Dear Governor Sununu,

This petition urges you to intervene and prevent a traveling religious tent revival event from potentially causing a COVID-19 spike in New Hampshire.  The organizer of this event is a man named Torben Søndergaard and he has been defying state and local laws as well as basic public health common sense  as he has taken his show on the road across our nation.  Last week in the city of Des Plaines, Illinois, Søndergaard's cult like organization (The Last Reformation) held a series of events during which hundreds of people camped and gathered in direct violation of the city’s face covering and social distancing orders.  

We are sure that you are aware that Mr Søndergaard is planning an event in New Ipswich 8/14-8/23 which will draw hundreds from out of state, most of whom have no intention of observing common sense expectations of social distancing or mask wearing.   In fact, Mr. Søndergaard encourages his followers to thwart practices like mask wearing and social distancing.   Additionally, Mr. Søndergaard encourages those traveling to attend his revival meetings to stay at local hotels and campgrounds, to shop at local stores and eat at local restaurants. At previous events Mr Søndergaard's followers have gone out into the local communities to recruit new members, all while ignoring social distancing and mask wearing expectations. So attendees will not be staying to themselves but rather fanning out across the communities of southern NH. 

Since the town of New Ipswich has no legal authority to enforce the state’s social-distancing and quarantine policies, this issue requires your attention and action. After this event Mr. Søndergaard will move along to another state without giving the well being of New Hampshire folks a second thought.  If this event results in a spike in COVID-19 infections it will not be Mr. Søndergaard who will be held responsible, instead it will be the state government and especially you,  Governor Sununu,  who will be left to deal with the fall out. 

If this event is allowed to go forward then you are setting a precedent for what is acceptable in the state of New Hampshire during this pandemic.  Please do the right thing and stand up for the health and well being of the people of our state.  Stop this event from going forward, or enact and enforce a mask-wearing & social distancing order to protect our communities from the reckless disregard of people like Torben Søndergaard and his followers.  Please act now to protect the people of New Hampshire.  

Thank you, 

Concerned citizens of New Hampshire