No Masks, March 18

No Mandatory Masks at the Co-op Beginning Friday, March 18

To Our Community,

Over the past few days, several school districts in our area announced that they have suspended or dropped their mandatory mask mandates. Dartmouth College and the towns of Hanover and Hartford have done the same, and both Vermont and New Hampshire have suspended or lifted their indoor mask recommendations.
 
As I stated in my email to you last week, from the beginning of the pandemic we have said that we would follow the lead of the CDC, WHO, NIH, and the state and local communities in which we operate. 
 

Therefore, beginning this Friday, March 18, we are lifting the mandatory mask mandate at the Co-op. Masks will be recommended—but not required—at all Co-op locations. 

 
One word of caution: please keep in mind that we have been here before. It wasn’t that long ago that masks came off to great fanfare in communities nationwide, only to come back again with the outbreak of COVID variants. This continues to be a rapidly changing environment, and the safety of our cooperative community is paramount. 
 

We will not hesitate to reinstate mask mandates at any time if circumstances demand we do so.

 
In the meantime, this is great news for many of you, I know. I also know that others remain concerned. Please remember that you are ALWAYS welcome to wear a mask and take other precautions you feel are necessary for your safety. You will always be supported here. No questions asked! Also, remember we are ONLY talking about masks. All other personal protection equipment that has been put into place, for example Plexiglas shields, will remain. 
 
Thank you to all our members and shoppers for your support. We will talk again later in the week. Remember to be kind to one another and to yourselves, and we look forward to serving you in our stores and at the curbside. 
 
 Onward and upward,
 
Paul
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Paul Guidone

Paul Guidone, CFA, spent the better part of four decades in the investment management business here and abroad. He held positions ranging from analyst through Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, at organizations such as Citigroup (US) and The HSBC Group (London and Hong Kong). He joined the Co-op in 2016 as the CFO and in 2018 became Strategic Advisor to the General Manager. Paul was appointed by the Co-op Board as interim General Manager in March 2020 and General Manager in September 2020. To contact, email PGuidone@coopfoodstore.com.

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