MA Goes After NH

From WMUR:

“Massachusetts imposes travel restrictions on New Hampshire, Maine”

Massachusetts has added New Hampshire and Maine to its list of higher-risk states, imposing restrictions on anyone traveling from those states. Effective Saturday, anyone who travels from New Hampshire or Maine to Massachusetts must quarantine for 14 days or get a negative COVID-19 test within three days of arriving in Massachusetts. There are exceptions for people commuting to work and school, those getting medical treatment and military personnel. "Tomorrow we had plans to go shopping in Newburyport, so now that's not going to happen," said Nichole Ellsworth of Seabrook. "It's a two-minute walk for me over to the Massachusetts border. So, if I take my dog for a walk down the street, am I going to get in trouble for doing so? It's so crazy."

Just over the state line in Methuen, the employees of the Fireside Restaurant said they were blindsided by the decision, and said half their customers come from New Hampshire. "You're not knowing what's coming next," said Suzy Bean, whose family owns the restaurant. "So that's a hard thing to handle when you're trying to keep business afloat." "You do everything in your power that they let you do, and then they just keep taking, taking, taking. I don't know. In my opinion, it's either all or nothing," Bean added.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu gave the following statement to WMUR about the new travel restrictions: “While New Hampshire’s case rate is substantially lower than Massachusetts’, each state can enact their own guidelines. New Hampshire is not considering further travel restrictions from other New England state’s at this time, and would remind individuals that essential trips like commuting, critical day trips and medical care are allowed under Massachusetts’ new guidelines.”

^ With NH having less infections, hospitalizations and deaths than MA (16,822 infections and 507 deaths in NH and 200,049 infections and 10,469 deaths in MA) this latest move is less about stopping Covid-19 in MA and more about the fact that New Hampshire is suing Massachusetts for charging NH residents that work from home in NH for a MA company Income Tax (MA has Income Tax and NH doesn't.) You can tell that by the fact that MA is still allowing the thousands of people to come and go from/to NH and MA every day for work or school (they didn't back in March.) Maine is just thrown in since they have to pass through New Hampshire  for 16 miles to get to Massachusetts. New Hampshire continues to take the high road on all of this and is not restricting anyone coming from New England  - including from Massachusetts. It's sad when people are used as political pawns as MA is doing. They are focused more on political moves then the health and safety of people. ^

https://www.wmur.com/article/massachusetts-imposes-travel-restrictions-on-new-hampshire-maine/34743337