in the past 10 days to 263."

According to The New York Times, Rockingham County currently has a daily average of 656 cases and a 19% test positivity rate. Sixty-five percent of residents ages 5 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.