Effective immediately, all NH restaurants can operate at 100% capacity

Restaurants must still comply with distancing, mask requirements

Restaurants must still comply with distancing, mask requirements

FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. FOR WEEKS NEW HAMPSHIRE RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT 100% CAPACITY IN THE SIX NORTHERN COUNTIES. GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU SAYS THE SUCCESS OF THAT GAVE HIM CONFIDENCE TO NOW ALLOW RESTAURANTS IN THE FOUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES TO DO THE SAME. >> WE HAD NO MAJOR OUTBREAKS FROM RESTAURANTS, NO MAJOR INDICATORS THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE COMING FROM THAT POPULATION. MIKE CRONIN: STATE HEALTH GUIDELINES ON DISTANCING AND MASKS REMAIN IN PLACE. SUNUNU WANTED TO MAKE THE MOVE AS SUMMER AND OUTDOOR DINING WIND DOWN. >> NOW’S THE TIME TO DO IT. I THINK WE WERE WAITING A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE -- I DON’T WANT TO SAY I’M SURPRISED THAT OUR NUMBERS ARE SO LOW, BUT I’M SURPRISED THAT OUR NUMBERS ARE SO LOW. I THINK A LOT OF US EXPECTED THAT THE NUMBERS WOULD BE RISING. MIKE CRONIN: THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAYING THE STATE COULD SUE IF MASSACHUSETTS DOESN’T STOP COLLECTING INCOME TAX ON GRANITE STATERS EMPLOYED OVER THE STATE LINE BUT WORK FROM HOME BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFICIALS WILL TAKE PART IN A HEARING IN MASS ON AUGUST 27 >> IT’S NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE IS INCOME-TAX FREE. IT’S ACTUALLY DONE ON THE SHOULDERS OF MANY YEARS OF HARD WORK. WE FOUGHT FOR IT. WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR IT EVERY DAY. MIKE CRONIN: AND AS SCHOOLS REOPEN, THE STATE WANTS FAMILIES TO KNOW THERE ARE RESOURCES TO HELP PARENTS AND CHILDREN TO DEAL WITH THE MENTAL TOLL OF THE PANDEMIC. THE STATE’S COVID-19 WEBSITE NOW HAS A LINK TO MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY SUPPORT. >> MENTAL HEALTH IS LIKE ANY OTHER ILLNESS. IT’S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE TREATED, AND THE EARLIER YOU TREAT IT, THE BETTER THE RESULTS ARE GOING TO BE, SO WE JUST REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY. MIKE CRONIN: WHILE RESTAURANTS GET THE OK FOR 100% CAPACITY, RETAIL STORES ARE STILL CAPPED. SUNUNU SAYS IT’S HARDER TO SPACE PEOPLE OUT INSIDE ST

Effective immediately, all NH restaurants can operate at 100% capacity

Restaurants must still comply with distancing, mask requirements

All New Hampshire restaurants are now able to open at 100% capacity, as long as they continue to follow state reopening guidelines including maintaining 6 feet of distance between parties, Gov. Chris Sununu announced Friday.>> Download the FREE WMUR appPreviously, restaurants in six northern New Hampshire counties were able to operate at 100% capacity, but the southern counties were restricted to 50%. Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 has hit southern parts of the state harder than northern areas.>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMURSununu said there have been no signs of increased coronavirus spread in areas that had been fully reopened, giving health officials confidence that the same rules can be applied across the state.>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important informationSome restaurants might still be unable to serve as many customers at once as they used to because of the need to keep customers from different parties apart. Other restrictions, such as no standing in bar areas, remain in effect."All those provisions are in place and will remain in place for quite some time," Sununu said.The change comes after News 9 reported that bar and restaurant owners were concerned about cooler weather ahead making it impossible to continue outdoor seating. Restaurant owners said that without an easing of the indoor dining restrictions, their businesses wouldn't be able to survive.Sununu said that if COVID-19 numbers begin trending worse in the state, the decision could be revisited, but a single outbreak would likely not lead to new restrictions. He said it would also be possible to reimpose restrictions on certain counties again.** Town-by-town COVID-19 case data: Interactive map | Text-only list **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

CONCORD, N.H. —

>> Download the FREE WMUR app

Previously, restaurants in six northern New Hampshire counties were able to operate at 100% capacity, but the southern counties were restricted to 50%. Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 has hit southern parts of the state harder than northern areas.

>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR

Sununu said there have been no signs of increased coronavirus spread in areas that had been fully reopened, giving health officials confidence that the same rules can be applied across the state.

>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important information

Some restaurants might still be unable to serve as many customers at once as they used to because of the need to keep customers from different parties apart. Other restrictions, such as no standing in bar areas, remain in effect.

"All those provisions are in place and will remain in place for quite some time," Sununu said.

The change comes after News 9 reported that bar and restaurant owners were concerned about cooler weather ahead making it impossible to continue outdoor seating. Restaurant owners said that without an easing of the indoor dining restrictions, their businesses wouldn't be able to survive.

Sununu said that if COVID-19 numbers begin trending worse in the state, the decision could be revisited, but a single outbreak would likely not lead to new restrictions. He said it would also be possible to reimpose restrictions on certain counties again.

** Town-by-town COVID-19 case data: Interactive map | Text-only list **

Effective immediately, all NH restaurants can operate at 100% capacity

Restaurants must still comply with distancing, mask requirements

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