Effective May 8, 2021, the State of New Hampshire will replace the existing “Safer at Home 2.0” restrictions with a series of “Universal Best Practices” for all individuals, businesses, and organizations to consider and implement for the operation of their business. In rolling out the new guidance, Governor Sununu noted that the goal is to keep the guidance “truly universal.” Previously, the State had issued more than 30 industry-specific guidelines. The state did, however, recently issue one industry-specific guidance for overnight summer camps for the 2021 season.
In the new “Universal Best Practices,” the State has expressly reminded businesses that they are allowed to continue to require masks, if they choose, and “[n]othing in this document or other guidance precludes any business, organization, or individual business operators from taking additional precautions for the health and safety of its employees and consumers.” In other words, it is up to each business owner and manager to decide what is the best practice to implement to achieve safety in their particular workplace, keeping in mind the Universal Best Practices, and other guidance from the CDC, the NH Division of Public Health Services, and OSHA.