N.H. Daily Coronavirus Update (Oct 1-31)

Saturday, October 31

State health officials reported 126 new coronavirus infections Friday, two new hospitalizations, and no new deaths. Rockingham County led the state with 44 of the new cases—more than double the number of new cases in any other N.H. county. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. Portsmouth Halloween Trick-or-Treat Hours and Guidelines. The hours permitted for trick-or-treating today are 3 to 6 p.m. The City Health Officer asks that families not travel town-to-town or invite friends or family from other towns to come to Portsmouth as that would increase the risk associated with mixing households in close groups. The City’s Emergency Services team also reminds residents that gathering in groups, in indoor settings with reduced air flow, is highly discouraged due to the greater risk of COVID-19 transmission. Residents are asked to wear cloth face mask, travel in small family groups, to bring hand sanitizer, and to maintain at least six feet of distance between themselves and people not from the same household. Homeowners are urged to use small bags or to spread them out in trays, to clean distribution points often, and to turn off their porch lights if they don’t want to participate. (Source: City of Portsmouth)

2. More Testing, Community Transmission Seen as Number of COVID-19 Cases Rises in NH. Daily active cases have more than tripled since the start of the month, from 342 on Oct. 1 to 1,109 on Oct. 29. Overall, there has been a jump in the total number of positive tests, from 8,317 on Oct. 1 to 10,768 on Oct. 29, or a 29.47% increase. Testing has also increased, but not at the same rate: the state had a daily seven-day testing average of 7,570 on Oct. 1 and 8,806 on Oct. 29, an increase of 13.63%. Overall, test positivity rates in the state have hovered around 1% for several weeks, the fourth-lowest rate in the country. Dr. Benjamin Chan said while the state may have some of the lowest numbers in the country, letting down our guard could change that. (Source: WMUR)

3. Some N.H. Communities Planning Bigger Police Presence on Election Day. With strong feelings on both sides, an ongoing pandemic and turnout expected to be high, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said police are making an extra effort to make sure polling locations are safe. "We're just going to step it up a little bit more," Aldenberg said. "We'll have some more uniformed presence in and around the polls, some extra patrols patrolling the neighborhoods around each of the poll locations. Just looking to head off any behavior that may be detrimental to the election." Aldenberg said some officers will be uniformed, while plainclothes officers will be in and around each of the city's 12 polling locations. Nashua police say they usually have police officers at each of the city's nine polling locations, but this year, they're going to have two, one inside and one outside. (Source: WMUR)

4. Nursing Homes Increase Restrictions as COVID-19 Cases Across the State Surge. Nursing homes are reverting back to stricter restrictions as COVID-19 cases across the state surge. Long term care facilities, which enjoyed a short period of relief during the summer, are now all back either in Stage I or II of reopening, which limits group activities, communal dining, and non-essential personnel like hair dressers. “This is not unexpected,” Shibinette said at a press conference Thursday. “We have a pretty low threshold for stepping back long term care.” She said as long as long term care facilities do not have a current outbreak, they will still be allowed visitations, as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid requires. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Community Transmission Level in North Country is Now in the Red. On Thursday, Coos County joined Rockingham, Hillsborough and Merrimack Counties, Manchester and Nashua as New Hampshire counties with “substantial” community transmission, according to state data. COVID-19 has spread through the small Coos County town of Colebrook with 15 cases in just one week. Colebrook School closed Thursday and will be closed until at least Nov. 12 after a confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported at the school. In the past 10 to 12 days, the city of Berlin has also seen a spike because of community transmission and a recent outbreak at the federal prison. "Even though we had eight cases from the Bureau of Prisons come off the list a couple days ago, we're still up around 13, 14 cases, which for us is a symptom of a problem, if we don't address it right now," said Mayor Paul Grenier. Schools in the city have gone fully remote and will remain that way for the next two weeks, until Nov. 13. A similar situation is playing out at White Mountains Community College, which has moved to remote for the next week. Schools in Stewartstown and Pittsburg will also be closed for deep cleaning and remote learning, starting Monday. Meanwhile, the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital has been besieged by residents rushing to get tested and many restaurants have all but closed for in-house dining. (Sources: InDepthNH and WMUR)

6. N.H. Hospitals Say They’re Ready as Cases Climb and Winter Approaches. Hospitals in New Hampshire are watching the coronavirus numbers closely. closely. "As we head into colder weather, and as the modeling shows as we look across the United States, we do expect some degree of a surge," said Dr. Edward Merrens, chief clinical officer for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Hospital officials across the state said they're working together and are prepared."We all have plans to go from 100% ICU capacity to 120% ICU capacity and ultimately to 200% ICU capacity, and we have the ventilators and we have the staff," said Dr. Thomas Wold, chief medical officer for Portsmouth Regional Hospital. So far, the increase in cases in New Hampshire has come with fewer hospitalizations than earlier in the pandemic, but Wold says that doesn't mean there won't be increasing hospitalizations. "It's a matter of numbers and statistics, so if the surge is high enough, it will task the hospital system," Wold said. (Source: WMUR)

7. State Monitoring COVID Cluster At Plymouth Youth Residential Facility. A youth residential facility in Plymouth is dealing with a cluster of COVID-19 cases. Moira O’Neill, the Director of the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate, said her office has been alerted to four positive cases among youth at Mount Prospect Academy. A spokesman for the state health department confirmed the cluster but said they don't yet have a total for the number of positive cases. (Source: NHPR)

8. Students from Concord High, Rundlett Test Positive for COVID. Two students at Concord High School and one student at Rundlett Middle School tested positive for COVID-19, the interim superintendent for Concord School District announced Friday. Classes will be moved online Nov. 2 to give the district time to deep clean both buildings. Students will continue their normal schedules after Monday. Elementary students in the district will continue in their usual hybrid model classes. (Source: Concord Monitor)

9. Rochester Schools Going Remote Thanksgiving to MLK Day. Rochester’s schools will go remote from Thanksgiving to Martin Luther King Jr. Day out of concern the holiday season will create challenging spikes in local COVID-19 cases.The Rochester School Board voted 7-6 to approve the new COVID-19 education model Thursday night. Rochester’s 12 public schools have been using a full-time in-person education model, with some remote options, since the start of the 2020-21 school year. Approximately 85% of all Rochester students will go fully remote through the new model, which the district is calling the “holiday quarantine model,” from Nov. 30 to Jan. 19, according to Superintendent Kyle Repucci. “We just want to make sure as the environment around us changes, our model perhaps should change with that,” Repucci said, expressing concern the cold weather and holiday season could contribute to more people being in close proximity with each other, thus increasing possible transmission of the coronavirus. “Some things with the environment we cannot control, but the model… is what we can control.” (Source: Seacoast Online) Officials in the Wilton-Lyndborough school district are also considering a plan to enter full remote learning after Thanksgiving through Martin Luther King Day because of an anticipated shortage of substitute teachers. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

10. Sununu Extends State of Emergency. Gov. Chris Sununu has issued another executive order that extends the state of emergency in response to COVID-19 for another 21 days. It continues the executive order first issued March 13, 2020, an emergency declaration that came the same day as the president issued a federal emergency declaration. Under N.H. law, the state of emergency must be renewed evert 21 days to remain in effects. (Source: NHPR)

11. Seven Weeks In, Dartmouth Students Reflect on College Reopening Plan. Nearly two months into the fall term, College and town officials have largely hailed Dartmouth’s reopening as a success. Since July 1, the College has reported only 10 positive tests — or 0.03% of the 35,562 tests it has administered. Students, too, have voiced appreciation for the chance to return to campus — yet some have shared frustration with the College’s and town’s strict enforcement of COVID-19 policies. Hanover town manager Julia Griffin noted that the town has not dealt with many “really serious violations” of its 10-person gathering ordinance. She added that the College and town’s collaborative implementation of the “Community Expectations” agreement contributed to Hanover and Dartmouth’s low incidence of COVID-19. Addie Green ’22, who lives off campus in Lebanon but visits downtown Hanover on a regular basis, said that she has noticed a difference in how COVID-19 rules are enforced when comparing where she is to Hanover. While Green said she’s observed Lebanon hasn’t enforced mask wearing requirements with the same rigor as Hanover, but most students are still acting responsibly. “For the most part, I think people are sticking to tighter circles and not throwing parties,” Green said. (Source: The Dartmouth)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 30, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• WMUR N.H. Coronavirus Information and Charts

• New York Times N.H. COVID Maps and Charts

• New York Times U.S. Nursing Home Statistics and Outbreak Map

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Friday, October 30

On Thursday, N.H. DHHS announced 131 COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths, and no new hospitalizations. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Restaurants Will Ask Patrons for Contact Info To Combat COVID Starting Saturday. Starting this Saturday, restaurants will ask patrons for contact information as the state continues to see an uptick in cases of COVID-19. Announcing four new deaths and 131 new cases at Thursday’s news conference, State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said the information that is collected by restaurants will allow contact tracers to get information quickly to possibly exposed individuals and gain a leg up on the virus, potentially protecting others from contracting it. Lori Shibinette, commissioner for the state Department of Health and Human Services, said the problem contact tracers have in 40 percent of their initial calls is having people pick up the phone. But once they do, she said they find them quite cooperative providing information on individuals they have had recent contact with who may have also been exposed to the virus. Shibinette also reported that said there were no new outbreaks at long-term care facilities to report but that three remain at Bedford Hills Center (now up to 61 resident cases and 18 deaths), Pine Rock Manor in Warner (47 resident cases and 5 deaths), and St. Theresa’s nursing home (32 resident cases and 7 deaths). Also appearing at the press conference was Gov. Chris Sununu who told reporters the federal government has sent the state 300,000 more masks, 200,000 of which were sent to schools. Sununu was asked if a mask mandate is off the table and he said no, but if things get worse it might be an option to be done on a regional basis. On a day that saw 4 additional deaths and 131 new cases, Sununu said “Right now, we are just not there.” (Source: InDepthNH)

2. Portsmouth High School Reopens After COVID Case. Wednesday's closure of Portsmouth High School, due to a student testing positive for COVID-19, "was a very unfortunate situation that could have been avoided" because a parent sent a symptomatic student to school, Health Agent Kim McNamara told the Citizen's Response Task Force. School Superintendent Stephen Zadravec said the high school reopened Thursday after identifying all close contacts with that student, while working with the state Department of Health and Human Services. He said all identified contacts are under quarantine. "Our custodial crew is completing disinfection and deep cleaning as outlined in our protocols," the superintendent notified the school community. "We continue to thoroughly ventilate the building as well." McNamara told the task force Wednesday the school situation was a result of parents "not taking responsibility." She said the COVID-positive student visited another student over the weekend, developed symptoms and "went to school with mild cold symptoms." No other Portsmouth schools were impacted. Portsmouth students are attending classes through a hybrid mix of in-school and remote instruction. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Quarantines at Manchester Middle School Force Return to Remote Learning Through Nov. 16. After two people at Hillside Middle School tested positive for COVID-19, so many teachers have to quarantine that district administrators decided the school does not have enough staff to stay open. Anyone who spent more than a few minutes within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus is being advised to stay home for two weeks, or until they test negative for COVID-19. Though there were only two COVID-19 cases at Hillside Middle School, enough people have to quarantine to force the school to close down, explained Superintendent John Goldhardt in a news release. Of the 29 people at Hillside who are quarantining, 19 are students, said district spokesman Andrew Toland. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

4. COVID Case Leads to Selective Quarantines in Rochester Schools. A single coronavirus case has led to one grade level team at Rochester Middle School as well as all middle school and Spaulding High School students on one bus route to be dismissed from school Thursday and quarantined. The school district announced the quarantined students will be in "remote learning for the next 14 days out of an abundance of caution." Affected students and staff were dismissed from school on Thursday and will be given instructions for remote learning, which remains in place until Nov. 13, according to the district's announcement. (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. AG’s Office Issues Election Guidance. With just four days left until Election Day, local election officials have received a lengthy memo from the state Attorney General’s Office with guidance on a number of election-related issues, including direction related to matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 17-page communication addresses several issues that apply in every election. But it also lays out procedures unique to the 2020 elections regarding such matters as the need for face masks, and the reduction in the required number of voting booths in a polling place. There is also two pages of guidance about the presence of firearms inside or outside the polls, and the laws prohibiting voter suppression or intimidation. While these directives are not unique to this election, growing activity from armed far-right groups and President Trump’s calls for his supporters to watch polling places “very carefully” have raised concerns of possible disruptions or voter intimidation ahead of Tuesday’s election. There are no state election laws that prohibit a voter from carrying a firearm whether outside the polls or into a polling place. But the memo stresses that “people at a polling place are prohibited from intimidating voters.” (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

6. Hampton Selectmen Reject Calls for Mask Mandate. After a resident asked selectmen if they would consider a town-wide mask mandate amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, three board members said this week they would oppose such a motion. A mask mandate was suggested at the selectmen’s Oct. 19 meeting by resident and former police officer Vic DeMarco, who told the board earlier in the year he was concerned about crowds at Hampton Beach spreading the virus to community members. Selectman Regina Barnes responded at the following meeting, held Monday, by saying mask mandates are unconstitutional because the state Legislature has not passed a law that speaks to it. Two days later, Chairman Jim Waddell and Selectman Chuck Rage said in interviews they would not vote to support a mask mandate out of concerns for enforceability and a desire to let people make their own choices. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Application Period for Second Round of Business Relief Closes Today. The application period for businesses interested in another round of $100 million in federal relief closes today. At his Thursday press conference, the governor said 3,600 applications have already been received so far. If you would like to apply for aid for your business, you can find more information and an online application here.

8. Latest Unemployment Claims Show A Slower Jobs Recovery in N.H. When it comes to jobs, New Hampshire’s economy is still heading in the right direction, but the recovery seems to be slowing down, according to the last weekly unemployment report before the election. Some 1,880 Granite Staters filed initial unemployment claims in New Hampshire during the week ending Oct. 24, down by about 10% from the previous week. But those previous numbers were revised upwards.In other words, last week was good, but the week before wasn’t as good as it seemed, and the recovery, which appeared to be accelerating, is really more steady and slower. And the number of layoff is more than triple the number compared to pre-pandemic levels. (Source: N.H. Business Review)

9. N.H. House of Representatives Seeks Court Opinion Regarding Meeting Remotely. The state Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday seeking an advisory opinion on whether the House of Representatives can meet remotely instead of at the State House because of the pandemic. House Clerk Paul C. Smith specifically asked the court in a letter dated Sept. 17: “Would holding a session of the New Hampshire House of Representatives remotely either wholly or in part whereby a quorum could be determined electronically violate Part II, Article 20 of the New Hampshire Constitution?” Attorney Penny S. Dean, argued on behalf of Joseph Hoell Jr., secretary of the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition, and Andrew J. Manuse, chairman, ReopenNH, saying it would be unconstitutional. But attorney Paul Twomey, former House legal counsel, argued that it would not be. Twomey told the justices that the case boiled down to the definition of the word “present” in Part II, Article 20. If the definition of the word ended up keeping the House from meeting, “I would suggest you’d be turning the Constitution on its head…” Twomey said. (Source: InDepthNH) At stake is the ability of the House to do the people’s business during the 2021 session. Since the start of the pandemic, the 400 member House has been unable to meet in its traditional meeting place, Representatives Hall at the State House in Concord, and has met 3 times in the much larger Whittemore Center at UNH. But the availability of the arena on an ongoing basis is uncertain and some legislators with underlying health conditions do not feel comfortable meeting in person. The situation has been aggravated by a group of GOP legislators that has consistently refused to wear masks and drank beer in the stands during the last session.

10. With Courts Back in Session, Safety Measures and COVID-19 Adjustments are New Normal. New Hampshire courts are taking extra measures – from providing clear masks for witnesses testifying to portable carbon monoxide monitors – to ensure fair trials and the safety of everyone entering a courtroom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tina L. Nadeau, chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court, in a WebEx discussion with the media on Thursday said the state contracted with Dr. Erin Bromage, associate professor in biology at the College of Arts & Sciences at UMASS Dartmouth, to implement procedures to ensure everyone who enters a courthouse is safe. The task is even more important now with the resumption of jury trials in superior courts, where some ventilation systems are top-notch while those in older structures are not. Social distancing is being adhered to and both jurors and grand jurors are all being issued surgical masks. Witnesses are wearing clear masks when testifying, she said, so jurors can see their demeanor and not compromise due process in any way. “It is difficult to balance but I think the jurors and grand jurors have felt very safe,” Nadeau said. (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

11. On A Halloween Like No Other, Here’s How N.H. Towns Are Celebrating Safely. This year, the coronavirus has cancelled major annual Halloween staples like the Portsmouth Halloween Parade and Laconia Pumpkin Fest, but many towns are still hosting events and allowing trick-or-treating with restrictions based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the state. “Participating in Halloween activities and going out, it’s not zero risk, it's lower risk,” said Bobbie Bagley, director of Nashua Public Health and Community Services. Health officials say those who are feeling sick or who are potentially at higher risk of COVID-19 should stay home and should not hand out candy this Halloween. Officials are also advising families to stay within their own small groups as they’re out on Halloween, to wear masks, and to trick-or-treat only within their neighborhood. Instead of using a grab bowl for candy, the CDC advises making separated goodie bags and distributing them in a socially distanced way, like placing them on a table at the end of a driveway. Make sure to wash your hands before and after preparing candy bags. (Source: NHPR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 29, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• WMUR N.H. Coronavirus Information and Charts

• New York Times N.H. COVID Maps and Charts

• New York Times U.S. Nursing Home Statistics and Outbreak Map

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Thursday, October 29

On Wednesday, N.H. health officials announced 113 new positive test results for COVID-19, 4 new hospitalizations and 3 deaths. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. Rockingham County Community Transmission Level Rises to “Substantial”. On Wednesday, Rockingham County was listed as having a “substantial” level of community transmission, joining Hillsborough and Merrimack Counties, Manchester and Nashua in the red as shown on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard. Test positivity rates in the counties over the past seven days are about 2%, twice the state's usual average. “That’s not just a function of increased testing being conducted,” State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said. “We know that people are letting their guard down, we know that people are coming into close contact with others.” Chan described what is happening as COVID or response fatigue. After about 8 months of mask wearing and social distancing people are starting to relax on the guidance and numbers have risen as a result. Of the 113 new cases listed on Wednesday, Rockingham County had the most with 27, followed by Merrimack (19), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (14), Strafford (8), Coos (6), Grafton (5), Belknap (4), Carroll (3), and Sullivan (2) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (18) and Nashua (4). (Sources: WMUR and InDepthNH)

2. Portsmouth High to Reopen Today After One-Day COVID Shutdown. Portsmouth High School shut down for the day Wednesday after a student tested positive for COVID-19. Superintendent Stephen Zadravec said school officials learned of the positive case Wednesday morning. “We immediately shifted today to a total ‘remote learning day’ as we needed to complete contact tracing and deep cleaning” Zadravec said. "Teachers have been able to continue their classes as planned through remote learning.” Zadravec said he expects students to be back in the building Thursday. (Sources: Manchester Union Leader and Seacoast Online)

3. Portsmouth Christian Academy Confirms Two More COVID Cases. Portsmouth Christian Academy confirmed it has received two more positive COVID-19 tests at its Dover campus. After receiving the first positive test Saturday, officials asked “the affected class”—4th graders in the academy’s Lower School—to “remain off-site for quarantine and testing,” the school said in a statement. The school remains open and operating for all faculty, staff, and students not in the affected grade. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Hundreds of Thousands of Rapid Test Kits on Their Way to N.H. Testing capabilities in New Hampshire will soon increase, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sending 400,000 rapid antigen tests to the state. The BinaxNOW rapid test comes with a smartphone app called NAVICA and can certify to an employer, coach or school the date and time of a negative COVID-19 test. "If there is one pink line, you are negative," said Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health. "If there are two pink lines, you are positive." Giroir, the head of the country's COVID-19 testing strategy, said the tests will likely become a common sight before the global health crisis is resolved."The ideal use of these tests are really for large-scale screening, because that's what they are meant for," Giroir said. "They can be done at point of care. You can get the results in 15 minutes."It's not clear yet who will get the tests in New Hampshire. Schools and nursing homes might be obvious priorities. (Source: WMUR)

5. Plymouth Sees Rise in COVID-19 Cases, High School and Four Eateries Temporarily Closed. Town officials in Plymouth have seen a rise in cases with residents and students both at Plymouth State and the high school. The high school had to be shut down Monday after a student tested positive and has since reopened as of Wednesday morning. Plus, four restaurants are also now closed. Plymouth State University also saw the largest number of positive COVID-19 test results in one week. “Right now, we have 17 current cases, which isn’t a surprise based on what’s happening across the country,” said Marlin Collingwood from the university. More than 100 students are also in quarantine, some due to contact tracing and others who were symptomatic. (Source: WMUR)

6. Residents of All N.H. Counties Now Subject to Vermont Travel and Quarantine Restrictions. Vermont has updated its travel map of surrounding states, and every bordering county in New Hampshire and Massachusetts now appears as either yellow or red. Under Vermont COVID-19 restrictions, locations appearing at either the red or yellow levels require a 14-day quarantine for nonessential travel to and from Vermont. Sullivan County is the most recent N.H. county to receive Vermont’s yellow designation, which indicates it has more than 400 COVID-19 cases per million, including a multiplier for cases that may be currently asymptomatic. (Source: The Valley News) While residents of both states are allowed to make essential cross-border trips for classes and work, they are not allowed to make the trip for leisure such as recreational activities and competitive sports, according to Vermont’s current travel guidelines aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19. This will place a damper on school sports in the region where some schools serve a mix of students from the two states and where cross-border team sports competition between schools is common. (Source: The Valley News)

7. Town and City Clerks Prepare for Election Day Changed By Pandemic. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has taken a lot of effort for town and city clerks to prepare for this year's election, and they said the next six days will be the busiest yet. Dozens of people went to Portsmouth City Hall on Wednesday to vote absentee."There is a very high turnout of absentee ballots, an extreme amount of people, more than we have ever seen in the past," said Portsmouth City Clerk Kelly Barnaby. Barnaby said the number of absentee ballots has doubled this year. "We usually see 3,000 absentee ballots," she said. "Right now, we are well over 6,000." She and her staff will start to preprocess ballots this weekend to make sure documents have been properly signed. Ballots will be counted starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Barnaby said the city has enough poll workers to help Tuesday. (Source: WMUR) With the clock rapidly ticking down to the Election Day deadline for absentee ballots, voters who have received ballots but haven’t turned them in yet, are being strongly urged by election officials to hand-deliver them to their city or town clerk’s office before Election Day. Ballots received after 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 will not be counted. Ballots may also be returned at your polling place before 5 p.m. on Election Day by either you or an “authorized agent”—usually an immediate family member or nursing home administrator—who will be required to complete a form. (Source: NHPR Elections Guide) If you have already mailed in your ballot and want to know if it has been received by your city of town clerk, you can track its progress using the absentee ballot status tracker on the N.H. Secretary of State’s website.

8. Despite COVID, N.H. Nursing Home Residents Are Casting Their Ballots. COVID-19 has had a profound impact on nursing homes in New Hampshire, but it isn't stopping residents from voting. Kristen Gauthier, a resident relations manager at the Edgewood Centre in Portsmouth, said that in previous years she would maybe get a handful of calls or emails from residents about voting. But this year’s been different. “I had voicemails every day from staff saying, ‘This person’s looking to see if their ballot got here yet. They want to make sure they voted. Do you have time to come down and work with them?’” Because of the pandemic, Edgewood encouraged its residents to vote absentee, which is open to all voters this election. New Hampshire, however, only allows certain people to deliver those absentee ballots for others. But in 2019, a new law allowed nursing home administrators to do that on behalf of residents, in addition to family members. “Without that it would have been devastating,” Gauthier said, “Because we're not allowing anyone except essential personnel in right now.” Edgewood has also been actively reaching out to residents to check in with them about voting before the election. (Source: NHPR)

9. As Berlin Prison Cases Rise, North Country Schools Watch For Uptick in COVID Infections. Schools in the Androscoggin Valley have avoided COVID-related quarantines and shutdowns so far, but COVID-19 cases at the federal prison in Berlin have school leaders on alert. Earlier this month, eight inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin tested positive for COVID-19. Those cases make up the bulk of the 15 active cases currently in Coos County, which had only a handful of cases over the summer. Gorham superintendent David Backler says even though the prison is closed to visitors, there are still ways the virus could spread. “That's a significant number of people who live in our community and are affiliated with the federal prison, and I think once it spreads beyond inmate population, then it's a concern for us,” he explained. (Source: NHPR)

10. Exeter Extends Town-Wide Mask Mandate as Cases Increase. An emergency ordinance that requires residents and visitors in town to wear masks when social distancing of at least six feet isn’t possible will continue for at least the rest of 2020. The town's Select Board voted 4-1 Monday to extend the ordinance set to expire Nov. 2 to Dec. 31. The vote came on the heels of Fire Chief Eric Wilking giving an update that the town recently saw an uptick in COVID-19 cases, with ninme new people testing positive last week. (Source: Seacoast Online)

11. 7 COVID Takeaways From N.H. State Epidemiologists. New Hampshire’s recent rise in cases isn’t simply a result of more testing. According to State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, more people are also contracting the disease in clusters, where multiple cases with a common factor, such as a place of residence or a sport team, are linked in a 14 day period. In an interview with NHPR, Chan and Dr. Elizabeth Talbot, an infectious disease specialist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, said contact tracing investigations are also identifying more and more people coming into close contact with someone with COVID-19. Talbot says there’s optimism about 4 vaccines entering late stage trials and the state is working to define an equitable distribution system. Meanwhile, Chan recommends people take appropriate precautions by minimizing the number of people at any gatherings and by continuing to wear masks, wash their hands, and practice physical distancing. (Source: NHPR)

12. Tourist Attractions ‘Really Struggling’ Without More Federal Help. Tourist attraction owners in the White Mountains are facing continued business uncertainty with the pandemic and need another infusion of help from Washington to get their full-time staff through to spring, they told U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Wednesday. Operators of the Cog Railway, Santa’s Village, Clark’s Trading Post, The Hobo and Winnipesaukee Railroad and a representative for the 17-member White Mountains Attractions, described the dire situations they face with limits on capacity ranging from 25 to 50 percent this summer and fall due to the pandemic, total closure through the spring and worries that future outbreaks may return them to a time when they all closed down. While the federal Paycheck Protection Program made a difference when it came to preserving staff, the businesses are awaiting more stimulus help and are in a perilous time, they told Shaheen. Shaheen said she was hoping that another package of funding similar to the CARES Act and the Payroll Protection Program was going to be passed in Congress before the election but that is not going to happen, she said. “And it is not at all clear, perhaps it will be more clear after the election, but I think there is a general sense for most people that a lot of people still need help…and we need to help them get through on the other side of this pandemic. Hearing from you all will give me a better idea of what we need and what we need to get done in Washington,” Shaheen said. (Source: InDepthNH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 28, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• WMUR N.H. Coronavirus Information and Charts

• New York Times N.H. COVID Maps and Charts

• New York Times U.S. Nursing Home Statistics and Outbreak Map

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Wednesday, October 28

N.H. hits the highest 7-day average of new cases since the start of the pandemic. (Source: N.H. DHHS Interactive Dashboard)

The state Department of Health and Human Services announced 140 new positive test results for COVID-19 on Tuesday along with 3 new hospitalizations but no new deaths. Here is the other pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. New Hampshire Records Third-Highest Single-Day Total of New COVID-19 Cases. The 140 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed Tuesday were the highest total since May 20, when 149 cases were recorded, but officials noted the state is testing at a much higher rate now. Tuesday's PCR positivity rate was 0.9%. New cases were reported Tuesday in every New Hampshire county. There are currently 1,067 confirmed active cases in the state. There are currently 31 people hospitalized in the state for COVID-19, the highest total since July 2. (Source: WMUR) Manchester (120), Nashua (81), Bedford (50), and Concord (53) had the most active cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. Portsmouth has 26 active cases. Tuesday’s daily report from the Department of Health and Human Services also indicated the first signs of an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, which have remained low even as new cases have surged this month. Six people have been hospitalized in COVID-19 over the past three days and the number of active cases in the sate is twice what it was a week earlier. The figure of active hospitalization cases is still relatively low – just 31, a small portion of available beds and rooms – but is an increase from the figure of 16 in New Hampshire one week ago. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. As N.H. Sees New 7-Day High In COVID Cases As Manchester Testing Sites Are 'Maxed Out'. Manchester health officials say the city's COVID-19 testing sites are "maxed out" by hockey players seeking tests, as new cases and hospitalizations continue a steady rise in New Hampshire. The 7-day average of newly identified COVID-19 cases reached a new peak today, at 105, the highest it’s been since the start of the pandemic. The Department of Health and Human Services told NHPR in a statement that hospital-based and National Guard testing sites, including those in the southern part of the state where many hockey players live, have testing capacity and are accepting appointments. Those seeking a COVID-19 test can find the closest location by visiting the state’s list of testing sites. (Source: NHPR)

3. Neighboring States Issue Travel Restrictions for Massachusetts. With a recent spike in coronavirus cases, Massachusetts now meets the criteria for travel advisories in Connecticut and New Jersey. Connecticut residents who spend more than 24 hours in the Bay State will have to quarantine for 14 days, with some exceptions, or test negative for coronavirus. Massachusetts was added to Connecticut's COVID-19 travel advisory list Tuesday, and no locations were removed, bringing the total number of states and territories considered hot spots for coronavirus to 42. “The positivity rate - that’s impactful," Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said. "It’s a trend that’s going on and we’re watching it carefully. Not unexpected but we have to be cautious.” The Bay State is in the midst of a steady resurgence of the highly-contagious virus with over 2,200 new coronavirus cases reported over the weekend. Another 1,025 cases were reported Tuesday along with an additional seven deaths. (Source: NECN)

4. State: Trump Rally Organizer Wasn’t Reckless About Mask Order Enforcement Sunday. Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said she reviewed photos of President Donald Trump’s rally Sunday and based on her review told reporters that neither the organizer nor the landowner acted in a reckless manner in complying with an Emergency Order 63 requiring face masks for gatherings of over 100 people. “At this time, I have reviewed photographs of the event and know of the steps that the organizer took to provide face coverings, hand sanitizer, socially distanced seating, and reminders to wear face coverings and remain socially distanced,” Edwards said. “No further action will occur with respect to the rally.” Source: InDepthNH)

5. $38M in CARES Act Funds Must Be Spent Quickly, Legislative Board Told. Legislators got an overview Tuesday of what is left in the CARES Act fund to help provide federal relief to the state from COVID-19. It appears there is about $38 million that can likely be used before the deadline to spend it on Dec. 30 and about $63 million in funds that have been re-allocated but not yet tapped, but could be. Taylor Caswell, director of the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief, and Recovery (GOFERR) said the goal is to send “0 dollars” back to Washington. There are currently $1 million in funds not allocated. “But that is not the full story,” Caswell said, noting he is confident that at least $38 million remains to be spent. Certain fund balances have been re-allocated including $36 million to expand broadband internet in rural areas; a business GAP fund with $9 million; the first Main Street relief fund $15 million and $3 million for agriculture relief. The deadline to apply for the second round of Main Street relief, totaling $100 million is this Friday and it will take a bit of time to see how much that allocation will total but Caswell said he expects that some resources will likely remain. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. Raymond Restaurant to Close for 10 Days After 7 Employees Test Positive. Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery restaurant is shutting down all operations for the next 10 days because multiple employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Seven of the restaurant’s 120+ employees have tested positive, according to a Facebook post by the restaurant. Infected staff members include a server, a chef, two prep cooks and two members of management. Restaurant officials said all affected employees were wearing masks while working. Restaurant officials said there was the potential for exposure to the coronavirus between Monday and Saturday of last week (Oct. 19-24). Anyone in the building during that time, especially if they have symptoms, is encouraged to seek testing. (Source: WMUR) Also on Tuesday, Merrill’s Tavern at the Atkinson Resort and Country Club became the 10th N.H. restaurant in 11 days to be subjected to an exposure warning by the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS has determined that potential community exposure occurred in the bar and tavern area on the following dates and times: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 from 12:00 to 7:30 pm and Thursday, October 22, 2020 from 12:00 to 11:30 pm. (Source: InDepthNH)

7. N.H. Restaurants Seek Solutions As Cold Weather Approaches, Potentially Ending Outdoor Dining. The restaurant industry is preparing for a tough winter season as dining begins to move back inside.In Portsmouth, at least six restaurants have reported positive cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks as cases and hospitalizations across the state continue to rise, many connected to small gatherings. City officials recently extended their support for outdoor dining through the end of November, in an attempt to reduce community spread within restaurants. But according to Valerie Rochon, president of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, come December, not all businesses may be able to safely serve customers indoors. And protective equipment can set them back thousands of dollars. "They don't have a lot of funds to buy a lot of Plexiglas,” Rochon said. “So if they are on the fence, they might not choose to open up indoors. They might choose to do takeout instead." Rochon said the city is working to find solutions for those businesses, like city financial assistance or more 15-minute parking spots for those offering takeout, and she's optimistic that they'll push through the winter. "I think we are not going to be without some businesses closing, but I think right now we're looking at it really positively that we'll be able to keep a lot of our businesses from closing," she said. (Source: NHPR)

8. Grants Offered to Concord Restaurants to Help Cope With COVID-19 Concerns. Grants are available to help Concord restaurants pay for dividers or other material to help customers feel safer as outdoor dining ends. The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce say grants of up to $1,500 will be awarded to restaurants to purchase materials. The grants can be used to pay for dividers or other materials that will help restaurants increase their indoor seating capacity,” Chamber of Commerce President Tim Sink said. The city council appropriated $15,000 for this grant program from money allocated to the annual fireworks display, which was canceled due to the pandemic. The chamber will administer the grants. Funding is limited and open to both chamber members and non-members. (Source: Concord Monitor)

9. A Week Out From Election Day, More Than 181,000 N.H. Ballots Have Already Been Returned. The latest data from the Secretary of State shows that, as of Oct. 27, more than 181,000 Granite Staters have returned absentee ballots. That’s nearly a quarter of the total number of ballots – absentee and in-person – cast in the 2016 general election. It’s also already far more than the number of absentee ballots cast in the 2016 election. That year, about 75,000 absentee ballots were counted in total, representing about 10 percent of all votes counted. This year, New Hampshire surpassed that absentee ballot total by Oct. 13 — three weeks before Election Day. (Source: NHPR)

10. Groups Reach Out to Encourage Voting by Underrepresented Communities. With just one week until the general election, some Granite State organizations are making a final push to stress the importance of voter turnout, especially for some communities that face greater obstacles. The Granite State Organizing Project aims to restore faith in the system by encouraging voting and registration sites to add translators and urging people of color to run for office. "We need people that can see or relate to our issues of people of color, immigrants and refugees, as well as folks that represent our communities," said Eva Castillo, of the Granite State Organizing Project. The group Open Democracy has reached out to more than 220,000 prospective voters. "We're already seeing a record turnout of absentee ballots and a really high number of people registering to vote this year," said Olivia Zink, of Open Democracy. (Source: WMUR)

11. US Attorney’s Office Establishes NH Election Day Hotline. U.S. Attorney Scott Murray announced an Election Day hotline for New Hampshire in coordination with the U.S. Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day program for the general election Tuesday, Nov. 3. The number is (603) 230-2503. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe will serve as district election officer for New Hampshire. He will oversee the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. He is also responsible for monitoring the Election Day hotline while the polls are open. (Source: Seacoast Online)

12. Difference in Mask Policies Forces Newmarket Soccer Teams Out of Tournament. The Newmarket School District is pulling its soccer teams out of the playoffs because an opposing team doesn't require the wearing of masks during play. Each district and school board in New Hampshire has developed its own rules to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, with some restricting fans and others requiring masks for their players and those on the opposing team. Newmarket's opponent, Epping, does not require masks for its players, while Newmarket does. Each district is sticking to its own school board's rules, so Newmarket has pulled out. The Newmarket superintendent cited rising COVID-19 cases in the region, 40 school community members in quarantine and the lack of ability to social distance in soccer. (Source: WMUR)

13. Bedford Considers Winter Sports, Masks, and Quarantine Policies. All members of a winter sports team would be required to quarantine for two weeks if one participant tests positive for COVID-19, under a proposal by Cody Parker, Bedford High School’s athletic director. Parker has created a list of recommendations for all winter sports—including mask-wearing during competition and a prohibition from participating in non-school athletics teams—and he believes most sports can proceed. The measures are being considered to prevent the spread of the disease, Parker said. “I do believe the masks help,” Parker said, noting the greater risk in winter sports because of the amount of indoor interaction. Parker has suggested that the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association—which does not require athletes to wear masks—move the wrestling season to the spring. He also said he is hesitant to allow competitive cheerleading with stunts to take place, though he supports sideline cheerleading. Although the NHIAA has classified indoor track as low-risk, Bedford High has designated it as moderate-risk, because the practice space is limited and except for distance runners, the teams typically run the hallways of the high school. “Unfortunately, this is not the year for that,” Parker said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 27, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• WMUR N.H. Coronavirus Information and Charts

• New York Times N.H. COVID Maps and Charts

• New York Times U.S. Nursing Home Statistics and Outbreak Map

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Tuesday, October 27

On Monday, state health officials announced 77 new positive test results for COVID-19, two new hospitalizations, and two deaths. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. State Officials Say Now Is The Time to Return Your Absentee Ballot. Tens of thousands of votes are already in the hands of city and town clerks across New Hampshire as people take advantage of expanded absentee voting, but elections officials said anyone still holding onto an absentee ballot should get it in now. "If a voter has an absentee ballot, they should vote on it," Scanlan said. "If they want to send it back through the postal service, they should get it in the mail today or tomorrow [Tuesday] to make sure that it gets to the town clerk on time." Anyone worried about the mail getting delivered on time can instead bring it directly to their city or town hall. "The other option is they can hand deliver it to the clerk or they can give it to a delivery agent, which is defined as an extended family member or the administrator of a nursing home or an elder care facility, and have those people deliver it in person," Scanlan said. (Source: WMUR) In Portsmouth, you can drop off your absentee ballot, pick one up, or register to vote at the Voting Center in City Council Chambers at City Hall during regular business hours until Nov.2, the day before Election Day. On Election Day itself, a drop box staffed by an election worker will be available outside your polling place where you or your agent can return the envelopes containing your completed ballot. But your ballot MUST be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day for it to be counted. For more information, see the Voting Information page on the City of Portsmouth website.

2. Explore the Data: Tracking New Hampshire's Record-Breaking Absentee Ballot Returns. Election Day is still a week away, but the pandemic has already reshaped the 2020 race in New Hampshire. The latest data from the Secretary of State shows that, as of Oct. 20, more than 136,000 Granite Staters have returned absentee ballots. That’s 18 percent of the total number of ballots – absentee and in-person – cast in the 2016 general election. The deadline for returning completed absentee ballots (by mail, by the voter themselves or by an authorized "delivery agent") is 5 p.m. on Nov. 3. Mailed or hand-delivered absentee ballots that arrive after that time will not be counted. But if a voter misses that cutoff but is wary of entering their local polling place due to concerns about COVID-19 , they are allowed to request an absentee ballot on-site anytime before the polls close. (Source: NHPR)

3. COVID Tracker: Low Hospitalizations a Bright Spot in Autumn Surge. With the exception of hospitalizations, which remain at low levels, late October is looking alarmingly like late April when it comes to COVID-19 in New Hampshire. According to the Concord Monitor’s weekly analysis of N.H. COVID-19 metrics, the big question is whether these numbers are soon to hit a peak, as they did in mid-May, and then stabilize and decline, or whether winter will see the number of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations keep on rising and rising. One respected site, the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics, predicts that under current conditions by the end of the year New Hampshire will have seen almost three times as many COVID-19 deaths as we’ve seen so far, and will need more than twice as many intensive care beds than are available in the state. The institute makes predictions for all 50 states and scores of countries based on models factoring in health data, demographics and other data. It’s not clear why their prediction for changes during winter in New Hampshire are so much worse than for Maine or Massachusetts, but even if the specifics are wrong, it is a reminder that we should maintain our current level of caution or become yet more cautious, even though it is damaging for much of the economy and we’re all sick of wearing masks and not seeing our grandparents and avoiding crowds. (Source: Concord Monitor) Meanwhile, the situation when it comes to hospitalizations in other states is grimmer and more immediate. 40 states are reporting higher numbers of hospitalizations than the were two weeks ago and 20 states have more than 70 percent of their ICU capacity currently occupied. That remaining capacity could quickly shrink if the current trends continue. (Source: Vox)

4. Pandemic Increases Burnout Among New Hampshire’s Healthcare Workers. Dr. Phil Adamo, the medical director and section chief for occupational and environmental medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, is working with other administrators to develop initiatives aimed at preventing COVID-19-related burnout for other healthcare professionals. Since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in March, straining healthcare resources and launching the country into financial uncertainty, there has been significant concern about the psychological impact of the crisis on frontline health care workers and first responders. In New Hampshire, hospitals and organizations that serve these workers say there has been an uptick in mental distress over the past seven months. A study published in September in the scientific journal PLoS ONE found that roughly 51% of healthcare professionals surveyed reported experiencing burnout during the pandemic. The study surveyed more than 2,700 health care professionals in 60 countries. According to Adamo, an ongoing survey of physicians, nurses and advanced practice providers in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical system indicates that some professionals are experiencing levels of distress that put them at risk for burnout. The challenge is that while resources are available to help, healthcare professionals may not have the time or energy to access them. (Source: N.H. Business Review)

5. Decline in Number of Nursing Assistants Challenges N.H. Nursing Homes. Thousands of licensed nursing assistants in the state have allowed their licenses to lapse in the last year, leaving nursing homes in a precarious staffing situation, according to newly released data from the New Hampshire Board of Nursing. Between June 2019 and May 2020, 2,381 nursing assistants allowed their licenses to lapse while only 1,672 new licenses were issued, ultimately creating a loss of 709 LNAs. Shortages of staff in nursing homes have long been a problem in New Hampshire. Low Medicaid reimbursement rates in the state make it difficult for facilities to keep their salaries competitive. Brendan Williams, the president of the New Hampshire Healthcare Association, said the pandemic has exacerbated the staffing shortage. When outbreaks of COVID-19 started appearing at homes across the state, many facilities had staff members quit out of fear of contracting the virus. Furthermore, the programs that train new nursing assistants were put on pause to limit the number of visitors in nursing homes, effectively cutting off the homes’ supply of new staff. “Long-term care facilities are paying more than they can afford, and the incredible losses they’re sustaining due to COVID-19 are going to hasten closures and fire sales,” Williams said in a press release. “We’re circling down the drain and I can’t see the bottom.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Manchester Health Officials Ask Players to Get Tested Elsewhere, Hockey Organization Says. The race for youth hockey players to comply with the governor's mandate to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to the ice is overwhelming some New Hampshire testing sites. In Manchester, city health officials are asking hockey organizers to go elsewhere. Manchester offers free COVID-19 testing on Tuesday and Thursdays, but Monday morning, hockey families snapped up two-thirds of the available appointments for Tuesday. "At 9 a.m. this morning, I got a phone call from somebody at the Manchester Health Department asking me to stop sending people to them," said Steven Bellemore, of the Manchester Flames hockey organization. Last week, hockey league organizers thought they had a state mobile testing site arranged for the more than 20,000 players, coaches and staff members, but the Department of Health and Human Services had to retract the offer. Leagues are now going wherever they can, by the thousands. "We've now clogged up their test sites," Bellemore said. "They do not have any available appointments anymore for any people that think they might be sick." (Source: WMUR)

7. Inter-Lakes Parents Upset with Decision to Eliminate Fall Sports. The decision to end fall sports in the Inter-Lakes School District has upset some families. In a letter to parents, school administrators said they made the decision to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the coming months. Superintendent Mary Moriarty said district officials felt the decision was the right thing to do. When school sports began in the Inter-Lakes School District, safety protocols were put in place, but the district has decided to stop playing games as of Saturday. In a letter to parents, Moriarty said all fall sports have been cut short, including some seasonal games, and the district will not play in the playoffs to help control the spread of COVID-19. “The kids are all sad," said parent Liz Littell. "They just want normalcy, and we are all angry about it. It just doesn't seem fair at all." The superintendent is suggesting teams plan a food drive for a local pantry or help the community in other ways, so they can do something together. (Source: WMUR )

8. AG Continues to Field Complaints About Businesses Violating COVID Guidelines. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has continued to field complaints about organizations and businesses that aren't complying with the governor's emergency coronavirus orders. While only two businesses have been fined so far, Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said complaints have been coming in, with at least seven filed against one restaurant. "Restaurants like that are the restaurants we are now looking into," Edwards said. "We do have a process, and part of the challenge we have is there are a lot of different organizations involved in the enforcement right now." While it has taken time to work through the process, Edwards said some are close to a resolution. "We do expect there will be additional fine letters issued in the next few weeks," she said. (Source: WMUR)

9. Owners of Dover's Stalk Restaurant Feel Left Out of COVID-19 Aid. Less than two months after the co-owners of Stalk opened their doors in January, COVID-19 struck. They ended up closing in March and had to lay off more than 10 of their “front of the house staff,” she said. They reopened in June, but most of their seating is outdoors due to the social distancing required inside the restaurant. But their outdoor permit expires on Nov. 15, forcing a switch to take-out only. John Daniels said the restaurant doesn’t qualify for help through the New Hampshire Main Street Relief Fund. “You actually don’t qualify unless you opened before September 2019 and we are way off on that,” he said. “I know last time when we called about it, they said, 'Oh, you could apply for a loan.' Well, we already have loans we’re trying to pay, we don’t need any more.” Sununu spokesman Ben Vihstadt did not immediately return a request for comment about the Main Street Relief Program. Contacted about the issues Stalk’s owners are dealing with, Dover City Manager Michael Joyal said someone from the city “will follow up with them.” Joyal says the city’s Economic Development Office can work with them to try to find assistance. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 26, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• WMUR N.H. Coronavirus Information and Charts

• New York Times N.H. COVID Maps and Charts

• New York Times U.S. Nursing Home Statistics and Outbreak Map

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Monday, October 26

On Sunday, Rockingham County joined Merrimack County and the cities of Manchester and Nashua at the red or “substantial” level on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard—the highest measure for portraying the level of community transmission on the state’s scale.

On Sunday, N.H. DHHS announced 92 new positive test results for COVID-19, one new hospitalization, and no new deaths. Here is the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Community Transmission: Rockingham County Now ‘Substantial’, Coos Up to ‘Moderate’ Sunday. On Sunday, Rockingham County joined Merrimack County and the cities of Manchester and Nashua in the red as having “substantial” community transmission—the highest level on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard. Meanwhile, Coos County—which had very few cases in the April-June wave of the pandemic—joined Strafford, Belknap, and the rest of Hillsborough Counties (except Nashua, Manchester), as labeled “moderate” for overall community transmission of the virus. Salem and Derry lead Rockingham County with 33 active cases each, followed by Portsmouth (28), Londonderry (18), and Exeter (15). Manchester (128), Nashua (83), Bedford (51), and Concord (51) had the most active cases outside of Rockingham County. Also as of Sunday, the Schools Dashboard was reporting over 60 N.H. schools with at least one active case of the virus. (SourceS: N.H. DHHS and InDepthNH)

2. 24 New Deaths in Mass. as Daily COVID Case Number Tops 1,000 for 2nd Straight Day. On Sunday, Massachusetts confirmed 24 new deaths and 1,097 more coronavirus cases, marking the second straight day the state has announced more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases. Gov. Charlie Baker said last week that young adults are driving the largest chunk of growth in COVID-19 positive test rates amid a statewide uptick in transmission, prompting the administration to renew its warnings against large gatherings and other unregulated social activity. As state and local officials ramp up enforcement of public health protocols, Baker said Tuesday that most of the recent growth in infections has come not from dining or other public activities, but from "informal events and social gatherings." (Source: NECN)

3. On N.H. Campaign Stop Trump Again Blames Recent Surge in Cases on ‘Too Much Testing’. Campaigning in Londonderry, New Hampshire on Sunday, President Donald Trump said the rising rate of infections was nothing to be concerned about. "You know why we have cases so much?"' Trump asked a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. "Because all we do is test." Despite the rising virus numbers, the White House says the U.S. economy needs to fully reopen and it has tried to counter former Vice President Joe Biden's criticism that Trump is not doing enough to contain the worst U.S. public health crisis in more than a century. Trump and his aides again on Sunday lashed out on Biden, falsely asserting Biden was determined to lock down the economy, while the president is centering his attention on getting therapies and vaccines to market. "We want normal life to resume," Trump said. "We just want normal life." (Source: Associated Press) During the event, Corky Messner, running against Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen; Matt Mowers competing against freshman Chris Pappas for the First Congressional District seat; and Steve Negron, in his second bid to oust incumbent Annie Kuster in the Second Congressional District, all offered their support for the president, who, in turn, urged New Hampshire voters to flip the state red. “This Election Day must stop the anti-American radicals. This is our democracy. This is our country. We have to do what is right,” Trump said. Gov. Chris Sununu’s spokesman did not respond to emailed questions about whether Sununu met Trump, but he did not appear to greet the President when he landed. (Source: InDepthNH)

4. N.H. Relief Fund Aims to Close Equity Gaps, But Portsmouth Business Owner Says It's Not Enough. The state's emergency relief program is making an effort to close equity gaps for New Hampshire small businesses with a new round of CARES Act funding. Gov. Sununu said at a press conference Thursday that the Governor's Office For Emergency Relief and Recovery is working alongside groups like the COVID-19 Equity Response Team toward ensuring equal access to $100 million in Main Street relief funds that were released last week. But Courtney Daniel, a Black business owner of a stationery company based in Portsmouth, said she didn’t find out about the first round of funds until the application cycle was almost over, through connections of her own. “It was kind of frustrating. I felt like it was, again, me finding out at the last minute so to speak. It was a lot of run around and nothing was right in one place," she said. Daniel moved to New Hampshire from Georgia 10 years ago. She said when she started looking for other Black-owned businesses, networking opportunities and resources for her business online, she found nothing. Providing support to those businesses across the state is just as important as providing the money, she said. The deadline to apply for this round of Main Street relief funding is Oct. 30. (Source: NHPR)

5. NH, Vt. Election Officials Mull Concerns About Guns at Polls, Voter Intimidation. As poll workers, state officials and local police gear up for Election Day, the increasingly tense political climate across the country has brought to light a new concern: What happens if people with guns show up at the polls on Nov. 3? In both New Hampshire and Vermont, anyone who can legally own a firearm has long been able to stand outside the polls with a rifle slung over their backs or with a gun in a holster, and, in all New Hampshire polling places they can even walk in and vote. Vermont allows “open carry” inside most voting stations as well, except when the polling place is on school grounds, according to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office. But national conversations over armed militias and voter intimidation, coupled with unsubstantiated Republican allegations of voter fraud, have brought the issue to the forefront of state and local officials’ minds. “I think there are forces in the United States right now that are mobilizing people to go out and intimidate voters. It would be foolish of us to not bear all that in mind,” Hanover Town Moderator Jeremy Eggleton said, adding that he will be on the lookout for any behavior that could intimidate voters. Though New Hampshire is an open-carry state and people are allowed to enter their polling station with a firearm — provided they don’t use it in a threatening manner — Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said her office has never experienced armed militias at polling stations during previous elections. “We have no specific concern and we’re not aware of any specific concern,” Edwards said in a recent interview. (Source: The Valley News) Meanwhile, the top federal law official in N.H. says bringing a gun to the polls in New Hampshire may be legal — but it’s not “a good idea.” (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Note: In 2017, New Hampshire GOP lawmakers led the effort to repeal the license requirement to carry a concealed pistol or revolver without a permit with Gov. Sununu signing the bill into law. The state also has a law allowing the open carry of firearms,

6. The Strangest Election Season Is Almost Over. In this analysis by veteran state house reporter Gary Rayno, he observes that the pandemic has brought about one of the strangest campaign seasons in modern times. From temporary changes to the voting system to ease restrictions on absentee voting to precautions against spreading the virus that have forced campaigns to be less dependent on traditional retail politics, such as door knocking, Rayno says the pandemic has upended traditional face-to-face models of campaigning while challenging voters to find a way to do their part. He concludes by urging voters to “vote like democracy depends on it, because it does.” (Source: InDepthNH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 25, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• WMUR N.H. Coronavirus Information and Charts

• New York Times N.H. COVID Maps and Charts

• New York Times U.S. Nursing Home Statistics and Outbreak Map

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Sunday, October 25

129 new cases, two new deaths, and no new hospitalizations were reported on Saturday. Here is the rest of the COVID-19-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. N.H. Records Most New Cases in a Day in More Than Five Months; 2 New Deaths Reported. The 129 new cases reported on Saturday are the most recorded in a single day in New Hampshire since May 20, when 149 cases were reported. The new cases bring the statewide total to 10,238. Of the new cases, 19 people diagnosed are under the age of 18. Officials have said that they expected an increase in cases due in part to more testing. More than four times as many people are getting tested in the state now as in May. But they've urged the public to not get complacent and to continue to follow safety guidelines. (Source: WMUR) The news comes amid reports that the U.S. recorded its highest one-day number of Covid-19 infections Friday at more than 83,000 -- more than 6,000 higher than the country's previous record set in July. Experts warn that as the fall surge continues, the numbers will get worse. "We easily will hit six-figure numbers in terms of the number of cases," Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told CNN Friday night. "And the deaths are going to go up precipitously in the next three to four weeks, following usually new cases by about two to three weeks." (Source: CNN)

2. Paddy’s American Grille in Portsmouth Among Potential COVID-19 Exposure Sites.The state Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday identified potential community exposure to COVID-19 at a Portsmouth restaurant and others throughout the state. DHHS said a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 was at Paddy’s American Grille, at 27 International Drive at Pease International Tradeport, while potentially infectious. DHHS has determined that potential community exposure occurred at the bar area each day from Monday, Oct. 12 through Friday, Oct. 16. Other possible exposures include the Concord Casino at the Draft Sports Bar and Grill, 67 South Main St. Wednesday, Oct. 14, and the La Vista Italian Cuisine in Lincoln on Oct. 17, 18, 20 and 22. (Sources: Seacoast Online and NECN)

3. Sununu Will ‘Try’ to Greet Trump Before Campaign Rally in Londonderry. New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu says he will try to greet the president but he won’t be attending today’s rally or campaign events, saying he’s got a campaign of his own. "I've got 10 days of my own campaign," he said. "We'll see how our schedules meet up. I'll make every effort to greet him, at a minimum, as the governor always should." Sununu said although he was concerned about the spread of coronavirus at previous rallies, he's less worried this time around. He said Pence's rally this week was outdoors, there was plenty of distance between seats and everyone was told that they had to wear a mask. "From what I saw, they were taking the precautions they needed to take. It can be managed," Sununu said. "I think we've shown we can do it right, and if people follow the right protocols it can be done safely." Doors open at 10 a.m. at Pro Star Aviation, which is in the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The event starts at 1 p.m. Those who plan on attending must register online. (Source: NBC 10 Boston) Trump’s visit comes on the heels of this morning’s surprise endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden by the Manchester Union Leader. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

4. Guns Will Be Allowed In Most N.H. Polling Places, But 'Voter Intimidation Will Not Be Tolerated'. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office says state and local authorities can’t prevent people from bringing guns into polling places, even those located in school buildings — but they will be on alert to respond to anyone, armed or otherwise, who is interfering with someone else's ability to vote. "We are not able to use any of our New Hampshire election laws to prohibit a voter from entering to vote if they have a firearm, and that includes if the polling place is a school,” Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Chong Yen, who leads the state’s Election Law Unit, during a call with local clerks earlier this week. This policy isn't new. New Hampshire is an "open carry" state, meaning gun owners can openly carry a loaded firearm without a license or permit. Since 2017, when signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu, the state has also allowed any lawful gun owner to carry a concealed weapon. (Source: NHPR)

5. Portsmouth Residents Take Advantage of Absentee, Outdoor Voting. City residents on Saturday took advantage of the opportunity to cast their absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election, without having to step inside a building. Instead, staff members of the city clerk’s office set up a spot at the entrance to City Hall where they were accepting sealed ballots from residents. “It’s been pretty steady,” said Deputy City Clerk Valerie French. Portsmouth had seen nearly 5,500 absentee ballots requested as of Wednesday, according to City Clerk Kelli Barnaby, almost one-fourth of the city's population. Of the 5,476 absentee ballots requested, 3,524 had been returned by Wednesday. (Source: Seacoast Online) During regular city hall business hours between Monday and November 2, you can use the Voting Center inside City Council Chambers to register to vote, to drop off your absentee ballot, or to apply for and pick up your ballot on the spot. For answers to questions about absentee voting in Portsmouth, see the Voter Information page on the City of Portsmouth website. NHPR’s 2020 Election Guide is also an excellent source of information about both absentee and in-person voting. Voters needing answers to questions in Spanish, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Vietnam, Korean and Nepali can also phone the N.H. Democratic Party’s voter hotline at 603-GO-N-VOTE (603-466-8683). The NHDP has set up the hotline in the absence of any materials or assistance being provided for non-English speakers by the N.H. Secretary of State’s Office.

6. Seacoast Renters Get Help as Landlords Join Housing Help Program. Local housing organizations say the COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified the increasingly sky-high demand for rental assistance programs and need for affordable housing on the Seacoast. However, much to their surprise and relief it also brought an unexpected silver lining. “We are all of a sudden getting more landlords interested in working with us,” said Fair Tide Executive Director Emily Flinkstrom. Fair Tide is a Kittery, Maine, nonprofit that provides housing support and case management to individuals and families moving out of homelessness. A number of Seacoast landlords have reached out to Fair Tide and other housing organizations during the pandemic to begin participating for the first time in voucher programs like Housing Choice (Section 8) and other types of assistance. Organization officials say the landlords have started doing this to gain more security amid COVID-19’s many economic pressures, as the programs represent guaranteed income at a time in which many tenants have lost their means to pay rent. “With our COVID housing relief program, we’ve definitely seen an increase in the number of landlords working with us to keep people housed,” said Betsey Andrews Parker, executive director of Community Action Partnership of Strafford County. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Grocery Stores Prepare for High Demand as Pandemic Continues. Remember the rush on toilet paper? Grocery stores and suppliers across New Hampshire — and the entire country — have stockpiled popular items to meet demand as the number of COVID-19 cases are anticipated to rise during the winter months. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

8. Seacoast Winter Farmers’ Markets Adapt to COVID-19. New guidelines will be in place for the Seacoast Eat Local farmers Market to ensure the safety of all customers, vendors, staff, and volunteers. Market layout and spacing will change to meet COVID-19 regulations, meaning less space for vendors, sponsors, and other market guests. The first Winter Farmers' Market will be Nov. 14 at Exeter High School and the second will be Nov. 21 at Wentworth Greenhouses. The market will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both Saturdays. Due to capacity limitations at both venues, the market will take appointments to attend to avoid drawing in too many people at one time. The guidelines will be adjusted throughout the season to be able to respond to customer and vendor feedback within the limitations of state and town guidelines. More information and updates can be found at Seacoast Eat Local's website at https://www.seacoasteatlocal.org/. (Source: Seacoast Online)

9. For Youth Hockey Teams, COVID Tests a Small Price to Pay for Getting Back to the Ice. After a two week pause on hockey, getting back on the ice was the most important thing for the Squirt hockey team Jeff Stavenger coaches. A nasal swab is a small price to pay. Stavenger coaches a team of children under 10 for the Manchester Flames, and serves as the organization’s coaching director. He said the team was disappointed about stopping hockey for two weeks this month, but he said they understood why it had to happen. They had heard about the 158 cases of COVID-19 in hockey players and rink staff identified by state health officials, including 117 cases linked directly to eight outbreaks among youth hockey programs. Stavenger said he personally has mixed feelings about the testing requirement, but said he and his son will get tested Sunday just so they can get back to the rink. Ice arenas will reopen Friday, Oct. 30 and hockey organizations will have to document everyone has been tested for COVID-19 by Nov. 6. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

10. After COVID Disrupted School Routines, Smaller Class Sizes May Help Kids Catch Up. Since March, when the novel coronavirus threw students across the country into a whole new school routine, a question has hung in the air: Will this period of remote and hybrid learning affect their progress in the long-term? While the long-term implications of remote learning are difficult to predict, school administrators say they’re closely monitoring progress, and despite challenges, students have adapted well to these new learning environments. With in-person classes in the Monadnock Regional School District now reduced to about 10 or 12 students, Jeremy Rathbun, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the Monadnock Regional School District says instructors are also able to devote more personalized attention to each child when they’re in the classroom. “We’re seeing kind of the typical gaps coming in,” Rathbun said. “But you know, it’s kind of counterbalanced with the fact that we have much smaller classes in the hybrid [model], and teachers are able to spend more time with each kid.” (Source: Keene Sentinel)

11. As Holidays Approach, Some Nursing Home Residents Leave to Escape Isolation. As state officials and nursing home operators struggle to contain outbreaks and to keep COVID-19 out of their facilities, some families are opting to take their loved ones home. As the coronavirus has ravaged nursing homes in New Hampshire, facilities have adopted new policies to protect their residents, including – including limiting visitations, ending group activities, and, in some cases, confining residents to their rooms for weeks at a time. But as families watch their loved ones struggle in their isolated, albeit safe, new environments, some question at what point their quality of life inside the facilities was not worth protecting. Some are arranging to bring them home—even if it’s just temporary. The DeHart family planned out a vacation from the nursing home for 92-year old Lillian DeHart. They hired a private, wheelchair accessible van to pick her up, carefully planned out visiting times for family members and pastors to visit and soon, she was sitting snugly in a brown Lazy Boy in her son’s living room in Loudon. Lilian stayed there for a week, where she ate lobster rolls and played scrabble with her family. One of the hospice workers, who came by to help her shower and administer medications, commented on how happy she seemed. Tonya Dubois, the director of nursing at Hillsborough County Nursing Home, said a couple of families at her facility have opted to take their family members out of the home. Especially as the holidays approach, Dubois understands why some families are making this decision. As cases rise in New Hampshire, she isn’t sure how the nursing home is going to be able to celebrate. In years past, the home has hosted as many as 300 family members for Christmas dinner. She worries that this year many will go through their last holiday seasons without seeing their families. (Source: Concord Monitor)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 24, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Saturday, October 24

With state officials announcing 120 new cases on Friday, the cumulative count of coronavirus cases in N.H. during the pandemic now exceeds 10,000. While no new hospitalizations were announced, one additional death was reported. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. State Issues Alert to Patrons of Five N.H. Restaurants. New Hampshire health officials are warning patrons of five Granite State restaurants that they might have been exposed to COVID-19. Although contact tracing investigations have been done and known close contacts have been contacted, health officials said a broader alert was issued because there might have been other people at the restaurants at the time of possible exposure. Two of the restaurants are in Portsmouth. At least four people tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting Daniel Street Tavern at while potentially infectious. Officials said the possible potential community exposure occurred in the bar area on the evenings of Friday, Oct. 9; Wednesday, Oct. 14; and Thursday, Oct. 15. At least one person who tested positive for COVID-19 visited The Goat Bar and Grill at 142 Congress St. in Portsmouth while potentially infectious. Officials said the possible exposure happened between 8 and 10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. Of the five restaurants, only the The Goat Bar and Grill was open Friday night. Health officials said anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and contact a health provider to get tested. Anyone without health insurance or a primary care provider can get tested by calling 603-271-5980 or by completing an online form. (Source: WMUR) You can read the full text of the DHHS alert here.

2. Deputy Secretary of State Advises Granite Staters to Return Absentee Ballots as Soon as Possible. Voters are casting absentee ballots in record numbers ahead of the Nov. 3 election, but the Secretary of State’s office says time is running short for those who want to send in their ballots by mail. Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan said Friday his office officially cautions that 14 days should be allowed to make sure the absentee ballots arrive on time through the mail, which would mean that ballots now should be hand-delivered. “My experience is that the mail is moving faster than that,” he said. “But I’d say if you get within a week of the election, you might want to consider dropping it off in person at the clerk’s office,” Scanlan said. (Source: WMUR) If you live in Portsmouth, you can drop off your completed ballot at the Voting Center at Portsmouth City Hall during regular business hours, right up until the day before Election Day. For specific hours and more information, see the Voting Information page on the City of Portsmouth website.

3. Pease a ‘Ghost Town’ as Pandemic Keeps Workers Home. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is keeping Pease International Tradeport employees working remotely from home, creating what one businesswoman there described as a “ghost town.” As the pandemic lingers, office space vacancies at the tradeport are growing “way more than usual,” according to a commercial real estate broker. The tradeport at the transformed U.S. Air Force Base that closed in 1991 has the largest concentration of office buildings in the region. Many are owned by developers then leased or subleased to tenants. But the highly contagious coronavirus has kept a lot of people working remotely from home, even as some businesses reopen with COVID-safe protocols in place. Fewer people at work on the tradeport means fewer people collecting their coffee and snacks and eating their meals at the Pease cafes and restaurants. And fewer people getting haircuts at the International Barbershop. “That was 80% of our business when the tradeport was full and working,” said barbershop owner Tammie Lassonde. “It’s declined tremendously, and I’m hanging on by a thread. It was thriving for a long time, and now it’s kind of like a ghost town.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Vermont Sees Biggest COVID Spike in Weeks, Issues New School Restrictions. Vermont officials are tightening school restrictions as the state reports the highest number of new coronavirus cases in weeks. "Last night, we saw the largest number of cases we've seen in many weeks - 28." Health Commissioner Mark Levine said Friday. "As of last evening, we have several active investigations - some larger, some limited to one or two people - covering different types of settings and situations. Officials are tracking at least three separate outbreaks that have lead to a total of 43 cases recently. The first is a cluster among youth and adult hockey players that lead to a number of cases in central Vermont. The second is related to a social event in Memorial County and the third is new, an outbreak at St Michael's college, which was discovered through ongoing surveillance testing. As coronavirus cases rise in Vermont, education officials are issuing revised guidance to schools, which will go into effect in mid-November to give districts time to adjust. The new guidelines include mandatory travel screenings, expanded distance requirements in classrooms and cafeterias and limitations on music activities inside. (Source: NECN)

5. New Ice Hockey Guidance Will Require COVID-19 Test Before Playing After All. Those who want to play hockey or go back to free skate in indoor rinks across the state will be able to return Oct. 30 provided they take a COVID-19 test. Earlier in the week, members of the the Governor’s Reopening Task Force heard pushback from parents who said that hockey players were being “picked on” and “singled out” while other sports were being allowed to take place without testing. Based on the feedback from parents, the task force advised the governor to change the “requirement” for players to be tested to a “recommendation.” But the governor did not bite saying he thought it was a good idea for players to be tested before returning to play. As of Thursday, 167 confirmed cases had been traced back to hockey. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. NH Insurance Department Report Shows Decline in Work-Based Insurance Coverage. Some 4,000 Granite Staters who work for small businesses may have lost workplace-based health insurance during the pandemic, but the individual Obamacare market appears to have taken up much of the slack, according to a preliminary report released by the NH Insurance Department Friday morning. According to the report, small group plans (organizations with 50 or fewer employees) reported a total of 4,000 fewer members in July of this year compared to July 2019, a nearly 6% decline. But it’s not clear whether the pandemic caused the decline since enrollment in the small group market has been declining since at least 2015. During the same timeframe, the number of people enrolled in the Obamacare individual market rose by about 3,000. There was hardly any change in the large group and fully insured market, according to the report. The report estimates that 6.25% of Granite Staters were uninsured, about a half percent higher than 2018 but, it is better than the national average of 9.2% but a lot worse than Massachusetts’ 3%. Some 55% of Granite Staters last year were still covered in the workplace. Individual coverage, subsidized or not, accounted for 6%. (Source: N.H. Business Review)

7. Initial Unemployment Claims in New Hampshire Fall Below 2,000 for Week. Initial unemployment claims dipped below 2,000 and continuing claims fell under 30,000 in New Hampshire for the first time since the pandemic broke, indicating that the state’s economic situation continues to improve. Some 1,870 Granite Staters were laid off for the week ending Oct. 17, a substantial drop from the previous week’s total, but still more than triple pre-pandemic weekly jobless claims levels. In that previous week (ending Oct. 10), there were 27,720 continuing claims, a decrease of 2,514, or 8.3%. (Source: N.H. Business Review)

8. Pandemic Creates Barrier For Non-English Speakers Seeking Food Assistance. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for immigrants and refugees in New Hampshire seeking federal food assistance. Non-English speakers are supposed to have assistance in their native language when applying for those services under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. But state immigration advocates say those services aren't as accessible remotely and has stood in the way of some seeking food stamps or other benefits. Mary Georges is the president of Victory Women of Vision, an organization supporting New Hampshire's African communities. Since the pandemic has started, more people have been approaching her and others within the organization for language help, she said. Advocates said the state needs to improve its outreach efforts in different languages during the pandemic to increase awareness about food services among the state's non-English speaking communities, especially given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. (Source: NHPR)

9. Peterborough Drafting Potential Mask Ordinance. The Peterborough Select Board has directed their administration to draft a potential mask ordinance for the town, in an attempt to combat “complacency” among a populace that has been dealing with pandemic restrictions since this spring. The board met with Fire Chief Ed Walker Tuesday to discuss four members of the fire and rescue team who have tested positive for COVID-19. Walker said the department has been vigilant about wearing proper protective equipment when interacting with the public, but admitted they have gotten “complacent” about maintaining masks and social distancing among each other, saying the positive tests “highlighted” a need for more vigilant procedures when staff are interacting. Walker said it is believed the first employee to test positive with the virus spread it to the other three while they were asymptomatic. Select Board members Ed Juengst and Tyler Ward said it may be time to take a stronger step, and implement a mask ordinance in town. The board has directed Deputy Town Administrator Nicole MacStay to present a draft to the board, and plan for a potential public hearing after the Nov. 3 election, but Ward said he would also welcome further education efforts around mask wearing. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

10. Antigen Testing: All About the Rapid Test NH Now Uses In Its COVID Counts. At the beginning of October, when New Hampshire began counting antigen COVID-19 tests as positive, health experts nationwide were scrutinizing the rapid tests’ accuracy. However, preliminary data on antigen tests suggest that if done with the right population at the right time, the results — while still less reliable than a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test — are accurate enough to be useful, according to Dr. Aalok Khole, an infectious disease physician at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. The N.H. Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to include antigen test results in its COVID-19 data reflects the tests’ increased availability, as well as officials’ aim to be transparent amid the pandemic, Jake Leon, a spokesman for the state agency, said Tuesday. Antigen tests can yield results in as little as 15 minutes and are recommended only for people showing symptoms of the viral disease — such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and loss of taste or smell — and should be done within five to seven days of symptoms arising. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 23, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Friday, October 23

82 new positive test results, two new hospitalizations, and one additional death attributed to COVID-19 were announced on Thursday by N.H. health officials. The number of active cases in Portsmouth held steady at 24. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. President Trump to Campaign in NH on Sunday. President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a "Make America Great Again" rally at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The Granite State visit will be the last stop on a four-state, two-day swing for the president on the second-to-last weekend before Election Day. (Source: NECN) The Trump campaign is allowing supporters to reserve up to two tickets for the event. The registration page for the event includes a waiver requiring supporters to “assume all risks related to the exposure to COVID-19” and “waive, release, and discharge” the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee from any liability for illness or negligence as a result of potential exposure to the virus. (Source: Trump/Pence Campaign)

2. New Nursing Home Appears on State List of Active Outbreaks. While Warde Health Center in Windham is no longer on the list of long-term facilities experiencing active outbreaks of COVID-19, a Manchester nursing home has been added. In an update of the state’s list of active and closed nursing home outbreaks issued on Thursday, St. Teresa Rehabilitation and Nursing Center joined the state’s list for the first time. The facility is reporting 19 cases among residents and 5 among staff. Remaining on the state’s active outbreak list are Bedford Hills Center (61 resident cases, 24 staff cases, and 15 deaths) and Pine Rock Manor (44 resident cases, 9 staff cases, and 2 deaths). (Source: N.H. DHHS and InDepthNH)

3. 15 Recommendations from Long-Term Care Committee on the Way to Governor. A special legislative study committee created to examine the crisis in New Hampshire’s nursing homes during the pandemic will send a list of 15 recommendations to Gov. Chris Sununu after meeting for the seventh and final time Thursday Oct. 22. Among the recommendations: the minimum wage offered at long-term care facilities should be raised to a livable wage, reimbursement rates from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should be increased, and the state should work to increase access to high-quality rapid result COVID-19 testing equipment to allow increased family visits. (Source: InDepthNH) For more information on how N.H. nursing homes are responding to to COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges they face, see InDepthNH’s 3-part series “A Storm is Brewing for N.H. Nursing Homes”.

4. Manchester Denied $250K COVID-19 Grant for Homeless Outreach. On Thursday, Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan called the state’s denial of a request for $250,000 to continue homeless outreach in Manchester a “massive disappointment.” Goonan disagrees with the state’s position that the program doesn’t qualify as an emergency. “With housing, going into the winter weather ... this could be a nightmare,” he said in a statement. “This application was to continue outreach efforts associated with the reduction of limited shelter beds in Manchester due to COVID. These outreach efforts began months ago and this would have been a continuation of this program.” On Thursday, Mayor Joyce Craig and Goonan sent a two-page letter addressed to Gov. Chris Sununu and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, asking for reconsideration on the decision. Craig points out that homelessness is a statewide issue, and notes that “the last time the State completed a statewide plan to address homelessness was in 2006. (Sources: Manchester Ink Link and Manchester Union Leader)

5. With a Little Technical Assistance, Seniors Warming Up to Telehealth. Since the pandemic has closed down doctor’s offices for regular appointments, older adults have been thrust into a largely unknown virtual world of healthcare. Macaulee Cassaday, a founder of a national program designed to patiently guide seniors through technology, said enrollment in her classes has almost doubled. Faced with unfamiliar programs and “computerese,” as one doctor called it, many have turned to Cyber-Seniors for help. The program offers one-on-one tutoring to teach older adults the steps to log in to Zoom. For some, video calling came naturally and they pick it up after the first tutoring session. Others never fully got it, she said. Cassaday gets between 50 and 60 seniors at her weekly virtual calls. A recent study found that more than a third of adults over 65, about 13 million older adults, were not prepared for video telemedicine visits because of inexperience with technology or physical disability. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. N.H. Working To Build Registry As Part of COVID-19 Vaccine Plan. New Hampshire has filed its draft plan for COVID-19 vaccine distribution to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States were required to send their draft vaccine plans last week. Lori Shibinette, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said the plan is still in draft form and is subject to change. State health officials are awaiting feedback on the plan from the CDC. New Hampshire is the only state in the nation without an immunization database, which may become a problem if one isn't ready once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available as states are responsible for tracking federally distributed vaccines during a pandemic, Beth Daly, the chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, told WMUR. New Hampshire received a $1.5 million federal grant to set up an “immunization information system” last year. Shibinette said the state is working to have one established by early December. (Source: NHPR)

7. Investigation Shows More Than 3 Dozen COVID-19 Cases Linked to Nashua Church Outbreak. Health officials said 39 cases have been linked to people who attended a 10-day event at the end of September at the Gate City Church. The contact tracing investigation into the outbreak ends Friday. "It seems like the virus spread because people were singing in the church with no masks on," said Mayor Jim Donchess. "Those 39 cases resulted in more than 100 contacts that needed to be followed, so it's been a significant amount of cases and a lot of work for public health." (Source: WMUR)

8. Hockey Moms Rebel Against Proposed Revised Guidelines After Ice Rink Closures. Hockey moms rebelled against proposed revised guidelines for hockey and skating rink use on Thursday at the Governor’s Economic Reopening Committee meeting. The parents and organizers claim that a provision that would have included a requirement for every player to be tested for COVID-19—and have their negative test result available upon request—would have set a “dangerous precedent”. They complained to the committee that this would be onerous and unfair to single out this sport. Lisa Horn, a Manchester Flames parent, and director of scheduling for the club said she was concerned about the requirement for testing. “You are not requiring it for any other sport,” she said. (Source: InDepthNH) Task force members said they welcomed the feedback and voted to change the testing “requirement” to a “recommendation”. (Source: WMUR)

9. N.H. Democratic Party Expands Voter Hotline Help In Eight Languages. The New Hampshire Democratic Party is expanding its voter assistance hotline to cover eight different languages most commonly spoken by the state’s immigrant and refugee communities, filling in where state election officials have declined to provide official bilingual voting resources. The state Democratic party launched their voter hotline (603-466-8683, or 603-GO-N-VOTE) earlier this year as part of their broader turnout operations for the 2020 elections, but at first only in English. They’re rolling out additional language assistance in Spanish, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Korean and Nepali starting this week. In New Hampshire, state officials only publish voting information in English. For additional assistance, voters can call hotlines run by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office (1-866-868-3703, 1-866-VOTER03 or electionlaw@doj.nh.gov) and the Secretary of State’s office (1-833-726-0034), but it's not clear that either agency is equipped to help voters who don’t speak English. Some community leaders have asked Secretary of State Bill Gardner’s office to offer translated voting information in other languages, but Gardner said his agency is not required by state or federal law to do so. (Source: NHPR)

10. For Transgender and Nonbinary Voters, Casting A Ballot Can Come With Some Discomfort. Gender isn’t a factor in voting eligibility, but questions of identity are central to the voting process. By law, New Hampshire voters are asked to prove they are who they say they are when they register and before casting a ballot. And that simple reality of the state's election rules can bring up a lot of complicated, or even painful, feelings for voters whose legal name or gender marker on official ID documents doesn’t reflect their true identity. Even if they’ve never been denied the right to vote, some trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming voters in New Hampshire say their experience at the polling place hasn’t always been positive. Some said they’ve been misgendered, challenged on their ID documents or “outed” by information in the voter file. NHPR reached out to local election officials across the state to find out more about their experience assisting transgender and gender-nonconforming voters at the polls. Many said they strive to treat all voters equally, but they also said they haven’t received any special training on the nuances of the needs of this community of voters. For more information on how to navigate these and other questions that might come up for transgender and gender-nonconforming voters, this fact sheet from the ACLU of New Hampshire can help. Any voter who runs into problems when trying to register or cast a ballot can reach out to the attorney general’s election hotline for help at 1-866-868-3703 (1-866-VOTER03) or electionlaw@doj.nh.gov. (Source: NHPR)

11. Hampton Beach Sees Silver Linings in Fall of COVID-19. The seasonal businesses of Hampton Beach are mostly boarded up now that fall has arrived. The few that remain open hope to catch a few more dollars in a year made lackluster by COVID-19. Danny Fortier, general manager at the Hampton House Hotel, said this fall is a little quieter than past years, but they have managed to book about 70% of their rooms each weekend since the start of September. He said there normally would be more bookings this time of year, but the lack of Casino Ballroom concerts alone because of the pandemic has lessened the number of people coming to the beach now. In recent years, the beach business community has worked to extend its season beyond the traditional end of the summer at the Seafood Festival, the second weekend of September. Road races like Reach the Beach Relay and the Smuttynose RockFest 5K and Half Marathon also bring crowds to the beach for restaurants and stores to enjoy some fall business, but those events did not happen this year due to COVID-19. While the numbers are fewer at the beach this fall, Andrea Stellmach, housekeeping manager at the Hampton House, said some of their bookings include older adults who wanted to skip the crowds this summer. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 22, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Thursday, October 22

Source: N.H. DHHS, October 21, 2020

On Wednesday N.H. state health officials announced 92 new COVID-19 cases and one new death. Here is the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. During Portsmouth Campaign Stop, Pence Claims Coronavirus Vaccine Is ‘Weeks Away'. In a visit to Portsmouth on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence said the country is weeks away from “having the first and safest coronavirus vaccine” and touted a partnership the Trump administration announced with CVS and Walgreens to deliver and administer vaccines for free, prioritizing seniors in nursing homes. During a stop at Port City Air, Pence praised President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. "President Trump's decision to suspend all travel to China saved untold lives," the vice president said. "We reinvented testing, and saw to the manufacture and distribution of billions in supplies." Pence said the U.S. is "just a matter of weeks away" from having the first safe and effective coronavirus vaccine with "tens of millions of does" available, though health officials have given less optimistic predictions. (Source: NECN). Worth noting is that last week, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, testified to members of the U.S. Senate that a vaccine would most likely not be available until the middle of next year. Dr. Redfield’s timeline is consistent with the best guess estimates from other vaccine experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who say that the general public won’t have access to the vaccine until February at the very earliest, and possibly more like July or August. (Source: The New York Times) Dr. Fauci, the director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CBS News a vaccine might be widely available by April. Fauci said researchers should know by "November or December" whether some vaccines trials have a safe candidate. But that even if and when a safe candidate is determined, he said initial quantities will likely only be a few million doses. (Source: CNN)

2. N.H. COVID Update: Case Count is Now Almost As Bad As Peak of the Pandemic in May. The number of new cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire keeps rising and at the current rate of increase it will take only another week for it to be worse than during the first wave of the pandemic. Deaths are also increasing, although not as sharply; about one person a day is dying in New Hampshire from COVID-19. As was the case in spring, almost all deaths are occurring among elderly people in long-term care facilities. On the brighter side, new COVID-related hospitalizations are not increasing and remain very low, barely one per day – a sign that serious cases of the disease do not seem to be circulating widely. As of Wednesday, the two-week average of positive test results for COVID-190 was 83 a day – 12 higher than a week earlier. The peak of new cases during the first wave of the pandemic was 91 per day, on May 13. (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. Health Officer: Portsmouth 'Not Going in Right Direction' as Coronavirus Cases Rise. After seven weeks of one to four Portsmouth residents testing positive for COVID-19, the number of positive active cases increased to 30 on Monday afternoon, reported Health Officer Kim McNamara. The increase was reported to the City Council Monday night when McNamara said the 30 cases are all Portsmouth residents, appear unrelated to any school populations and are likely not related to local restaurant closures. In spite of multiple recent temporary restaurant closures, after staff or patrons tested positive for the virus McNamara said, "many people in our service industry do not live in Portsmouth, so those are reflected in the numbers for their hometown." The number of active cases in the city dropped to 27 on Tuesday and to 24 on Wednesday. "We have too many people gathering. We have too many people relaxing what they're doing,” she said. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Merrimack County Hits “Substantial” Rate of COVID-19 Infection. Merrimack County has become the only county in New Hampshire in the red when it comes to COVID-19 infections per capita. The ‘substantial” rating is the most serious rating on the N.H. COVID-19 Schools Dashboard. It means there are more than 100 positive cases per 100,000 residents. In Franklin, school officials said they are being vigilant but aren't panicked. Franklin had a handful of students test positive for COVID-19 just before the long holiday weekend, but Superintendent Daniel Legallo said the district has already been able to resume its hybrid learning model. "At this point in time, the grid shows hybrid for us, so I feel good about where we're at, the fact that we're back in school," Legallo said. Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases, said transmission is occurring when people meet with family or friends. "We know a lot of people, when they get together with friends or relatives, they don't plan to wear masks or social distance, but that's the most important time, because the transmission we are seeing are in these small groups and events," Daly said. (Source: WMUR)

5. 7 N.H. Counties Now On Vermont's COVID-19 Restricted Travel List. Vermont has updated its state quarantine rules, and now includes New Hampshire's neighboring Grafton County as an area subject to travel restrictions. Vermont requires a quarantine for travelers to and from any county with over 400 COVID-19 cases per million. Counties with 400-799 cases are coded yellow, and those with more than 800 cases are red. Travelers going to and from those counties must quarantine for 14 days, or 7 days with a negative COVID test. A total of seven New Hampshire counties now have quarantine requirements in Vermont: Belknap, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford. (Source: NHPR)

6. N.H. Courts Alter Livestream Policy To Protect Testifying Victims; Defense Attorneys Cry Foul. Citing concerns about the safety of victims of domestic and sexual violence, the New Hampshire Superior Court system says it will no longer automatically stream their testimony from courtrooms. Since jury trials resumed in the state in August following a months-long pause due to the coronavirus, members of the public have been able to watch proceedings through video links. Advocates for survivors of domestic and sexual violence say this has created potentially unsafe situations when victims are called to testify. Criminal defense attorneys, however, say the rule change will limit public access to proceedings and may be unconstitutional. The change, which went into effect in some courts this week, means a courtroom livestream will now be shut off during victims’ testimony, unless they give their consent. To ensure public access, courthouses will reserve a limited number of seats for those members of the public who wish to observe the proceedings. The court says it worked with prosecutors, defense attorneys and the N.H. Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to alter its process. (Source: NHPR)

7. Absentee Votes Pour in in Portsmouth and Across State. The city of Portsmouth has seen nearly 5,500 absentee ballots requested, City Clerk Kelli Barnaby reported Wednesday, equating to almost one-fourth of the city's population. Of the 5,476 absentee ballots requested, 3,524 have been returned thus far, Barnaby said. As of Tuesday, the state had seen 200,834 total absentee ballots requests and 136,137 returned to town and city clerks. The city clerk's office is currently running a voting center in the Council Chambers in City Hall where residents can register to vote, obtain an absentee ballot or return an absentee ballot. (Source: Seacoast Online) If you’re interested in voting absentee because of COVID, make sure you drop off your sealed ballot at the city clerk’s office (up until 5 p.m. the day before Election Day) or mail it in time for it to arrive by 5 p.m. on Election Day. You can also drop off your ballot up until 5 p.m. on Election Day at your polling place.

8. N.H. AG: Out-Of-State Students Don't Lose Voting Eligibility Due To 'Temporary Absence'. College students who previously registered to vote in New Hampshire do not automatically lose their voting eligibility if they’re out of state due to remote learning or other circumstances, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office affirmed Wednesday. This comes in response to letters from the New Hampshire Republican Party seeking to prohibit students from voting in New Hampshire if they’re learning remotely and don’t have an address in the state. Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Chong Yen, who leads the state’s Election Law Unit, wrote in a letter issued Oct. 21 that voting eligibility “hinges on the facts relevant to that particular individual,” and “broad guidance may not capture every possible permutation.” But Chong Yen said three things are clear: Someone doesn’t give up their ability to vote in New Hampshire due to a “temporary absence,” someone can’t vote in New Hampshire if they’ve never established a “physical presence” here to begin with and students are allowed to vote in New Hampshire even if they’re originally from another state. (Source: NHPR)

9. Employers Pledge to Help Employees Vote. Several New Hampshire CEOs have joined a group of corporate and nonprofit leaders in a pledge to get more of their employees to vote. The initiative, called a Day for Democracy, was started by a Boston real estate executive. The pledge commits executives to giving their employees time off to vote, and/or to helping them register and exercise their right to vote in local, state and national elections on their terms – whether at polling locations or from the safety of their own home. The CEOs and business leaders who took the pledge come from a diverse range of industries across New Hampshire. Organizations taking the pledge include McLane Middleton, the largest law firm in New Hampshire; Southern New Hampshire University; Eversource Energy, New Hampshire Public Radio; the Greater Manchester Chamber; Merchants Fleet; WEDÜ; Pastori | Krans; the Squam Lakes Conservation Society; and Maroun Landscaping. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

10. Amidst a Deadly Pandemic, An Unlikely Question: When Can Hairdressers Return? When the requests for hairdressers first started pouring in, New Hampshire’s nursing homes were in the throes of a coronavirus crisis. Yet, at the weekly virtual meetings with epidemiologists, meant to clarify questions about testing procedures and safety precautions, one question kept arising: When can hairdressers come back? To health officials, the calculus seemed simple. Allowing a hairdresser into a facility filled with those most vulnerable to the coronavirus to cut hair felt, at best, irresponsible, and at worst, deadly. But Tammie Richard, a hairdresser at Hillsborough County Nursing Home, says there’s more to it than just having your hair done. “It’s the communication and touching them,” she said. “Some of them don’t get touched in a nice tender way, aside from, ‘Okay, we’re going to roll over and change you.’ There’s a lot more to it than people realize.” However, increasing cases of COVID-19 this month threatens to limit hairdressing again. Last week, Jake Leon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that because of the recent increase in cases, he expected some homes to start rolling back to “Phase I,” which prohibits bringing in hairdressers. (Source: Concord Monitor)

11. IRS Warns of Scammers Trying to Take Advantage of COVID-19 Pandemic. A recent incident in Lebanon in which a man impersonated an IRS agent and demanded money is highlighting the growing danger of scams. A woman in Lebanon recently reported that someone impersonating an IRS agent showed up at her home and demanded money. In Lebanon, the man left the woman's house when she asked for identification. Joleen Simpson, IRS special agent in charge said that was a good move by the homeowner. "(IRS agents) will always carry sufficient identification and will display it to the taxpayer for inspection," she said. "They will not demand immediate payment through any kind of gift card or prepaid debit card." Other scams use emails and ask people to click on a link. "The IRS will not send out an actual email for you to click on a link and provide information to them or provide bank account information," Simpson said. (Source: WMUR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 21, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Wednesday, October 21

On Tuesday, state health officials announced 85 new COVID-19 cases and two new hospitalizations. Here is the rest of the news about the state and local response to the pandemic that you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. Portsmouth Businesses Express Concern About Today’s Pence Event. Some Portsmouth business owners are concerned that Vice President Mike Pence's Wednesday campaign event could bring maskless people downtown. “An event which is a potential superspreader event, that is what we don’t want,” Valerie Rochon, president of The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, said Tuesday. “We’re trying to do so good in Portsmouth.” People who attend the 1:30 p.m. rally at Port City Air will have to wear a mask during the event at the tradeport. Pease Development Authority officials are requiring the Trump/Pence Campaign to adhere to state guidance related to planned gatherings of over 100 people. Portsmouth interim Police Chief Mark Newport said on Tuesday that all additional officers on duty Wednesday will be dedicated to the Pence rally. Newport explained they have not had a problem with the local face covering ordinance. “The city has been good about putting extra signs out there. Most people have been compliant, and the people we have run across not in compliance have been cooperative,” Newport said. City Manager Karen Conard said electronic signs on the routes heading into downtown will say “masks required” on Wednesday. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Meanwhile, the DHHS website reports 27 active cases today in Portsmouth—down 3 from yesterday.

2. Manchester City-Wide Mask Mandate Fails, But Mask Rule for City Buildings Passes. Anyone entering a city building in Manchester will now have to wear a mask, but those people can still take it off when they’re elsewhere in the city. On Tuesday, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a new rule requiring anyone entering city buildings to wear a mask when they cannot socially distance with some exceptions but rejected further discussion on a similar ordinance by an 8-5 vote that would have extended required masks for every indoor public place in the city. The city building rule was proposed as a way to keep city employees and members of the public safe while on city property. (Sources: Manchester Ink Link and Manchester Union Leader)

3. Portsmouth Extends Outdoor Dining Through November. By a unanimous vote Monday, the Portsmouth City Council approved outdoor dining, where possible, through November, with a planned review at its Nov. 16 meeting to discuss the possibility of pushing it out further. City Manager Karen Conard said staff met last week to discuss plans to facilitate outdoor dining while keeping the roads safe. Peter Rice, director of Public Works, previously said he was "cautiously optimistic" that the city can come up with an innovative plan for wintertime. Dagan Migirditch, co-founder of Liars Bench Beer Co., told city councilors this week the end of outdoor dining would mean numbered days for many restaurants. "It means their survival as a business is threatened," Migirditch said, imploring councilors to extend outdoor dining through November and possibly all winter long. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. COVID Forces Two Upper Valley Schools to Go Remote. Two Upper Valley schools that announced COVID-19 cases over the weekend have temporarily switched from in-person to remote instruction for at least some grades due to staffing issues brought about by health precautions. Lyme officials announced a case of COVID-19 at the Lyme School on Saturday, the same day Orange East Supervisory Union Superintendent Emilie Knisley notified members of the Oxbow High School community of a case in a staff member there. Lyme School Principal Jeff Valence said the change means that the 88 students in grades five through eight at the K-8 Lyme School will be learning online until Oct. 30. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade are continuing to learn in person, Valence said. At Oxbow, which serves students in grades 7-12 from both Bradford and Newbury, Vt., classes are being taught remotely through Friday, due to staffing reasons. “We have many substitutes who are reluctant to come in right now, and we can sympathize with their position,” Knisley wrote. “We value and appreciate the hard work of our substitutes; they are essential to our work.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Some NH Schools Conducting Their Own Contact Tracing Investigations of COVID-19 Cases. Contacting tracing is happening more often as COVID-19 cases increase again in New Hampshire, and some schools are now doing it themselves to ease the burden on the state. SAU 67 in Bow has had to deal with two COVID-19 cases this year. The district did its own contact tracing and said it also formed a partnership with the state during the process. Bow High School Principal Brian O'Connell said seating charts and schedules are checked to see who might be affected. "Then, you just kind of drill down from there as you have conversations with people," O'Connell said. "We may even use the video camera for some common areas." Parents and guardians are then notified. District officials said it's easier to do contact tracing themselves rather than leaving it to the state. (Source: WMUR) Worth noting is that according to CovidActNow, the state of New Hampshire has only 29% of the contract tracers it needs on staff to investigate known cases within 48 hours of detection.

6. A Storm Is Brewing for N.H. Nursing Homes: Part 3. In the third part of a 3-part series on the struggles of long-term care facilities in N.H. during the pandemic, InDepthNH looks at facilities that have been drawing closer scrutiny by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Currently, Greenbriar Healthcare in Nashua is the only one of the state’s 74 licensed facilities that has been designated as a “Special Focus Facility”, but seven others have been designated as “candidates” to join Greebriar on the list—including Clipper Harbor in Portsmouth. Special Focus Facilities are nursing homes designated for extra attention because more problems were seen in inspections than at other facilities, sometimes more serious problems that could include harm or injury to the residents, and sometimes a pattern of serious problems is noted. While not all have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks during the pandemic, the one thing all of these nursing homes have in common is that they are all ranked as one star (much below average) by CMS. (Source: InDepthNH) A COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year at Greenbriar killed 28 residents and sickened 124 residents and 34 staff members. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

7. The Politics of the Pandemic for the Elderly. In this analysis, veteran state house reporter Gary Rayno looks at the timeline of the state’s response to the pandemic in N.H. nursing homes. While legislative action was suspended in March and did not resume for several months, lawmakers proposed several plans to address the epidemic that included nursing homes. One bill established a committee to review the safety of residents and staff of long-term care facilities. The bill was approved and the committee, chaired by Sen. Jon Morgan, will finalize its report next week. But House Bill 1246 was vetoed by Sununu who called it “well intended,” but “redundant.” The bill would have established an independent review to determine what happened at long-term care and nursing home facilities. Sen. Dan Feltes, who is Sununu’s opponent in the November 3 election, said the governor and Health and Human Services did a study of nursing home ventilation systems that proved to be inconclusive and then did nothing else. “No wonder he vetoed an independent review. He does not want to be honest and transparent with the public,” Feltes said. Meanwhile nursing home advocates say long-term issues, such as the state’s low Medicaid reimbursement rates that make it hard to pay workers competitive wages, combined with the financial strain of the pandemic have put nearly all nursing homes in a precarious financial position. (Source: InDepthNH)

8. For Some N.H. Voters, Volunteering At The Polls Helps Ease Election Anxiety. Voters across New Hampshire say there is increased anxiety around the upcoming election because of changes to the voting process brought on by the pandemic and the heightened political climate. Hanover Town Clerk Betsy McClain has been hearing these kinds of anxieties for several months. But she says there are a lot of safeguards, whether you’re voting absentee or in person. “Every step of the way, there are people that are really taking time and deliberate care to make sure that it comes back and it gets in the right place so that it can make it to the polling place, so that people hopefully will know that an absentee ballot in our careful hands is as good as putting it in the ballot box,” McClain said. Voters are taking matters into their own hands by volunteering to work at the polls. Jess Brooks says it was reassuring to witness all the votes being counted carefully in September. But at the same time, she says the national conversation around absentee ballots - from delivery to being accurately counted - is a lot to sort through. “It feels a little tricky nowadays to know what's misinformation and what's real,” she said. (Source: NHPR)

9. State Election Officials Say Postal Service Has Promised to Make N.H. Ballot Mail a Priority. Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said state officials recently met with representatives from the United States Postal Service to address concerns raised by local election officials about changes affecting absentee ballot delivery. In early October, several clerks in different regions of New Hampshire reported that absentee ballots and other local mail was being routed through central processing centers in White River Junction or Manchester — even if it was just going from one address to another within the same community. The clerks who spoke up about the issue said this wasn’t how things were done during the September state primary, and they were surprised to learn about the change when sending out their absentee ballots for the general election. Scanlan said it is the policy of the postal service to route local mail through those processing centers. But he also said the postal service vowed to make election mail a priority leading up to the Nov. 3 general election. “The Postal Service did assure us in that conversation that as we get closer to the election, they will be taking extra measures to make sure that absentee ballots are delivered to you on time,” Scanlan said, relaying these details during a public information session with local clerks Tuesday morning. “And if that means as we get closer, that that mail should remain in your local post office as opposed to getting transferred to a sorting facility first, that they will take that step.” (Source: NHPR)

10. Student Voting Information for General Election. College students at schools such as the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Dartmouth College and Keene State College (KSC) are taking advantage of absentee voting and registration options on their respective campuses to ensure their voices are heard in the upcoming election. At UNH, there is one more on-campus absentee registration day at UNH’s Huddleston Hall. Students who want to learn more can visit the UNH Votes webpage for the details, as well as register for the remaining date on Oct. 24, from noon to 4 p.m. Both UNH and the town of Durham are encouraging students to make use of these opportunities to ensure their vote gets cast in the safest manner possible in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Over 60 students were registered early and around 100 got absentee ballots at the first early registration event at Huddleston Hall on Oct. 8, according to Durham Supervisor of the Checklist Ann Shump. (Source: The New Hampshire)

11. Voting Absentee in Portsmouth? Drop Off Your Ballot at the Absentee Voting Center. While there’s still time to mail in your completed ballot to the city clerk, you also have the option of dropping it off at the Voting Center that’s been set up in City Council Chambers during regular city hall business hours. You can also drop by the center to register to vote and to apply for—and pick up—an absentee ballot. Because the process can be confusing and many of us are doing it for the first time, I’ve put together a visual guide to voting absentee in Portsmouth that shows how it works and what you need to do. As always, if you have questions, contact the Portsmouth City Clerk’s Office or the N.H. Secretary of State’s Office. (Sources: Portsmouth City Clerk and N.H. Secretary of State websites)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 20, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Tuesday, October 20

On Monday, state officials announced one new death, no new hospitalizations and 57 new positive tests, bringing the state’s total active case count to more than 1,000 for the first time since June. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. Lakes Region General Hospital Files For Bankruptcy, Will Continue Treating Patients. LRGHealthcare, which operates Lakes Region General Hospital and Franklin Regional Hospital, is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing a huge debt load and other financial strains compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. The Laconia-based health care entity, however, says it may have found a buyer in Concord Hospital, which submitted a bid to purchase its assets. The facility announced a major round of furloughs in April, and said at that time it had only six weeks of cash on hand to meet its expenses. “We have known for some time that our current reality is not sustainable for the long term, and minor fixes will not get us where we need to be,” said Kevin Donovan, LRGHealthcare CEO in a statement. “Even before the significant impact of COVID-19, we were bearing a substantial financial burden.” The non-profit hospital was carrying more than $112 million in debt this spring, according to Donovan, largely due to outstanding mortgage payments and the cost of converting to electronic health records. Revenues during the pandemic were initially off by 60 percent as LRGHealthcare along with hospitals around the country shuttered elective procedures to preserve PPE and prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus patients. LRGHealthcare received $5.25 million in zero-interest loans through a state program, as well as $15 million in additional emergency aid from the federal government through the CARES Act. (Sources: NHPR and Laconia Daily Sun)

2. Pandemic Response Dominates WMUR Debate in Race for Governor. The candidates for New Hampshire governor clashed early and often Monday night in a debate that focused largely on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with issues of race, justice and climate change. Gov. Chris Sununu spent much of the debate highlighting the state's response to the pandemic, while Feltes was often on the attack, questioning key aspects of the state’s pandemic response and trying to tie Sununu to President Donald Trump and policies that Feltes said would hurt Granite Staters' health care. (Source: WMUR) For those who missed the debate, the WMUR article includes links to over a dozen excerpts on key issues ranging from the state’s lack of mask mandate to gun violence prevention, where the differences were stark.

3. Vice President Pence to Visit Portsmouth on Wednesday. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to return to New Hampshire for a campaign event at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Port City Air at the Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth. Monday, City Manager Karen Conard said the airport “will require the Trump/Pence campaign to mandate mask wearing at the event,” because of Gov. Chris Sununu’s August executive order implementing a mask requirement for gatherings of 100 or more. Worth noting is that Portsmouth’s own mask ordinance cannot be enforced on property at Pease, which is governed by the state of New Hampshire through the Pease Development Authority and does not fall under city jurisdiction. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Portsmouth Area Restaurants See Growing Cases, Temporary Closures. At least 13 restaurants in Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine, have closed temporarily in recent weeks following staff members testing positive for COVID-19 or potential exposure via customers. Over the weekend, Legends Billiards and Tavern, Daniel Street Tavern and Warren’s Lobster House joined the growing list. Temporary restaurant closures during the coronavirus pandemic are increasing in frequency as the city of Portsmouth reached 30 active cases on Monday, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard – the highest case count in the Seacoast region at this time. Some of the restaurants that closed earlier are planning to reopen this week, including Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe and The Friendly Toast. (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. Hudson Restaurant Fined for Violating Emergency Order. Fat Katz Food & Drink has been fined $2,000 after the attorney general’s office says it failed to comply with food service industry guidance during the pandemic. In a letter to the owner, the attorney general’s office says the owner violated the governor’s emergency order by holding karaoke indoors. At least 17 cases of COVID-19 have been tied to the restaurant. (Source: WMUR)

6. Epping Restaurant to Close Rather Than Require Masks. Roselynn Homemade Ice Cream closed closed Sunday until further notice after owner Joseph Bodge refused to require that his handful of employees wear face masks. A defiant Bodge hasn’t mandated masks or asked the public to wear them despite the state’s COVID-19 guidance requiring restaurant employees in direct contact with customers to wear face coverings. Bodge said he got a call from the state Attorney General’s Office on Oct. 15 informing him that someone had complained the restaurant at 153 Exeter Road wasn’t requiring masks. He was given until early this week to come up with a plan, but instead of requiring his employees and customers to wear masks, Bodge decided to close. While the restaurant side is closed, Bodge said ice cream will continue to be sold by a masked employee until it’s gone, which will likely be the end of the week. At that point, the entire business will remain closed until the state lifts its mask rules for restaurants, he said. “A lot of our customers that were here yesterday and Saturday said that one of the reasons they came here was because this was one of the last places they felt a sense of normalcy,” he said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

7. Newmarket Junior Senior High Pivots to Remote Learning After 2 Diagnosed with COVID-19. The Newmarket Junior High School will be switching from in-person instruction to remote learning after one staff member and a student tested positive for COVID-19. Superintendent Dr. Susan Givens said the district was informed Monday of the two confirmed cases at the school. The district is working with the town’s Emergency Management Team and New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Givens said those staff members will need to remain in quarantine until October 30. As a result, the decision was made to switch to remote learning starting Tuesday until at least Oct. 30. The shift only impacts Junior Senior High School students. In-person learning will continue at the elementary school. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. Manchester Aldermen to Vote Tonight on Defanged Mask Mandate. By a 3-2 vote on Monday night, an aldermanic committee in Manchester recommended an ordinance requiring people to wear face coverings in public and government buildings in Manchester be passed, minus a proposed $1,000 fine for failure to comply. The full Board of Mayor and Aldermen is expected to debate the proposal when they meet remotely tonight at 7:30 p.m. (Source: WMUR) Note: Because Gov. Sununu has chosen not to impose a statewide mask mandate—as every other northeast governor has now done—individual N.H. communities seeking to limit the spread of COVID-19 have been forced to draft and pass their own mandates. This issue came up last night in the WMUR debate between Gov. Sununu and Sen. Feltes. Sununu admitted that while the southern part of the state has been more strongly impacted, he still does not think it is necessary to implement a statewide mandate at this point. You can watch the full exchange here. Worth noting is that Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts also have populations living in rural as well as more urban areas—and all have statewide mask mandates. A total of 33 states now require the wearing of face coverings in public. They include Alabama, Texas, Montana, Virginia, and Pennsylvania—all states with significant rural populations. (Source: AARP)

9. Four Peterborough Emergency Responders Test Positive. Four Peterborough emergency responders tested positive for COVID-19 this week, and another eight are out of the rotation due to potential exposure. Peterborough Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Walker said that despite the 12 firefighters and ambulance workers that are either quarantined after potential exposure or isolated after a positive test, the department is still more than adequately staffed to handle emergencies in town. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

10. A Storm Is Brewing for N.H. Nursing Homes: Part 2. In the second part of a 3-part series, InDepthNH takes a detailed look at individual long-term care facilities across the state. The information includes the Medicare quality rating for each facility along with capsule summaries, results of recent inspection reports, and any issues discovered. (Source: InDepthNH) Note: Much of the information cited in the report is publicly available, but it’s not especially easy to find. While the summaries don’t include COVID outbreak data for individual facilities, DHHS publishes a weekly update that includes lists of facilities with both active and closed cases among residents and staff along with the number of fatalities. You can access the most recent report here. The nursing home outbreak situation came up in last night’s WMUR debate between Gov. Sununu and his opponent, Dan Feltes. Sununu claimed that the actual number of deaths in nursing homes is the lowest in New England and that nursing home deaths make up a high percentage of the state’s overall COVID deaths (81.2%) because his administration has been doing a good job containing the virus in other populations. Feltes criticicized the governor for taking 1.5 months to secure a testing contract for nursing homes and then giving it to a political donor. You can watch the full exchange here.

11. 'Sharpie-gate' Leaves Some N.H. Voters Worried They Spoiled Their Absentee Ballots. Hanover, like a lot of other communities, started sending out its general election absentee ballots at the end of September. And then came the calls from panicked voters, who noticed the pens they used bled through their two-sided ballots." 'Sharpie-gate' is what we called it here,” Hanover Town Clerk Betsy McClain explained, “because people were calling, assuming that their ballots were going to be disqualified." In the last few weeks, state election officials have offered mixed messages on that subject. Initially, the Secretary of State’s office said there was no cause for concern. Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan told local voter checklist supervisors on Oct. 7. “The machine is not going to read the bleed-through. It will only read the marks that are placed in the ovals. So we don’t see any real issues there, other than cosmetics.” However, the “absentee ballot” page on the Secretary of State’s website was updated during the first week of October with more specific instructions and an explicit warning against using Sharpies or other markers. “Do not use a sharpie or marker to mark your ballot,” the state elections website reads. “Please use a pen or a number 2 pencil.” If a voter is concerned that their ballot has been truly spoiled — by a Sharpie or otherwise — they can call their local clerk to request a new one. (Source: NHPR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 19, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Monday, October 19

On Sunday, N.H. DHHS announced 70 new COVID-19 cases, one new death and no new hospitalizations. Here is the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Two Portsmouth Restaurants Hope to Reopen This Week After Temporary Closures Due to COVID-19 Exposure. Signs in the windows of Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe and the Flatbread Company indicate both may be back in operation this week after both voluntarily closed their doors to deal with separate incidents involving the coronavirus. A sign on the window of the Flatbread Company says the restaurant hopes to reopen for in-person dining on Thursday, October 22 while a sign on the window at Jumpin’ Jays reports staff members are self-quarantining and doing well and the restaurant plans to reopen Tuesday, October 20 at 5 p.m. However, anyone who dined at the restaurant on certain days is still being urged by a posting on the restaurant’s website to contact state officials. “If you dined at our bar between 9/30 and 10/4 please call NH DHHS at 603.271.4496. If we already have your contact information from a reservation or otherwise, you may hear from DHHS first with further instruction.” (Source: Personal notes).

2. COVID-19 Cases Climb; Most Active in Manchester (113) and Nashua (108) Sunday. There are now 971 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Manchester (113), Nashua (108), Bedford (64) and Warner (46) had the most cases of COVID-19, and Nashua and Manchester were both still listed Sunday with community transmission level’s highest label “substantial.” In the Seacoast area, where the state rates the community transmission rate as “moderate”, Portsmouth is up to 25 active cases followed by Dover (18), Durham (15), and Hampton (15). There are no active cases currently being reported for Portsmouth schools. An active case last week at Great Bay College is now being reported as “recovered.” (Source: N.H. DHHS COVID-19 Dashboard)

3. Manchester Mask to Mandate Come Before Aldermanic Committee Tonight as Aldermanic Meetings Return to Being Held Virtually. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings in Manchester are switching back to virtual as positive cases are on the rise in the city. Mayor Joyce Craig told News 9 she believes the in-person meetings are putting people at risk. Craig said the meeting on Oct. 6 sparked the conversation about safety. “There were too many people in the chamber. They weren’t social distancing, they didn’t have masks, they were sitting too close to city employees,” Craig said. “Department heads and public and therefore putting them at risk and what it resulted in is two city officials having to get tested for COVID-19.” The mask mandate is scheduled to be discussed in committee on Monday and could come before the full board on Tuesday. Both will be virtual meetings. (Source: WMUR) In advance of the meeting, several Manchester aldermen voiced strong opposition. But local healthcare leaders have weighed in supporting the ordinance. “The right kind of face covering, worn properly, is a simple yet effective tool to protect people,” wrote Dr. Joseph Pepe, president and CEO of Catholic Medical Center, in an email to city officials. “Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health stands with the city of Manchester and applauds the city for enacting a face covering ordinance,” write Joanne M. Conroy, president and CEO of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, and Dr. Maria D. Padin, chief medical officer of the Southern Dartmouth-Hitchcock Region/Community Group Practice. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

4. COVID-19 On The Rise Again, Are We Ready? With cases numbers on the rise in N.H., major changes appear to be ahead for state’s dining and lodging industry without significant changes in people’s behavior. In this analysis, veteran state house reporter Gary Rayno says most are challenged by low margins and there is not likely to be another motherlode of federal help to keep them afloat in the future. Rayno cites Vermont as an example for New Hampshire to follow. While Vermont is about half the size of New Hampshire, its infection, hospitalization and death rates are well below New Hampshire’s. To date, Vermont has less than 2,000 cases of COVID-19 versus New Hampshire’s 10,000. Vermont has 58 deaths compared to New Hampshire’s 465 as of Friday. Vermont had no one in the hospital for COVID-19 Friday, while New Hampshire had 16. Key differences have been the willingness of Vermont’s leaders to impose a statewide mask mandate and to take a tougher enforcement approach to quarantine requirements and to businesses violating pandemic guidelines. (Source: InDepthNH)

5. Keene State Officials: COVID-19 Testing Continues to be Key. Last week, for the first time this semester, Keene State College reported no new COVID-19 cases from its previous weekly testing of all students, faculty and staff members. But then, on Friday, college President Melinda Treadwell announced three student athletes tested positive for the viral respiratory illness. These new cases, Treadwell said, highlight the challenges the pandemic presents, but also the importance of Keene State's "aggressive" testing plan. "The plan is working, the testing is working," she said in a phone interview Friday. "It’s just this virus is insidious." The three student-athletes who tested positive ((last week)) have been moved into isolation, where they will remain for 10 days and until they are symptom-free. Keene State's Rapid Response Team identified 49 other student-athletes who came in close contact with the three students who tested positive, and all of them now are in quarantine for 14 days. "That, again, is our plan working as it should," Treadwell said. "... It’s how we’re maintaining hypervigilance, because staying open as a campus requires that.” Treadwell said weekly mass-testing is key to this effort. Initially, Keene State only planned to conduct about 500 random tests per week throughout the semester. But Treadwell said the school changed course after everyone who tested positive for the virus during the first two weeks of mass-testing was asymptomatic. "And so as president of the college, looking at the basic science, it, to me, would have been irresponsible to go to a randomized screening of the population," she said. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

6. A Storm is Brewing for N.H. Nursing Homes. In the first of a three-part series, InDepthNH examines what is being done to make sure any second wave of COVID-19 is kept away from our state’s most vulnerable residents. In New Hampshire as of Sunday, there have been 9,694 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early 2020. Of that total, there have been 467 deaths in the state, and 81.1% of those deaths have been residents of long-term care facilities. Thomas Blonski, CEO of Catholic Charities NH, said some of the Granite State’s higher ratio may be attributed to the fact that the average age of a resident in a New Hampshire nursing home is about three years older than the national average (80 in N.H. vs. 77.4 in the U.S.) N.H. nursing home residents also tend to have higher rates of co-morbidity, meaning multiple medical conditions at the same time, which makes them more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. Meanwhile, DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette said if you look at the number of deaths in a different way—by deaths in proportion to the number of nursing home licensed beds—“it’s far below most of our New England states and many other states across the country.” According to Shibinette, “The only way to change that percentage is to have more people in the community die, which I don’t think anybody wants.” But with active outbreaks now present at four long-term care facilities and with 379 of the state’s 467 deaths centering on these and other facilities, nursing home advocates say more money is needed to not only address short-term issues directly related to the pandemic, such as PPE and testing costs, but also longer-term issues, such as chronic poor pay for staff that leads to worker shortages. A legislative study committee has been gathering testimony and is scheduled to make recommendations on Nov. 1. You can read the full report by following the link. (Source: InDepthNH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 18, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Sunday, October 18

On Saturday, N.H. health officials reported 112 new cases, one new death, and no new hospitalizations. Here is the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. New COVID-19 Cases Continue to Climb with Portsmouth Now Up to 24 Active Cases. The state Department of Health and Human Services announced 112 new positive test results for COVID-19 on Saturday. Rockingham County topped the list of new cases with 24 with the city of Manchester just behind at 21. Meanwhile, Manchester (105), Nashua (110), Bedford (63) and Warner (46) had the most cases of COVID-19. Active cases have also climbed to 24 in Portsmouth. The Bedford and Warner totals reflect active nursing home outbreaks that have sickened dozens of residents and staff. (Source: N.H. DHHS and InDepthNH) The number of current cases statewide has doubled over the past two weeks, from about 450 to now more than 900. (Source: NHPR https://www.nhpr.org/post/coronavirus-update-active-covid-19-cases-nh-double-two-weeks )

2. Manchester Mayor Halts In-Person Aldermanic Meetings. Citing health and safety considerations, on Friday Mayor Joyce Craig announced her decision to return to remote format for future Aldermanic meetings. The mayor’s statement released Oct. 16 indicated that the decision was made jointly by Craig and board Chair At-Large Alderman Dan O’Neil at the recommendation of both city health officials and police, and was based on a large public turnout for the Oct. 6 Board of Aldermen meeting during which there was no ability to safely enforce mask-wearing or social distancing. (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

3. Manchester Mask Ordinance Back on Agenda This Week. Aldermen in the state’s largest city will debate the merits of a mask ordinance again this week. The requirement is listed on the agenda of the Aldermanic Committee on Administration and Information Systems meeting, which starts at 5 p.m. Monday. The ordinance would require people to wear a mask inside any public or government building, unless they can stay at least six feet away from other people. It would require people to keep their masks on for most activities, including those like bowling. Restaurant patrons would be able to remove their masks to eat after they sit down. According to the Manchester ordinance’s language, failure to comply with the mandate technically could be punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, but city Health Director Anna Thomas is on the record saying she “can’t envision” such a fine being issued. “That’s not the purpose of this ordinance. I don’t want to fine anybody. I just want people to wear masks,” she said. Under the proposal, the city’s public health director and police and fire departments would be responsible for enforcing the ordinance. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) On Saturday, the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services announced 21 new cases in Manchester. Manchester leads the state in the number of active cases and its level of community transmission is rated as “substantial” on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard—the highest alert level. (Source: N.H. DHHS) Worth noting as yet another N.H. community prepares to grapple with a mask mandate is that seven months into the pandemic, Governor Sununu remains the only northeast governor not to have issued an emergency order mandating the use of masks statewide. In the absence of a statewide order, nearly a dozen New Hampshire cities and towns have implemented their own mask requirements, including Nashua, Concord, Portsmouth, Keene, Durham, Newmarket, Exeter, Plymouth, Enfield, Lebanon, and Hanover. (Source: NHPR)

4. Is CDC Order Slowing Evictions in NH? Experts Say it's Hard to Tell. The pace of evictions in New Hampshire has not slowed significantly since a temporary federal moratorium was issued last month. State courts have issued an average of 60 writs of possession — legal permission for a landlord to evict their tenant — per week in the five weeks since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order went into effect Sept. 4, according to data published by the N.H. Judicial Branch. Over the five weeks before that, they averaged 66 writs of possession. Advocates say some renters may not be aware of the CDC program, while others may be put off by the threat of perjury if they fill out their paperwork incorrectly. Josh Greenwald, a broker associate and sales manager at Greenwald Realty, which manages about 150 rental units in Keene, said he wishes aid organizations were doing a better job getting the word out about available aid. “When I told my tenants about [available funds], they had no clue what I was talking about,” he said. “The money’s there. That’s what these programs are set up for.” But it may not be available for much longer. The deadline for housing assistance organizations to spend CARES Act funding is currently set for Dec. 30, as Congress continues to negotiate another stimulus package. As of Sept. 24, New Hampshire’s five community action agencies, including SCS, had spent only about 10 percent of the $35 million in federal money they were allocated in June, according to N.H. Legal Assistance. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

5. New England College Enrollments Down But Only Slightly at UNH. Enrollment declines at many New England colleges during the pandemic are putting further pressure on financially struggling institutions. The number of full-time graduate and undergraduate students plummeted by more than 20% this September compared with the previous year at more than two dozen colleges and universities across the region, according to the New England Commission of Higher Education, the regional accrediting agency. (Source: Seacoast Online) While the University of New Hampshire has been struggling with issues ranging from early retirements of faculty members to paying millions for PPE and testing, the news when it comes to enrollments is more positive. At a UNH town hall last week for students and staff, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Wayne Jones said enrollment of new students has gone down under 1%. While the number of people in undergraduate studies has slightly decreased, Jones said there has been an increase in the number of students going into master’s programs at UNH. (Source: The New Hampshire)

6. Portsmouth Halloween Parade Holding ‘Masking For Help’ Auction to Support Local Businesses. The Portsmouth Halloween Parade, in hibernation this year due to COVID-19, is holding a “Masking For Help” auction to support the many local businesses that have supported it over the years. “We’ve been very fortunate to receive tremendous support over the years from the local community, but especially the local businesses,” parade officials wrote. “Each year, businesses offer us spaces for us to hold events, gift us items to raffle, provide free or discounted services, put out tip jars, sell our merchandise, and generally lift us up. So, this year, we decided to return the favor.” The PHP has purchased gift cards from its most “ardent supporters” and is now auctioning them off. Bids can be placed on the auction page of the PHP website. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Outdoor Classes Show Ingenuity But Are Not Without Challenges. Many New Hampshire schools have been experimenting – to varying extents – with holding class outdoors this year, as the increased airflow offers an extra level of protection from COVID-19. Teachers say it not only helps everyone be safer, but it is also allowing them to experiment with an alternative model of education, outside of the traditional four-walled classroom. Some public schools have gone so far as to rent party tents to hold classes when the weather is nice. Concord School District’s maintenance department rented tents for every school. At Broken Ground School, a group of new American ELL students attended in person when most of the district was remote in September, and had classes outdoors every day under the tents. Now that the school is in a hybrid model with class sizes of eight to 11 students, the school’s four tents are used for lunch so students can take their masks off to eat. Some schools that already embrace a nature-based education philosophy, like High Mowing School in Wilton and Mountain Village Charter School in Plymouth, are taking the same approach spending the majority of the day outside, setting up outdoor shelters so they can stay outside even in inclement weather. (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Upper Valley Food Pantries Brace for Increased Demand. More than seven months after the novel coronavirus came to the Twin States, food pantries throughout the Upper Valley are preparing for a growing demand from needy families as winter approaches and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take an economic toll. As colder weather settles in, providers are worried that they will see the need for food increase as struggling families must also pay to heat their homes and a second relief package from the federal government remains elusive. Stephanie Schell, Plainfield’s director of community resources, who helps organize weekly food pickups, said that prior to the pandemic, about 12 to 15 people stopped by each week. That number has risen to as many as 50. “I’m hoping they will choose to pay their fuel bill and come to us to get food,” she said. The continued need for food assistance was evident on Thursday when around 250 cars stopped by the New Hampshire Food Bank’s mobile food pantry at Monadnock Park in Claremont. The event started at 11 a.m., but the first patron arrived from Charlestown at 6 a.m. “This is a demand the likes of which we have not seen in a long, long time,” said Emily Mazzoni, agency relations coordinator with the food bank, a food relief program run by Catholic Charities NH. (Source: The Valley News)

9. Mary Mongan Was a N.H. Leader in Health, and a Victim of COVID-19. One of the early victims of COVID-19 was Mary Mongan, former commissioner of the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services for New Hampshire. Mongon passed away at the age of 94 on May 27 during a severe COVID-19 outbreak at Villa Crest in Manchester. In a column in Sunday’s Concord Monitor, her grandson, Evan Thies, writes that as the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980’s, “My grandmother pushed for a robust education effort and outreach to gay men, despite the stigma of the disease at the time. For this, she was criticized by local media and many state leaders and legislators. They saw it as encouraging a deviant lifestyle. But she launched her program nonetheless, knowing she may lose her job. My grandmother later told me that, as a nurse, she was trained to help treat and prevent disease, and people were dying. It never crossed her mind not to do it. She remained at her post and likely saved countless lives.” Thies writes that he hopes her example will inspire others. “Her old boss was Gov. John Sununu. His son is now also governor. And while New Hampshire has “flattened its curve,” I think she would be concerned that politics are now muting his leadership and putting the state at risk. I think my grandmother would march in to (the younger) Gov. Sununu’s office and demand he mandate face coverings and social distancing in public. I think she would tell him to do the unpopular thing to save lives, as she did. We need leaders like my grandmother right now as we face perhaps another wave of this pandemic.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 17, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Saturday, October 17

90 new cases in N.H. were announced on Friday along with two COVID-19 deaths and no new hospitalizations. Here’s what else you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. COVID Tracker: Sharp Rise in Cases is Alarmingly Similar to the Spanish Flu Epidemic. According to the Concord Monitor’s weekly analysis of COVID-19 metrics in New Hampshire, the numbers are stark: As of Thursday, New Hampshire’s average number of new cases daily is the highest we’ve seen since June 4. It has increased by about 40% in just one week, a rate we last saw in late April, when the state was scrambling to set up emergency hospitals out of fear of being overwhelmed. The two-week average in daily new cases has doubled in less than a month, moving from 35 on Sept. 25 to 73 by Thursday. Perhaps worse, for the first time since early May the number of COVID-related deaths is increasing: Twenty-two people have died in the past two weeks. A bright spot is that the positive rate on tests continues to be well under 5% even with the increase in cases. Another bright spot is slightly puzzling: The number of COVID-related hospitalizations, which usually rises before the number of deaths start to rise, has remained steady and is not yet increasing. But hanging over this picture are memories of the Spanish Influenza epidemic of a century ago. The U.S. went through an initial bout of cases and deaths in spring of 1918 and then the largely faded, only to come raging back in September of that year, killing far more people than the initial bout. But there are key differences between 2021 and 1918 that should help, including the potential availability of one or more vaccines, more effective treatments for people with the most serious cases, and greater awareness of measures like physical distancing, handwashing, and mask-wearing that can prevent transmission. (Source: Concord Monitor) Nationally, the number of COVID-19 cases topped 8 million on Friday—more than any other country in the world. Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker reported over 63,000 new cases on Thursday, making it the highest single day total in over two months. The seven-day new case average has topped 53,000, an increase of more than 55% in just over a month, according to data from Johns Hopkins. (Source: US News)

2. Panel Seeks Increased School Funds From Sununu for COVID-19 Relief. Saying Gov. Sununu’s new fund to help out schools is inadequate to meet costs from COVID-19, a bipartisan legislative advisory board voted on Friday to ask him to earmark more funds. A new $200 per pupil fund totaling $35 million was announced Thursday to help schools and communities face additional COVID-19 burdens along with another $10 million from the federal CARES Act for documented expenses for schools specific to the pandemic. But the board voted to ask the governor to earmark or set aside another $30 million to address the school issues. Opposing the measure for lack of documentation to back up the request were Republicans state Rep. Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, and state Sen. Chuck Morse, R-Salem. With FEMA reneging on an earlier promise to help school districts pay for PPE—and with many communities having already spent previously released Cares Act funds—the new funds are critically important. While the governor’s planned $200 per student allocation would help fill the budget gap for some towns, in Manchester the extra cost to schools is estimated to be $11 million. At $200 per student, Manchester would receive only $2.5 million—leaving an $8.5 million gap. Salem, another community hard-hit by the virus (and the home of Sen. Morse), is projecting a $7 million need. Democratic state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, and state Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, D-Concord, expressed concern that the CARES Act money is being drawn down quickly and that remaining funds might be allocated elsewhere—leaving communities facing large additional costs to operate schools safely with large budget gaps and no ready way to fill them. Under Treasury Department rules, any CARES Act funds received must also be spent by the end of the year or returned to the Treasury. (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Three Concord-Area Schools Report COVID-19 Cases. Bow High School, St. John’s Regional School and Christa McAuliffe Elementary School all announced student cases of COVID-19 Friday. Bow High School closed down and canceled all sports activities for the day after a student tested positive for COVID-19. St. John’s Regional School also announced a positive case of COVID-19 in a seventh-grade student Friday. The school will transition to remote learning for 6th through 8th graders until Oct. 30, while pre-k through 5th graders will continue in-person instruction unless advised otherwise by the Department of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile the Concord School district sent an email to the community, confirming a case of COVID-19 at Christa McAuliffe School. (Source: Concord Monitor)

4. Three Keene State Student-Athletes Test Positive for COVID-19. Three Keene State College student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19 this week, contributing to the decision to cancel several scrimmages with Plymouth State University teams that were scheduled for Saturday, Keene State President Melinda Treadwell said. As a result of these new cases, 49 other Keene State student-athletes are in quarantine, Treadwell said in a phone interview Friday. Two Plymouth State student-athletes also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, she added, leading Treadwell and PSU President Donald Birx to cancel the competitions. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

5. Customers of Hudson Restaurant Urged to Get Tested After Possible COVID-19 Exposure. An outbreak of COVID-19 might have exposed customers of a Hudson restaurant, New Hampshire health officials said Friday. Fat Katz Food and Drink on Derry Road is shut down officials with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said at least 17 cases of COVID-19 are associated with an outbreak stemming from two people who were at the restaurant. Health officials are asking anyone who visited the restaurant from Oct. 2 through Oct. 9 to get tested because they might have been exposed. State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said one person, knowing they were infected, broke isolation and went to Fat Katz. Another allegedly broke quarantine to go there, Chan said. DHHS is considering issuing legal orders that would require people to stay home, and the state Attorney General's Office is also investigating potential violations. (Source: WMUR)

6. Friendly Toast Closes Temporarily After Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19. The Friendly Toast will close for the weekend after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. Owner Eric Goodwin announced the temporarily closure on Friday. “Like other restaurants in our community, we just learned one of our team members tested positive for COVID-19,” Goodwin and Staci Pinard, vice president of restaurant operations, said in a statement. “Though this person was not in close contact with any other team members or guests – and we are vigilant about our safety precautions and mask wearing – we have independently decided to temporarily close in the spirit of being extra cautious.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. UNH Announces Changes for Spring Semester, Including Cancelation of Spring Break. In a virtual town hall for students and staff, University of New Hampshire President James Dean announced the official cancellation of spring break but said UNH will go ahead with plans for an in-person graduation in the spring. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to eliminate spring break, as it’s just too risky to send everyone away and then one week bring everybody back,” said Dean. “We are planning to schedule a couple of small breaks during the semester and will be publishing the final schedule soon.” Dean also opened the door to possible participation in winter student sports. “This will of course depend on our ability to keep our student athletes safe, both in practice and during any competitions with other teams,” he said. (Source: The New Hampshire)

8. N.H. Electric Co-op Members Vote To Add High-Speed Internet Access To Bylaws. Members of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative have voted by a wide margin to add rural broadband service to the utility’s mission. The change could help the Co-op receive public funding for broadband projects, or partner with other companies to provide high-speed internet service to members. Co-op officials said in a statement that they’re well positioned to do this for internet, just as they did for electricity in rural New Hampshire decades ago. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the need for high-speed internet into focus, according to the statement from the not-for-profit electric utility, which has headquarters in Plymouth. (Source: NHPR)

9. Pandemic Disrupts Thanksgiving Meal Plans for People in Need. Non-profit organizations and restaurants that offer free meals on Thanksgiving are being forced to either change their plans or cancel their events due to the coronavirus pandemic. Typically, up to 70 volunteers help feed around 300 families at Harbor Homes each year, but this year’s event will not happen. “We looked hard into how we might do this in a different way, and it just kept on coming back to these same issues and concerns that we just didn’t want to put our community at risk in anyway,” said Brian Tagliaferro, the organization’s director of fundraising and development. The Windmill Family Restaurant in Concord is also rethinking its Thanksgiving plans. It is planning to offer takeout meals to feed those in need. (Source: WMUR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 16, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Friday, October 16

On Thursday, state health officials reported 5 new deaths, one new hospitalization, and 82 new COVID-19 cases. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. N.H.’s Nursing Home Nightmare Continues with 2 New Outbreaks and 4 New Deaths. Of the five new deaths announced on Thursday, four were residents of long-term care facilities. Officials declined to say specifically where the deaths occurred, but they noted that an outbreak at the Bedford Hills Center, which the state reported had experienced a total of 5 deaths as of last week, has now accounted for 13 deaths. Bedford Hills Center leads N.H. nursing homes with 58 active cases among residents and 21 among staff. Outbreaks at Pine Rock Manor in Warner and Warde Health Center in Windham remain active, but no deaths have been reported to date at those facilities. Meanwhile, on Thursday Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette announced a new outbreak at a long-term care facility in Manchester. Shibinette said tests were conducted Friday at St. Teresa Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Manchester, and no one tested positive. But Thursday, it was announced that seven residents and two staff members were positive for COVID-19. Shibinette says this is an indicator of how quickly the virus can spread. Shibinette said facilities in Hillsborough, Merrimack and Rockingham counties are back in phase 1 of reopening, which still allows for compassionate care visitation. Most of the state's other counties can be in phase 2 of reopening, which allows for greater flexibility for visitation. Coos County is in phase 3 because of the very low rates of coronavirus in that area. (Source: WMUR) Meanwhile, an “isolated patient” at the Belknap County Nursing Home has tested positive for COVID-19, the first resident or staff member at the facility to do so. The case brings the number of N.H. nursing homes reported to have active cases to five. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Note: According to the New York Times, while only 7 percent of all U.S. cases have occurred in long-term care facilities, deaths related to Covid-19 in these facilities account for about 40 percent of the country’s pandemic fatalities. In New Hampshire, the percentage they account for is more than twice the national average. At 81.2%, New Hampshire, has the highest percentage of COVID-19 deaths linked to nursing homes in the U.S. To date, 376 of the Granite State’s 463 fatalities have involved residents of these facilities. (Source: New York Times)

2. Six New Hampshire Counties Now On Vermont's COVID-19 Restricted Travel List. Vermont has updated its state quarantine rules, and now includes New Hampshire's neighboring Grafton County as an area subject to travel restrictions. Vermont requires a quarantine for travelers to and from any county with over 400 COVID-19 cases per million. Travelers going to and from those counties must quarantine for 14 days, or 7 days with a negative COVID test. Five additional New Hampshire counties also have quarantine requirements in Vermont. In addition to Grafton County, they include Belknap, Merrimack, Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Strafford counties. (Source: NHPR)

3. Governor Announces New $100 Million Allocation for Small Business and $50 Million in Business Tax Relief. During his Thursday media briefing, Gov. Sununu announced a second round of emergency aid to small businesses. Sununu said the application period for “Main Street Relief 2.0” opens on Monday and qualifying businesses will have two weeks to apply “regardless of whether they already received an award if they do have additional unmet needs or missed the previous opportunity.” You can find more information and an application here: https://www.goferr.nh.gov/covid-expenditures/main-street-relief-fund. The governor also announced a $50 million allocation to help restore the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund and $45 million in additional aid for schools to purchase PPE and fund other pandemic-related changes. The new money that will be added to the State Unemployment Trust Fund will create enough surplus to trigger a decrease in unemployment taxes for businesses in 2021. Without this action, unemployment tax payments paid by businesses have increased. That still leaves still about $100 million remaining in unallocated Cares Act funds or lapsed funds from other accounts where the need was less than the allocation. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Note: Despite the dire funding situation for N.H. hospitals—and a potential surge in hospitalizations should COVID-19 cases continue to increase—no additional funds were allocated by the governor to the state’s hospitals.

4. Advocates Protest State’s Crisis Plan. Disability rights advocates took to the streets Thursday outside Governor Chris Sununu’s weekly press conference on the coronavirus pandemic to protest the state’s Crisis Standards of Care plan, which was activated earlier this year. They argue the plan does not provide enough oversight for each hospital’s plan to dole out resources in the event they can’t care for everyone. They say leaves the state’s poor and disabled residents vulnerable. Jason Wells, the co-chair of the N.H Poor People’s Campaign, said he worries that if hospitals have unilateral control over their own rationing plans, disabled Granite Staters could be denied essential care or life-saving treatment. “There is very little accountability,” he said. “Right now, hospitals create these plans and no one will ever look at it again.” Wells said his organization mailed their demands twice to the governor, with no response. Wells said Thursday he wanted to present his demands to the governor in person. “It is insufficiently transparent and accountable,” he said. “It allows for hospitals to be able to deny or ration lifesaving treatment. We believe that will fall on abelist lines as well as race lines.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. NH Health Officials Rush to Build COVID-19 Vaccine Registry in Advance of Vaccine Availability. New Hampshire will be the last state in the country to have an immunization registry, and health officials said they are working as fast as they can to get one in place before a coronavirus vaccine is widely distributed. "In a pandemic, we are responsible for tracking all of these vaccines," said Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. Daly said the system will be much like the electronic records at a doctor's office. While it will ultimately track all immunizations, officials said that different manufacturers will have different requirements --for example, whether you need one dose or two doses -- and a vaccine registry helps complete the picture. (Source: WMUR)

6. States Scramble to Purchase Deep Freezers for Vaccine. States are getting little federal assistance as they scramble to find medical-grade deep freezers or dry ice for one of the COVID-19 vaccines furthest along in development, which requires storage at much colder temperatures than found on an average winter day on the South Pole. The Trump administration has earmarked billions in taxpayer dollars to vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer, but these vaccines require ultra-low temperatures -- particularly Pfizer's, which requires a storage temperature of 103 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The number of medical grade ultra-cold deep freezers in the United States is unknown. And it's up to states to locate them. "Not all of those (vaccination sites) will have the ultra-cold deep freezers to be able to store vaccines, particularly the Pfizer product," said Jay Butler, CDC deputy director for infectious diseases, during a media briefing Friday. "So that is an important part of the state planning effort to determine where that capacity is." There are concerns that the federal government’s hodgepodge approach could lead to a national competition for freezers or dry ice. Some states, including Wyoming, Delaware and Oregon, reported they're waiting until they receive federal guidance. Others, including New Hampshire and Maine, say they're moving ahead with plans to purchase ultra-cold deep freezers. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

7. Initial Jobless Claims Rise Slightly in NH. The number of Granite Staters who lost their jobs rose slightly last week, even as another report indicated that last month’s jobless rate went down slightly, to 6%. Some 2,136 people filed initial unemployment claims in the week ending Oct. 10, 53 more than the previous week. Furthermore, the previous week’s sharp drop in initial claims has been adjusted upward, essentially wiping it out, dashing initial hopes of an accelerated recovery. Instead, the number of new layoffs remain stubbornly high – four times pre-pandemic levels. (Source: NH Business Review)

8. New Hampshire’s Fiscal Situation Improves with Higher Revenues, Underspending. A combination of revenues recovering faster than anticipated, including some potentially atypical receipts, and underspending at public agencies has improved New Hampshire’s fiscal situation relative to projections from earlier in the year. But while the situation is more favorable than previously expected, significant unknowns remain, including the course of the pandemic and the potential for federal assistance to states and local governments, all of which could have profound impacts on New Hampshire’s ability to fund key services for Granite Staters. (Source: NH Business Review)

9. N.H. Rental Housing Crunch Likely to Worsen. With many companies implementing work-from-home policies for the foreseeable future, a housing market report released this month by the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority says it’s likely New Hampshire will see more migration into the state from workers “cutting the umbilical cord to expensive housing and work space in and near Boston.” In combination with rents that have already risen 28% in Rockingham County and 26% in Strafford County, it’s likely New Hampshire will see more migration into the state and more pressure on an already tight rental market. Currently, the average rent of a two-bedroom unit in Rockingham County is $1,623, and in Strafford County, it’s $1,291. Martha Stone, executive director at Cross Roads House – Portsmouth’s homeless shelter – said the influx of Boston area workers could have trickle down effects to the Seacoast’s low-income populations. “It would be an aggravating factor to an already really challenging rental market,” Stone said. “We’re already faced with high prices and an extraordinarily low vacancy rate. So it does compound the existing problem to have additional competition from out of the area.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

10. N.H. Pauses Indoor Hockey, Skating Amid COVID Concerns. New Hampshire is pausing indoor hockey and skating activities for two weeks, Gov. Sununu announced Thursday at his regular briefing on the state's progress in battling the coronavirus pandemic. The pause at rinks will allow the state to come up with new procedures for cleaning and distancing at the rinks while players and their families get tested for the virus, Sununu said. Sununu also announced $200 million in new outlays of federal CARES Act funds. About half of it will go to supporting small businesses, while the rest will support the New Hampshire unemployment fund, public schools and long-term care facilities. (Source: NECN)

11. NHGOP Seeks Order from AG to Prevent College Remote Learners from Claiming Former NH Towns for Voting. The state Republican Party has asked the Attorney General's Office to tell city and town clerks not to allow college students who are “remote learners” to use their former college town addresses for registering to vote or requesting absentee ballots. In a letter to Attorney General Gordon MacDonald on Thursday, a NHGOP attorney says a student who has lived and registered to vote in a New Hampshire community while attending a college and then no longer lives there – or someone who has never registered to vote in the state but is learning remotely at a New Hampshire institution from a location outside of the state – may not “lawfully claim domicile here” under a state law. The state Democratic Party called the request by the Republican Party a "desperate" attempt at voter suppression. "If you are a U.S. citizen, will be 18 years of age or older by Election Day, and your home is in New Hampshire -- even if you are temporarily absent -- you can vote in New Hampshire," said NHDP spokesperson Holly Shulman. "These rules apply to all Granite Staters, including college students." (Source: WMUR)

12. Voters Urged to Return Absentee Ballots Now. With less than three weeks to go until the general election, more people have voted by absentee in New Hampshire than did so in the entire presidential race four years ago. The Secretary of State’s office said 78,561 ballots have been returned to town and city clerk offices out of 179,054 requested. This compares to 75,000 absentee ballots cast in 2016. On Thursday, three Democratic candidates — Executive Councilor Michael Cryans and state Senate hopefuls Bill Bolton and Phil Spagnuolo — gathered in Laconia to urge people to return their absentee ballots as soon as possible. "My advice is when you get (your absentee ballot) then fill it out and return it right off,” Cryans said. “Don't put it off. We all do it, like putting off doing our homework." Laconia City Clerk Cheryl Hebert said 1,907 city voters had requested absentee ballots and that 1,204 ballots had been returned. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun) If you live in Portsmouth and are interested in voting absentee, I’ve put together a visual absentee voting explainer with information on what you need to do to avoid common mistakes. As always, make sure to contact the Portsmouth City Clerk or the N.H. Secretary of State’s Office if you have any questions.

13. So You Received A Voting Mailer (Or Email, Or Text Message.) How Do You Know It's Legit? With so many voters handling the balloting process by mail this year, it can be confusing to figure out what kind of election paperwork is legit. And if you’re not careful, returning the wrong paperwork to your local elections office could compromise your vote. To make sense of the voting solicitations you might be receiving right now, first, ask yourself: Did I request this? In New Hampshire, you can only receive voter registration paperwork by mail from your local clerk or the Secretary of State’s office, and only if you’ve formally requested it. Also be wary of text messages, emails or other links inviting you to update your registration online. (New Hampshire doesn’t have online registration or voting.) See the article for more tips. (Source: NHPR)

14. Old Salt Restaurant Reopens After COVID Case. After closing on Oct. 9 after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, the Hampton restaurant underwent a deep cleaning and 35 employees were tested, which co-owner Joe Higgins estimates cost about $6,000. The restaurant reopened for outdoor dining over the weekend and resumed dine-in service on Monday. Higgins said only one other employee tested positive that Friday, and the two who did test positive are now in quarantine. He said those who came in close contact with the positive cases also are in quarantine per state direction. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 15, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Thursday, October 15

On Wednesday, N.H. health officials reported 71 new COVID-19 cases, two new deaths and two more hospitalizations. Here is the other pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. COVID-19 Cases Climb in Nashua (115) and Manchester (99), Portsmouth (15) Tops Seacoast. After weeks of few, if any active cases, Portsmouth now has the most active cases of any community on the seacoast with 15. Durham trails with 14, Exeter has 11, and Hampton has 10. Elsewhere in the state, Manchester (99), Nashua (115), Bedford (62) and Warner (39) had the most cases of COVID-19. Community transmission levels in both Nashua and Manchester are still listed as “substantial” on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard—the state’s most serious alert level. (Sources: InDepthNH and N.H. DHHS COVID-19 Dashboard) To clear up any potential confusion, the City of Portsmouth has created Portsmouth Mask Ordinance FAQs to provide detailed guidance on the city’s mask-wearing requirements. It answers questions like when masks are required to be worn outside and what happens to people who refuse to comply. It’s definitely worth a look for residents, people working in Portsmouth, and those planning a visit. You can access it here.

2. Utility Shutoff Notices Begin Going Out to Granite Staters. Just as the weather starts to turn colder, several thousand utility customers around the state will soon receive shutoff notices in their mailboxes after the end of a moratorium on shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The residential customer disconnection notices began going out this week," said Alec O'Meara, of Unitil. "I believe 1,000 letters were sent out this week." The next few weeks could be critical for families who have fallen behind on utility payments. Some were previously given leniency because of rules related to the coronavirus crisis. "The moratorium has been lifted and there are people who could be faced with a disconnect, and that's why it's important to get ahold of community action agencies in the state," said Ryan Clouthier, of Southern New Hampshire Services. Community action partnerships work with utility companies to help families make payments, and they expect many more applications this year. Eversource and Unitil say they have expanded payment options, and officials at both companies said they want to help. (Source: WMUR)

3. Pinkerton Academy Cancels Fall Sports, Switches to Remote Learning After COVID-19 Exposures. Pinkerton Academy in Derry has ended fall sports and is moving to remote learning through the rest of October because of "significant community exposure" to people with COVID-19. In a letter to the school community, Headmaster Timothy Powers said a person who was last on campus Thursday tested positive for COVID-19. He said another person who had been exposed to that person went to the campus Wednesday, despite being told to quarantine. Powers said the school was aware of significant community exposure to the cases linked to activity outside of the school's daily operations. He said the cases all stem from people not following quarantine guidelines. He said so many staff members and students might have been exposed that the school could not remain in its hybrid model with so many people possibly needing to quarantine. (Source: WMUR)

4. Two Staff Members, 3 Students at Epping Elementary Test Positive for COVID-19. One grade of Epping’s elementary students returned to remote learning last week, after two staff members and three students tested positive for COVID-19. “It was a challenging week,” said SAU 14 Superintendent Bill Furbush. Furbush said the School Board closed the elementary school for one day on Oct. 5 to plan how to open with current staffing levels, allow the state Department of Health and Human Services to do contact tracing, and allow test results to come in. The building reopened Oct. 6 for in-person learning, with the exception of third-graders and one other classroom, operating on remote instruction due to staffing shortages. No students or staff tested positive at the middle or high school, according to Furbush. (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. Nashua Schools to Reconsider Expanding Hybrid Model in November. The Nashua School District is responding to pressure from parents and some school board members to hasten reopening plans after weeks of being almost entirely remote. At a school board meeting on Tuesday night, Superintendent Jahmal Mosley presented the district’s metrics for moving between remote, hybrid, and in-person models. With transmission levels of COVID-19 now among the highest in the state, Mosley said Nashua meets the state's criteria for staying fully remote or hybrid. He warned that even if Nashua tries to reopen gradually, there might not be enough teachers willing and able to return in person. “The staff capacity to conduct school operations - that's something that not just me but every superintendent in New Hampshire and the nation has continued to struggle with,” he said. (Source: NHPR) Some parents protested outside Nashua City Hall before the school board held their meeting. Kindergarteners are scheduled to begin in-person lessons next week, while first graders will follow in November. It's unclear when older students will return to in-person learning. (Source: WMUR)

6. Rapid Changes in Education Means COVID Has Likely Spelled the End of Winter Snow Days. Snow days, long-anticipated cancelations of school due to inclement weather, may be a thing of the past. Now that school districts have developed learning models for the COVID-19 era that allow them to pivot easily to remote learning on short notice, many superintendents are starting to discuss whether a large snowstorm this winter could mean classes are moved online rather than canceled. “I call COVID-19 ‘the great disruptor,’ because it changed the way we deliver education,” said Kathleen Murphy, Concord School District’s interim superintendent. “And I think that includes snow days.” Murphy will be bringing the topic to the Concord School Board’s Instructional Committee meeting on Oct. 21 for discussion. Concord schools are now phasing into a hybrid model after a whole month of remote learning, meaning the district is well-poised to go remote again if it needed to happen. In the Merrimack Valley School District, Superintendent Mark MacLean said snow days will become remote learning days for the district. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Two at Concord Golf Course Test Positive for COVID-19. Two people in Concord tested positive for COVID-19 after spending time at a local golf course, according to the City of Concord. The Beaver Meadow Golf Course was informed on Tuesday that a customer, who spent time at the facility on Saturday and Sunday and spent time on the patio after playing golf, tested positive. On Wednesday, the City of Concord also confirmed an employee had the virus after staff underwent testing. The cases come as statewide COVID-19 numbers are on the rise. The average number of cases reported in the state has risen by more than 10 a day in the past week, the fastest rise since the early weeks of the pandemic, the Monitor reported earlier this week. The golf course has shut down until Saturday for deep cleaning and sanitation. (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Coronavirus Outbreaks at Hockey Rinks Draw Health Officials’ Attention in NH, Vt. A dozen new cases of COVID-19 in Vermont have been linked to an ice rink in the Montpelier area, state officials announced Tuesday. And in New Hampshire, the sport also is under examination by the Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force after some recent cases of COVID-19 were tied to hockey academies. In New Hampshire, D.J. Bettencourt, chairman of the Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force, said in an emailed statement Tuesday that new guidance for hockey is expected within the next week after “there have been some recent incidents, specifically with hockey academies, that ... present a unique challenge.” Last week, the Rinks at Exeter temporarily suspended programs for three of its youth hockey teams after about a dozen players and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. (Source: The Valley News)

9. Feds Say NH Schools Could Get More COVID-19 Grants. The state could give school districts up to $96 million in federal grants to cover COVID-19 costs without proof of what they have spent, according to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Relief and Recovery. The GOFERR’s Legislative Advisory Board’s leadership hopes to meet by the end of the week to recommend to Gov. Chris Sununu how much additional money schools should receive from the $1.2 billion block grant New Hampshire received last spring to deal with the pandemic. GOFERR Deputy Director Lisa English on Tuesday told the panel that a U.S. Treasury Department memo states that all U.S. school districts can be awarded total CARES Act grants equal to $500 per student, regardless of what their costs actually were. “So people do not have to document those dollars for them to receive the grant,” English noted. According to the state Department of Education’s most recent estimate, New Hampshire’s K-12 public school enrollment was 176,168 on Oct. 1, 2019. At $500 per student, that would add up to $88 million in per-pupil grants. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

10. Deadline Looms for Non-Dairy Farms To Apply For COVID Relief Funds. The New Hampshire Agriculture COVID-19 Relief Fund’s second-round application for non-dairy farms is due Thursday, October 15, 2020, by 11:59 PM. The second round application specifically covers COVID-19-related expenses and/or lost sales incurred from July 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020. The non-dairy farm-specific relief program supports non-dairy farms that have experienced negative financial impacts due to COVID-19. (Source: InDepthNH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 14, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Wednesday, October 14

On Tuesday, N.H. health officials announced 6 new hospitalizations, 77 new cases, and no new deaths. Here is the COVID-19-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. COVID-19 Spreading More Quickly in Manchester and Nashua. Newly released state data shows coronavirus is spreading exponentially quicker in Nashua and Manchester compared to the rest of the state, but local health officials said they predicted the trend and are ready to handle it. State data shows Manchester with twice the positivity rate and Nashua with four times the positivity rate as the rest of the state. "We did expect for there to be a rise in cases around this time of year," said Bobbie Bagley, Nashua public health director. Health officials said there are a couple reasons why. "People are back to doing their everyday things," Bagley said. "Lots of things have opened up. Restaurants have gone from 50% to 100% capacity." Health officials said they are also seeing an uptick in asymptomatic transmission. "We know we have a significant amount of asymptomatic people, so we are encouraging anyone to come if they have been involved in any activities where they have been in large groups," Bagley said. "If they have questions or concerns, we are encouraging them to come out and get tested." (Source: WMUR)

2. Expecting $45.5 Million on Losses, Manchester Hospital Presses for More Relief. Already facing tens of millions in pandemic-related financial losses, Catholic Medical Center officials are bracing for more COVID-19 hospitalizations in the coming months. The hospital expects to record a $75.5 million loss for fiscal year 2020, which ended Sept. 30, but the amount was partly offset by $30 million in federal and state relief. According to Alex Walker, CMC executive vice president and chief operating officer, The aid is disproportionate with how many COVID-19 patients the hospital treated. The hospital received about 6.5% of the relief available to New Hampshire hospitals but treated 31% of the state’s hospitalized COVID cases. The hospital saw 229 COVID patients and reported 53 deaths. At the height of the pandemic, the impact of shutting down voluntary surgeries to accommodate an expected surge in COVID-19 cases forced the hospital furloughed or reduced the hours of 1,300 employees and ended up laying off 71. Last month, the New Hampshire Hospital Association reported hospital losses statewide will total $187 million more than all their revenues — after $329 million of COVID-19 assistance. Another $100 million is expected by the end of December. Walker, along with other top officials at CMC, highlighted the need for more federal relief during a presentation to U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tuesday morning. Shaheen told the group she didn’t vote on a relief package offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell because it did not provide help for hospitals and health care workers. “It just seems crazy to me that in a time like this we are not going to help you all get through this difficult time,” she said. “That is not in anybody’s interest.” (Source: Manchester Union Leader) The financial troubles hospitals find themselves in are at least partially the result of prioritization decisions made by Gov. Sununu when allocating federal funds. According to veteran State House reporter Gary Rayno, “Sununu put far more money into businesses and their recovery than non-profits, hospitals, long-term care, unemployment or education than the legislative committee suggested. The emphasis on business is not surprising as it has always been the New Hampshire GOP’s foundational belief if you take care of businesses, that will help everyone including workers and their families. It is essentially the trickle-down theory of economics. However, not all the money poured into the state’s businesses was used and other programs to help businesses were announced during the summer.” (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Judge Upholds Sununu’s Emergency Authority to Spend Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Without Lawmakers' OK. A Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that Gov. Chris Sununu is empowered by state law to allocate and expend more than $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds without first receiving legislative approval. Several leading state Democratic lawmakers sued the governor in April, charging that by bypassing the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee in expending funds sent to the state under the federal CARES Act, he was violating separation of powers provisions of the state Constitution as well as state laws. After six months of legal maneuvering and several court hearings, Judge David Anderson issued a final decision in the case Tuesday morning in Sununu's favor. In an 18-page ruling, Judge Anderson he wrote that while an emergency statute passed in the wake of the 9/11 2001 terrorist attacks does not provide the governor with sweeping authority to spend money without legislative approval, another statute passed in 2002 does. This law, the judge wrote, “grants the governor authority to accept and spend money received pursuant to its terms during a state of emergency.” No word yet on a potential appeal to the N.H. Supreme Court. (Source: WMUR)

4. School Districts Seek More COVID-19 Relief Funding. Most of the state’s 276 school districts need financial help keeping the doors open safely during COVID-19 and could need as much as $70 million from the CARES Act state allocation. Dr. Carl Ladd, executive director of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, said many districts were expecting, but never received money from FEMA to help with purchases of personal protective equipment, sanitizers, and other needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and were holding the initial funding given through the CARES Act with anticipation that they would need more in the fall. Ladd told the Legislative Advisory Committee Tuesday that 65 percent of the 276 districts received less than $100,000 in CARES Act allocation and called that “significantly limited, to begin with.” School administrators around the state are frustrated that they don’t know where to go or what to do for additional funds, he said, “because they have all these unmet COVID-19-related expenses. They are either going to cut programs or go into a deficit situation which nobody wants,” Ladd said. (Source: InDepthNH)

5. School Superintendents Learning to Pivot Quickly. Harold Martin Elementary School in Hopkinton is switching to remote learning after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19, and fourteen more are in quarantine. Some 23 miles away, Franklin School district is doing remote learning after two students tested positive. In Concord, most students are returning to in-person classes for the first time this year, just as new coronavirus cases are on the rise in Merrimack County. For area superintendents, every day could mean something new. “You have to be ready to pivot and you have to be ready to solve problems,” said Daniel LeGallo, superintendent in the Franklin School District. “There is never a dull moment. Just when you think you have things figured out, another piece of information comes in.” In Concord, interim superintendent Kathleen Murphy said the constant uncertainty and the amount of things to pay attention to every day makes this one of the most challenging years she has experienced in her career. “It’s 24/7. The phones, the emails, the parents worried,” Murphy said. “I have had some challenging years, but this has been extraordinary.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Rapid COVID-19 Tests Now Available to First Responders. First responders can now get COVID-19 test results in 15 minutes, which officials said should mean less time waiting and worrying, and will help with staffing concerns. Officials said there is not a lot of social distancing among first responders. "We work in a close-knit environment, so it's just impossible to completely eliminate that close threat," said Dover fire Chief Paul Haas. Haas said that while a number of employees have had to quarantine because of close contact with someone who tested positive -- often a family member -- no department members have tested positive. The challenge has been waiting to know for sure. "Having a rapid test result come back (in) 15 minutes, that's a huge gamechanger," Haas said. (Source: WMUR)

7. Portsmouth Citizens Response Task Force Looks at Transforming Downtown Portsmouth to a Winter ‘Ski village’. A ‘winter ski village’ set up for downtown streets was pitched to the Portsmouth Citizen Response Task Force on Tuesday. Task force Co-Chair James Petersen called the idea “exciting” and said the recent restaurant closures across the city as a result of COVID-19 exposures “may influence” a desire to remain outside longer. Petersen noted an urgency considering the “spike” in COVID-19 cases from people moving indoors as colder weather has appeared. “I think there’s a lot of people scratching their heads, whether it’s in Portsmouth, in Boston, in New York,” he said. “How are independent restaurants and businesses going to survive? We do need to think big because I do think there’s a lot at stake.” Planning Director Juliet Walker said the city is working with 20 restaurants to offer outdoor dining until Nov. 1. The City Council at its last meeting tabled a proposal to authorize outdoor dining through November. It will be revisited at the Oct. 18 meeting, said City Manager Karen Conard. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. UNH Planning to Hold In-Person Graduation Ceremonies Next Spring. Officials at the University of New Hampshire in Durham announced on Tuesday that they plan to hold in-person commencement ceremonies this May at Wildcat Stadium. President James Dean told students and staff members during a virtual meeting that they will not only be celebrating the graduating class of 2021, but they will have separate ceremonies for those students who missed their graduation this past spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

9. Performing Arts Venues Struggle to Move Past a Lost Year. While different aspects of the world have returned, albeit under strict guidelines and protocols in place, the arts sector has struggled over the last seven months to find its own path back. When it appeared that the coronavirus pandemic was going to change the way life was lived moving forward, arts organizations made painstaking decisions to shut down immediately and put many future seasons, events and programs on hold. And thus far, there has been little change despite the fact that retail stores, restaurants and other industries have resumed operations in whatever capacity possible. Although federal aid has partially made up for lost ticket revenue and fewer fundraising opportunities, most have still been forced to endure painful cutbacks. This article, from the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, details the impact on the Peterborough Players and the MacDowell Colony. This article from WMUR describes what Manchester venues have been experiencing.

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 13, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Tuesday, October 13

On Monday, N.H. health officials announced 65 new COVID-19 cases. There were no new deaths or hospitalizations. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. Two More Portsmouth Restaurants Close Due to COVID-19. At least four Portsmouth restaurants have now closed due to positive cases of COVID-19. On Monday, The Rosa and Martingale Wharf became the third and forth Portsmouth restaurants to announce temporary closures. The Rosa had just reopened this month after being closed throughout the pandemic. "We have been overwhelmed by your generosity in welcoming us back as we reopened this fall," The Rosa said on Facebook. "Unfortunately one of our employees has tested positive for COVID 19, and in the best interest of the community and our staff we deem it necessary to close temporarily." Martingale Wharf, located on the waterfront, shared a similar message. The two restaurants said they were not required to close, but chose to do so as a safety precaution. Last week, Flatbreads and Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe announced temporary closures after employees may have been exposed to an infected customer. (Source: NECN)

2. At Plymouth State, Dr. Deborah Birx Says The Northeast Needs To Remain Vigilant. At a visit to Plymouth State University on Monday, Doctor Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, warned that rural areas like New Hampshire could see a continued increase in COVID-19 cases. Birx' older brother, Donald, is president of PSU, and the pair toured the college’s COVID testing center housed in the ALLWell North complex. She told a small audience that, as she’s driven across the country, she’s seen people gathered indoors and outdoors without masks at events like weddings. She says it’s important to be careful in both large groups, and at small gatherings. Birx said people will need to be vigilant as winter approaches, and she encouraged the general public to follow student behavior on campuses. “They’re wearing masks, they’re physically distancing, they’re washing their hands,” she said. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile, a member of PSU’s Student Senate, while praising Dr. Birx as a “voice of reason” in the Trump administration, told the Manchester Union Leader there have been risky gatherings at the college. “I know for a fact there are very large gatherings going on campus, 50 to 75 to 100 people-plus in basements,” he said, referring to them as “speak-easy parties.” (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

3. NH Cities Combat New Covid-19 Outbreaks. Cases of COVID-19 are rising in states across the country, and in New Hampshire the state’s two largest cities, Manchester and Nashua, are both experiencing surges in cases lined to community transmission. Places where many people congregate, such as weddings, sporting events, birthday parties and church gatherings are high-risk settings, more so if they are inside. “That risk increases if those individuals aren’t wearing masks and if they are singing or yelling or sharing cups,” explained Laura Montenegro of the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services. Manchester Public Health Director Anna Thomas said that in response, the city will be doing community testing, case investigation, contact tracing, cluster investigation, community outreach and education. Officials in Nashua, which experienced an outbreak at a church last week, are asking people who may have attended services at the Gate City Church to get tested, to go into isolation and then quarantine to make sure to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Source: Concord Monitor) At a national level, a key feature that appears to distinguishing the new autumn wave of the virus from the springtime wave is that it seems to be happening everywhere. According to the Covid Tracking Project, America is now averaging nearly 48,000 new confirmed cases every day, the highest numbers since mid-August. More than 34,500 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid-19 in the US, up from less than 30,000 a week ago. Case numbers are up in the Northeast, the Midwest, and the West. While levels in the South are down from highs this summer, they appear to be plateauing at a level higher than that which the Northeast endured during the worst of New York’s outbreak. Unlike the first wave, no one state or region can be blamed for this new wave. Just 13 states have seen their number of new Covid-19 cases drop over the last two weeks, according to Covid Exit Strategy. Cases are up in all the others. (Source: Vox)

4. Warner Long-Term Care Facility Hit Hard by Virus. The N.H Department of Health and Human Services has announced three new outbreaks of COVID-19 in the last two weeks in long-term care facilities, including one in Warner that reported dozens of new cases over the weekend. For many nursing homes, the new cases could threaten to reverse their reopening plans. At Pine Rock Manor, a long-term assisted living dementia care facility in Warner, 71% of residents tested positive for COVID-19. As of Monday, 35 residents and eight staff members had tested positive for the virus, a leap from when the outbreak was first announced on Thursday with 4 resident cases. Jake Leon, a spokesperson for the N.H Department of Health and Human Services, said most long-term care facilities were in “phase 2” of the state’s reopening plan this summer, which allows some nonessential personnel, like hairdressers, and limited group activities and communal dining. In light of the recent outbreaks, he said some homes may have to start rolling back to “phase 1,” which prohibits nonessential personnel and limits visitations. “I’m going to be shocked if we don’t see that by the end of the week,” he said. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. First COVID-19 Cluster Identified Off-Campus at Dartmouth. Three undergraduate students living together off-campus have tested positive for COVID-19, making for the first “cluster” of COVID-19 cases in the Dartmouth community. In a campus-wide email on Monday afternoon, COVID-19 task force co-chairs Lisa Adams and Josh Keniston wrote that the students had “limited access to campus” and are receiving medical support in isolation. College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth that the College is unable to provide additional details regarding the students’ place of residence or isolation. (Source: The Dartmouth)

6. As Manchester Students Partially Return to Class, Safety Concerns Remain Among Staff. As the Manchester school district prepares to welcome some students back into classrooms today, the head of the city’s teachers union says safety concerns remain among some staff. “We are hoping for a safe return to school, but with the news of cases last week, it is impossible not to be anticipating that positive cases related to students and staff will occur,” said Sue Hannan, president of the Manchester Education Association (MEA). “Safety still must be the first priority.” At this time, Manchester and Nashua are the only two communities in the state where the rate of community transmitting on the DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard is rated “substantial”—the highest level on the scale. Students and teachers will begin transitioning from remote learning to a hybrid model today, which blends remote learning with some in-person time in classrooms. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

7. NH Council of Churches Hosts Vigil of Mourning Over COVID-19. A vigil was held in Bedford on Monday calling for mourning and unity after hundreds of thousands of deaths due to COVID-19 across the country. In the shadow of the steeple of Bedford Presbyterian Church faith leaders in New Hampshire called for unity and the chance to mourn together. “Our intention tonight was to bring people together to mourn and to grieve the loss of life,” said Rev. Jason Wells the executive director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches. “Two-hundred thousand and more lives lost during our COVID-19 crisis.” The NH Council of Churches joined about two dozen other locations nationwide on Monday in their “Mourning into Unity Vigil.” (Source: WMUR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 12, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• The Covid Tracking Project—NH Section

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Monday, October 12

The blue line indicates the 7-day average and the gray line indicates cases per day. Source: N.H. DHHS

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services reported one COVID-related death in the state on Sunday, 2 new hospitalizations, and 55 new infections, a number that includes fourteen patients under the age of 18. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. State Issues Alert for Visitors to Portsmouth Restaurant. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced Sunday it is trying to locate customers who may have come into contact with a person COVID-19 who was seated at the bar at Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café in Portsmouth. The person was at the restaurant Wednesday Sept. 30 (5-9 p.m.), Thursday, Oct. 1 (5-9 p.m.), Friday, Oct. 2 (5-10 p.m.), Saturday, Oct. 3 (5-10 p.m.) and Sunday, Oct. 4 (5-9 p.m.). Anyone who visited Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café and sat at the bar during those days and times may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should contact NH DHHS at (603) 271-4496 for further guidance, officials said. The department stated it has conducted a contact investigation and notified known close contacts directly. Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe announced Oct. 7 it was voluntarily closing temporarily as a precaution. (Sources: Seacoast Online and WMUR)

2. Follow-Up: Nursing Home Outbreak at Pine Rock Manor Drove Saturday’s Spike in Cases. An outbreak of COVID-19 at a long-term care facility in Warner specializing in dementia care was responsible for 30 of Saturday’s 123 newly announced cases. The one day spike was the highest one-day total of new cases seen in N.H. Since May. The Pine Rock manor facility is the site of one of three active nursing home outbreaks in the state. The others are at Bedford Hills Center and Warde Health Center in Windham. (Source: WMUR) Worth noting is the state’s 7-day average of nursing home cases has risen from a summer-time low of 2.0 cases on August 22 to 14 on October 9. (Source: N.H. DHHS Interactive Dashboard—Trends—Long-Term Care Cases)

3. Manchester to Start Bringing Students Back for In-Person Learning. Manchester school officials are preparing to bring some students back into Queen City classrooms under a hybrid learning model starting Tuesday, with additional grades slated to return later this month. The hybrid-learning plan is set to launch as school officials confirm there are eight active cases of COVID-19 across the Manchester School District — seven students and one staff member. The Department of Health and Human Services’s COVID-19 School Dashboard rates the level of community transmission in Manchester as “substantial”. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

4. New State Registry Will Track COVID-19 Vaccines. State health officials say they expect a long-delayed immunization registry will be in place by the time the first COVID-19 vaccines are approved, produced and ready for distribution in New Hampshire. The new registry will help providers make sure their patients are getting the vaccinations they need to protect themselves, health experts say. That will be especially critical for tracking which COVID-19 vaccines people receive. New Hampshire is the only state without a vaccination registry. Although lawmakers approved rules to administer such a program many years ago, its implementation has run into political and technical snags. The project, funded with a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has drawn criticism from parents and others who have concerns about the safety of vaccines. Finally in May, at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Executive Council unanimously approved a contract to build an “immunization information system” to register those who receive vaccines. Patients will have the right to “opt out” of the registry. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

5. Follow-Up: Nashua Mayor Shares COVID Experience. Muscle aches, headaches, nausea, tiredness and weakness were all symptoms that Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess said he was experiencing but added that he had a relatively minor case and did not have a fever. Those symptoms according to the mayor, only lasted three to four days. But Donchess’ wife had a different experience, testing positive sometime later. “She lost her sense of smell,” he shared. “She also did not get a fever,” but did have flu-like symptoms. “Still now, a month later, she still has a little bit of tiredness.” Both the mayor and his wife had what were considered mild cases of COVID-19. Donchess also said he had a neighbor who passed away from the disease, making them one of the 39 people to die from the coronavirus in the Gate City. “That’s 39 families who have been adversely impacted,” Donchess said. “They have gone through a lot of grief. It’s very difficult to lose a loved one to COVID-19. This is not a disease that anyone wants to get.” Donchess said he shared his personal story with the community because of the ways that the disease can infect someone without they’re knowing, saying, “this thing can sneak in with ways you would never expect.” (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 11, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Sunday, October 11

Source: N.H. DHHS

After a Saturday when New Hampshire saw its worst day for COVID-19 deaths since June and the highest one-day number of new positive cases since May, here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. 123 New COVID-19 Cases, Five New Deaths Saturday. A grim start to the weekend as state health officials announced five additional deaths, two new hospitalizations, and 123 new confirmed cases—the most new cases announced in a single day since May 20. The people who died were two men and two women from Hillsborough County and one man from Belknap County, all age 60 or older. Four of the deaths were associated with a long-term care facility. Those are the most deaths in the state announced in a single day since June 26, when there were 8. There have been 455 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in New Hampshire over the course of the pandemic. (Source: WMUR) Manchester (96), Nashua (109), Bedford (59) and Warner (35) had the most active cases of COVID-19. Closer to the seacoast, Dover (12), Exeter (12), Durham (11), Rochester (10), Hampton (10), and Portsmouth (8) are all reporting active cases. (Source: N.H. DHHS) Meanwhile, as new cases surge in N.H., the United States reported 57,420 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, the highest daily totals since mid-August, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Source: NECN)

2. Vigils for COVID-19 Victims Planned in Bedford. A Bedford church will hold two candlelight vigils to mourn those who have died from COVID-19, including the 450 who have died in New Hampshire. The vigils, set for Monday and Oct. 19 at 6 p.m., both at Bedford Presbyterian Church, will happen at the same time as 22 other vigils across the country, said Rev. Jason Wells, executive director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

3. COVID-19 Brings Changes to Leaf-Peeping Season. Peak fall foliage usually attracts hordes of tourists to the Upper Valley, each hoping for a glimpse of the area’s famous multicolored leaves. But despite the return of fall colors, business owners say COVID-19 seems to have discouraged tourists from visiting this year. Eric Isaacs, a manager at Molly’s Restaurant and Bar, said that although business has improved this fall, the pandemic has made it difficult to tell whether the main driver is fall tourism or the recent return of Dartmouth College students to Hanover. “The students being back has definitely made us busier, but as far as leaf-peepers, we’re not seeing the bus tours that we used to see rolling up in the back parking lot,” Isaacs said. “It’s hard to say if we’re even getting any business at all from leaf-peepers.” (Source: The Dartmouth)

4. Hikers Urged to Use Extra Caution This Weekend. New Hampshire authorities are warning hikers to be extra careful this weekend. The state Fish and Game Department says this is the busiest weekend of the fall hiking season for both expert trekkers and casual leaf peepers. With a surge of hikers of all skill levels hitting the trail, they're warning visitors to be careful and responsible, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials say hikers should maintain safe social distancing and wear masks when that's not possible. (Source: WMUR)

5. Vendor Attends Enfield Market After Positive COVID-19 Test. Town officials are looking into contact tracing and potential quarantines after learning that a vendor at the Enfield Market tested positive for COVID-19 in the 24 hours before the Saturday event. “The vendor, Whiskey Kissed Co., departed the market immediately at the request of the market organizers,” according to a statement posted on the town’s Facebook page. Market vendors are required to comply with COVID-19 precautions including wearing face masks, making hand sanitizer available and maintaining social distance between booths. Organizers also ask vendors with any possible symptoms of COVID-19 to not participate. (Source: The Valley News)

6. Battling Homelessness During the Pandemic. Upper Valley Haven, a nonprofit that serves homeless and low-income residents on both sides of the Connecticut River in the Upper Valley, has been forced to close one of its three shelters and halve the capacity at its other two for safety. While private donors have helped the organization pick up some of the slack, the cancelation of fund raising events because of the pandemic has led to painful cutbacks, including the loss of on-site services from a doctor who consulted on mental health services. While $35 million in federal CARES Act money has been set aside for housing relief by Gov. Sununu, only a fraction of it has been tapped, largely because of the complicated application process. The application — which was shortened at the end of Aug. 25 to make it easier to fill — is available online at capnh.org. But under federal rules, all of the federal money received by the state must be spent before the end of the year. “There’s a stress in not having secure housing,” Community Service Coordinator Gwen Williams said. “We now go out to deliver food and to check on people living in hotels. We were up to 162 units at one point.“ (Source: NH Business Review)

7. Portsmouth Restaurant Remains Open After COVID Cases. Paul Sorli, owner of the Portsmouth Gas Light restaurant, said they are open for business but have reduced the area of the restaurant being used due to a recent exposure to COVID-19. “If there was an outbreak, hands down I would close the restaurant,” Sorli said. “I don’t want to be the cause of the infection spreading. I work here seven days a week and I certainly do not want to get COVID.” “We had a contact in the past week,” Sorli said. “It is not our first and we are handling it according to the CDC guidelines. Over the summer we had a UNH student working here who was exposed after traveling to North Carolina for a family event.” This time, two employees who sat side by side answering the phone were involved, one being his marketing manager. Both employees have tested positive and are quarantining at home. Sorli said he had a deep cleaning of the restaurant done overnight on Wednesday and has “cleaners that come in every night.” “We deep cleaned all surfaces, tables, counters, refrigerator handles,” he said. “We cleaned everything our employees and guests could have touched.” (Source: Seacoast Online) The news comes days after two other Portsmouth restaurants closed temporarily because of concerns that employees may have been exposed to one or more people infected with the virus.

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 9, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Saturday, October 10

Source: CovidActNow

On Friday, DHHS announced 97 new positive test results for COVID-19, one new hospitalization, and one new death. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. COVID Tracker: Cases Continue to Rise. The long-feared autumn rise in New Hampshire COVID-19 cases may have started to arrive last week, as reflected in a deterioration of the Concord Monitor’s weekly tracking and the state’s concern that community-wide transmission is happening in more areas. While the number of positive cases has been boosted by the inclusion of antigen tests, increased testing alone isn’t the only factor in the surge. Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette warned Thursday that community-wide spread was being seen in Hillsborough County and the Seacoast – the state’s population centers – driven by small clusters at events where people congregate such as at church, or sporting events or celebrations. While N.H. has yet to see a sustained increase in hospitalizations, the two-week average of new cases was was 37 on Sept. 30 but had risen to 53 by Thursday, Oct. 8. (Source: Concord Monitor) Meanwhile on a visit to Massachusetts on Friday, Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force said that she’s seeing signs of an early, asymptomatic “silent spread” of the coronavirus in the northeast. She said it’s critical that people in the region keep take action on a personal level despite pandemic fatigue. Birx said that while public spaces have become very safe, people are letting their guard down with the people they know in small gatherings which is contributing to the increase in community spread. On Monday, Birx will visit Plymouth State University, where her brother is the school’s president. (Source: CBS Boston)

2. Portsmouth Police Officers Test Positive, 16 Department Employees Quarantined. A month after two ranking city police officers tested positive for COVID-19, two other ranking officers have tested positive and 16 police employees are quarantined as a precautionary measure, said interim Portsmouth Chief Mark Newport. Both of the COVID-positive officers work in the detectives office so exposure was limited to that and the court office, Newport said. All police employees are being tested, he said. Of those quarantined, Newport reported, two are street patrol officers. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Second Portsmouth Restaurant Closes Temporarily Because of Possible COVID-19 Exposure. A state officials says Jumpin’ Jays Fish Cafe and Flatbread Pizza should be applauded for announcing precautionary closures due to potential COVID-19 exposure. “That’s what we want to see, so everyone is aware and can monitor themselves,” said Jake Leon, director of communications for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Jumpin’ Jays announced on Facebook, and with a sign on its door that it’s temporarily closed, “due to an abundance of caution,” as a result of “possible exposure to Covid-19.” The announcement states staff is doing well and self quarantining. Flatbread Company announced earlier this week it would close down until it can confirm that no employees are positive for the virus and to accommodate a deep cleaning of the restaurant. Portsmouth currently has five active cases and 121 to date. He said the number of COVID deaths in Portsmouth is not on the state website map because it’s too small. Leon reminded people testing is readily available. Uninsured people can contact his office though online at nh.gov/covid19 and arrangements will be made for free testing. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Faculty Driving New Surge in Cases at UNH. For weeks, administrators at the University of New Hampshire have cautioned students against violating the school’s COVID-19 safety policies—and have publicly admonished those who have. For the last two weeks, the school has seen more active cases in staff and faculty than in students. Cumulatively, staff and faculty have had 104 positive cases, whereas students have had 91 cases. This is especially concerning given the size of each group. At UNH, there are about 10,000 more students than there are faculty and staff. The rise in cases comes after 12 staff members were infected at a cluster event related to the university’s Dining Services. In an email sent out to the university community, Paul Dean, the associate vice president for public safety, and Ashley Lamb, the acting medical director, said all of the cases involved in the cluster were staff members who “may have also had contact with one another outside of the workplace”. Tyler Silverwood, the student body vice president at UNH, said the narrative surrounding students at UNH has been unfair. He said that while students are largely insulated from the outside world, faculty and staff leave the campus every day and interact with those who aren’t necessarily tested every week for the virus. Furthermore, faculty and staff are only tested once a week (opposed to students who are tested twice a week), which, Silverwood speculates, could mean more people are exposed to the virus before they discover they are COVID positive. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Students Face Tough Challenges During Time of COVID. College students participating in a virtual round table with Sen. Maggie Hassan on Thursday talked about the challenges of attending college in the time of COVID-19, including the difficulty of online learning, financial issues and even food insecurity. Erin Gaumond, a Plymouth State University arts major, said college students were excluded from the $1,200 stimulus checks that were sent out this year. Also, work study jobs evaporated. Parents, out of work during the pandemic, also weren’t able to help in many cases. “I do have many friends, not only at PSU, but at Keene and UNH, who weren’t able to continue their education. They had to defer, or they are looking at an extended time for getting their degree. They may be forced to go an extra year or two years, or have to leave without a degree,” said Gaumond. She urged Hassan to consider relief that could be made available to students who had to quit school and want to go back. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

6. Exeter Youth Hockey Program Shut Down After Dozen Players Test Positive for COVID-19. The Rinks at Exeter has temporarily suspended programs for three of its youth hockey teams after about a dozen players and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The 16-year-old players who were infected are members of a Seacoast Performance Academy team, according to general manager Chet Murch. Murch said there were about 12 players who tested positive since last Saturday. Others were awaiting test results on Thursday. Murch said the infected players appeared to be asymptomatic. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Meanwhile, WMUR is reporting that a hockey referee tested positive after working a game Oct. 3 at the Merrill Fay Arena in Laconia. The referee was also involved in games at the Biddeford Arena in Maine and Maine health officials said it's possible 400 players were exposed. As for whether several recent outbreaks involving youth and school sports might lead the state to reevaluate New Hampshire's youth sports guidelines, State Epidemiologist Benjamin Chan said the state is looking at that, and it would include input from the governor, his reopening task force and the Attorney General's Office. (Source: WMUR)

7. No Mask, No Bus. A 5th grader was kicked off a school bus for the rest of the school year earlier this week in the Grafton County town of Monroe because of a mask-wearing mishap. “Mask not worn over nose” is the noted reason why Brody Heath, age 9, can’t ride Bus 2 from JPI Transportation. “The Inappropriate Bus Behavior Notification” slip also stated that it was Heath’s second bus-riding offense, which his mother, Leilani Provencal, said was misleading since the first infraction had nothing to do with masks. School board members, according to Provencal, told her that the district could not alter bus company policy but that the issue could be discussed at the next school board meeting on Oct. 19. (Source: Caledonian-Record)

8. PPP Loan Forgiveness Process Now Simplified, SBA Says. Businesses that received less than $50,000 in Paycheck Protection Program funds now have a simplified form to submit to their bank to get forgiveness on that loan, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced Thursday night. The one-page form asks for such basic information as the number of employees, the amount of the loan and the amount to be forgiven. That’s it. Although there was a mad rush for the program at the beginning, applications slowed as the months went on, leaving some $130 billion on the table when the program ended on Aug. 8. Some businesses said they didn’t seek PPP assistance because they worried about the forgiveness process and didn’t want to go into deeper debt. This was particularly true of small businesses. Although the loan amount – 2.5 months of payroll – could be for as much as $10 million, the average loan size nationally was $105,000, and two-thirds of the businesses received less than $50,000. (Source: NH Business Review)

9. Bring on Winter Dining, Portsmouth Restaurant Pros Say. Snowstorms are fun, the apres ski vibe is chill, and if you build outdoor winter bars, people will come, say some in the local hospitality industry. “I’ve sat in the snow next to a heat lamp and enjoyed a beer,” said Carolyn Dagostino, owner of BRGR Bar. On Friday, she joined Dagan Migirditch from Liars Bench Beer Co., veteran bartender Maureen “Mo” Reilly from Statey, Bethany Hayes from TJ’s and Kevin Dwyer from Dwyer’s Pub to call for an extended winter dining and imbibing season. “We want to be like a port in the storm,” Dwyer said. “My clientele says they’re willing to do it.” Valerie Rochon, president of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, said Friday the chamber invited every local restaurant to join a Wednesday virtual discussion about staying open, inside and/or out, over the winter. She said 11 restaurants participated and the “takeaway was that there are restaurants who would like the flexibility for their outdoor dining permits to be extended through the winter, or even year-round.”Rochon said she’s been in constant contact with city officials and believes there’s support for year-round dining for restaurants with their own outdoor spaces and/or existing sidewalk permits. (Source: Seacoast Online)

10. State Asks Judge to Dismiss Lawsuit Seeking to End Governor’s Emergency Powers. A judge is taking up a motion to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the governor's emergency orders are unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed by a man who has also been fighting Nashua's mask ordinance. The suit claims governor's declarations exceed his powers. The state is asking a judge to dismiss the case, saying the plaintiff hasn't been harmed by the state of emergency. An attorney for the plaintiff says the continued state of emergency infringes on lives and businesses, arguing the initial shutdown was to slow the spread of the virus. “The governor has now extended that declaration nine times. That is not the bill of goods we were sold back in March,” Attorney Robert Fojo said. (Source: WMUR)

11. Remote Learning Update: Attendance Good But Tech Problems Abound. New Hampshire schools that have so far been partially or fully remote this year say class attendance has been high, almost on par with or even better than in-person attendance numbers this time last year. But for the schools that are still virtual this year, technological inequities are still prominent. Educators say for the kids who don’t show up to class, it’s usually a technology or connectivity issue, which becomes a major problem when technology is so crucial to keeping in touch with students. Dover is one district in the state that still does not have a laptop for every student. And because live instruction is now a go-to for many teachers, Zoom rooms are becoming overloaded and some students and teachers are losing connections during class. “There have been a couple times this week where kids have continually logged out and log on, or get booted off and have to log back on,” said Lisa Dillingham, a middle school teacher and president of the Dover teacher’s union. “Some of our teachers’ technology is so ancient. Some of the things that we’ve been trying to do, especially with Zoom, it takes up a lot of bandwidth and if you don’t have a computer that can handle it, it causes problems.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

12. Santa Claus is Coming...to Zoom. This holiday season, professional Santas will be asking kids for their wish lists with the Santas talking to them over laptops instead of on laps. “We’re becoming experts on Zoom,” said Dan Greenleaf, a professional Santa who also works as a booking agent for other New England Santas. “I’ve always been a problem solver, but this year is putting me to the test,” Greenleaf said. He said it’s important to make sure children have a Santa experience despite the pandemic. “I don’t want families to go through without a Santa this year,” Greenleaf said. “I think we’ve got plenty of options. We can still give children and families that Santa experience this year.” But safety for the Santas themselves is also a critical part of the equation. “Most of us are not in the most physically fit conditions, it sort of comes with the job,” Greenleaf said. Even in the best of winters, Santas get sick with colds and flu after coming into contact with so many members of the public, especially children. Some Santa have decided to opt out of the season this year rather than risk getting sick. However, one venue that has always had Santa, according to manager Jim Miller, is Santa’s Village in Jefferson. This season will be no different, though visitors will be doing socially distanced visits with the big guy. “Those socially-distanced visits with Santa have been just as popular and just as well received as the traditional knee-top chats,” Miller said. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 9, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Friday, October 9

On Thursday, state health officials announced 79 new cases, two new hospitalizations and one new death. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Death Toll Now at 5 in Bedford Nursing Home Outbreak. As of Thursday, the active COVID-19 outbreak at the Bedford Hills Center Nursing Home has claimed 5 lives and has spread to 55 residents and 15 staff. State officials also announced a new nursing home outbreak at Warde Health Center in Windham. So far, 3 residents and one staff member have tested positive. (Source: InDepthNH)

2. State Criticized for Low Medicaid Payments To Nursing Homes. Staffing long-term care facilities was a challenge before the coronavirus pandemic but is now a critical issue, a legislative study committee was told Thursday. Facility representatives spoke to the Committee to Study the Safety of Residents and Employees in Long-Term Care Facilities saying there are things the state could do to help. Thomas Blonski, president and CEO of NH Catholic Charities, said the state’s low Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes may cause many facilities “to die on the vine.” He said his organization loses $45 a day per patient for Medicaid patients, and they represent 80 percent of the organization’s patients. “New Hampshire is at the bottom of the heap in funding for nursing home residents,” Blonski said. “Without CARES Act dollars, our losses would be in excess of $5 million.” He said nursing homes need good testing, ample personal protection equipment and a sufficient Medicaid rate to pay staff “the dignity of a living wage.” The committee chair state Sen. Jon Morgan, D-Brentwood, said the committee heard Blonski’s concerns. “Increased Medicaid rates and the dignity of a livable wage would go a long way to be supportive for long-term care facilities,” he said, “and to attract and maintain staff.” (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Long-Term Care Ombudsman To Resume Facility Visits. The state's long-term care ombudsman, Susan Buxton, is preparing to re-enter long-term care facilities as state and federal authorities continue the process of slowly re-opening nursing homes and assisted living facilities, allowing more visitors in hopes of alleviating social isolation. "We are now in the process of putting together our plan to be able to go back into the facilities," Buxton said. Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, handling complaints and helping to resolve problems. However, because they were not designated as "essential" by the governor, they were not allowed into these facilities during the months since the pandemic hit, Buxton said. "This has been really challenging," Buxton said. "And I'm concerned because the numbers are going up." (Source: NHPR)

4. Coronavirus Cases on the Rise in Maine and N.H. Cases of COVID-19 are rising nationally, and New Hampshire and Maine are not exceptions, leaving doctors to wonder if this is the beginning of the predicted second wave. New Hampshire remains in a good position regarding COVID cases, said Dr. Apara Dave, an infectious disease doctor at Exeter Hospital. She said she has seen small increases in the numbers of cases over the past month. “It’s not clear if it is a second wave,” said Dave. “We have to keep watch. I think the potential is there but if we stick to our safety protocols, like social distancing and masks, I am hopeful we will be OK.” Pamela Poulin, executive director of critical care services at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, said she has not seen a surge in hospitalizations yet. “We are hopeful that people following the guidelines, wearing masks, practicing social distancing will defer a second wave,” she said. “But hospitals across the state, including us, are preparing for it.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. As Cases Rise, N.H.Health Officials Tout Low Test Positivity Rate. While there has been a major increase in the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Hampshire recent weeks, state health officials say the increase is at least partly due to more testing statewide. More testing means more cases. So a key indicator when it comes to how fast the disease is spreading is the percentage of people being tested who test positive. State Epidemiologist Ben Chan said Thursday that N.H.’s positivity rate remains relatively low—which indicates the illness is still under control. However, Chan says that may be changing. “We believe that there’s also evidence of increasing community transmission, especially in the southern communities” of the state, Chan said. “As we identify people with COVID-19, we continue to conduct public health contact investigations on each and every person to identify close contacts, who are then tested to identify additional infection.” He said public health officials are seeing an increasing number of people who are close contacts. Chan said the highest-risk activities for spreading the virus continue to be social gatherings. (Source: Associated Press)

6. Merrimack Students Quarantined After 6 Positive Cases Found. About 170 students in Merrimack are in quarantine after a contact tracing investigation involving six positive COVID-19 cases were reported last week in the district. The high school also postponed activities for six sports teams. Superintendent Mark McLaughlin said contact tracing pointed school officials to athletic teams that might have been exposed to a positive case during play or practice. McLaughlin said the quarantined students are being supported with remote learning and their quarantine time is ending soon.He said state health officials confirmed there was no in-school transmission. (Source: WMUR) Meanwhile, Plymouth Regional High School closed early on Thursday after the district was made aware of a student’s positive COVID-19 test. The school will remain closed until Tuesday. “The long weekend will allow time for Plymouth Regional High School to receive a deep cleaning to ensure the safety of all students and staff,” Kyla Welch, superintendent of SAU 48, wrote in the announcement. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

7. Nashua Health Officials Urge Anyone Who Attended Gate City Church to Get Tested for COVID-19. At least nine people have tested positive after attending prayer services, and city officials said there could be more. In a news conference Thursday morning, city officials asked people who attended that church late last month to get tested immediately. Nashua Public Health Director Bobbie Bagley said people who attended a multi-day prayer service from Sept. 18-28 need to monitor for signs and symptoms, as well as get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. State health officials have notified people who had close contact with those infected, but they said they want to notify others who might have been near them as well. "Any individual that attended the services either as a member or as a guest, we want those individuals to get tested," Bagley said. (Source: WMUR)

8. New Hampshire Voters Receiving Unidentified Mailers Containing Absentee Ballot Application Forms. Voters in a handful of New Hampshire towns including Goffstown, Kingston and Seabrook have received mailers containing request forms for absentee ballots that appeared to be from their town clerks — but came from an unknown entity, possibly from outside New Hampshire. “State law requires that a mailing such as this contain the identity of the entity mailing and distributing the form. No such identification accompanies the attached mailer,” a news release from the Attorney General’s Office stated. A message on note accompanying the form states, “You are needed please fill this out and mail it in.” The mailer also contains a return envelope with the recipient’s town city or clerk in the address block. Officials want voters to be aware that these unidentified mailers have not been sent by New Hampshire town or city clerks or by any state agency. (Sources: Manchester Union Leader and WMUR) You can obtain an official application for an absentee ballot by requesting one from your city or town clerk, or by downloading and completing an online application available from the N.H. Secretary of State’s website here.

9. N.H. Jobless Picture Improves. Thus far, the improvement in the state’s employment outlook has been slow, but last week it sped up a lot. Initial unemployment claims fell by 31% to 1,518 for the week ending Oct. 3. It was the largest one-week decline, percentagewise, since the recession started in March. The number of filings is still about three times higher pre-pandemic levels, but if the decrease continues at this new accelerated rate, the state could be back to normal – at least when it comes to number of new layoffs – by Election Day. (Source: NH Business Review)

10. Flatbread Company to Close Temporarily Due to Possible COVID-19 Exposure. The Flatbread Company restaurant in Portsmouth announced Thursday evening that it is closing temporarily due to an abundance of caution over a possible COVID-19 exposure. A press release from the restaurant said it had been notified that a team member tested positive for COVID-19 “after an interaction with a confirmed case outside of our work environment.” The team member who had limited interaction with dining room guests last worked Sunday morning and did not display symptoms until later in the week, the press release said. (Source: Seacoast Online)

11. Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Concerts Canceled Because of COVID-19. Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra concerts have been canceled through November amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the only time in 23 years the orchestra has moved to cancel concerts, orchestra officials said. Organizers said they waited as long as they could before making the decision, but had to do so to protect musicians and audience members, and to follow state guidelines. (Source: WMUR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 8, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Thursday, October 8

Source: N.H. DHHS

On Wednesday, state officials reported 2 new COVID-19 deaths, two new hospitalizations, and 71 new cases. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. State Prepares for Challenges Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine. State health officials are gearing up for challenges in distributing a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Beth Daly, the chief of New Hampshire’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said the state has been developing strategies for months to effectively dole out COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are ready. Daly said they are working on a set of guidelines to distribute the vaccine equitably. “We’re not expecting there is going to be enough vaccine for everyone initially,” she said during a roundtable with U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan on Wednesday. Daly said the department also anticipates challenges tracking which vaccines each person has received. If there are multiple vaccines available to the public, it will be imperative to make sure each individual is finishing their respective series of medications. Right now, New Hampshire is the only state without an immunization registry. Daly said the department is working to roll out a registry before COVID-19 vaccines become available. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. Potential COVID-19 Outbreak Linked to Nashua Church. Health officials said seven cases of COVID-19 have been identified in people who attended events hosted by Gate City Church in Nashua. The events include a multiday prayer session held from Sept. 19-28. DHHS said anyone who attended events associated with the church since Sept. 19 might have been exposed and should watch for symptoms and seek testing. The church has now moved to virtual events only. (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Long-Term Care Facilities in Nashua and Manchester Told to Change Reopening Status as Community COVID-19 Cases Rise. With a rise in COVID-19 cases in the southeastern portion of New Hampshire, state health officials are telling long-term care facilities to keep a close eye on the latest numbers. "We want all of you to be looking at paying attention to the data that's out there, because this will impact what happens in businesses, organizations, long-term care facilities, schools around the state," said state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. Health officials said the rise in cases means some facilities have to adjust which reopening phase they're in. Those in Manchester and Nashua should be in phase one, while most everyone else can be in phase two. (Source: WMUR) Note: Phase 1 requires daily screening of residents and people entering nursing home facilities, but not any actual testing beyond periodic ‘surveillance’ testing conducted on a smaller sample of residents and staff. (Source: N.H. DHHS) Nursing home administrators have been vocal about the need for daily testing for all residents and staff.

4. Delegation Slams Trump for Slamming Door on COVID-19 Relief Bill. While the first COVID relief bill, the CARES Act, was passed after a few tense days in March, a second round of stimulus legislation has been sputtering along for months. Two bills passed in the Democratically-controlled House have been ignored by Republican Senate leaders, and a Republican-led bill in the Senate failed to win any Democratic support. A presidential tweet Tuesday seemed to close the door to any more negotiations before the election. New Hampshire’s Congressional delegation, all Democrats, criticized the president’s decision in harsh statements. Rep. Chris Pappas called it “the height of irresponsibility” for the president to end talks, and last month called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to introduce a “clean relief package that has direct assistance for those in need.” In her statement on the negotiation-ending tweet, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen focused on the consequences of inaction, like potential layoffs of police, firefighters and teachers as cities and states struggle to balance their budgets. “Small businesses are closing, families are being evicted and hospitals have laid off staff during a pandemic,” Shaheen said. “New Hampshire needs a bipartisan deal now.” (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

5. N.H. School Superintendents Warn Lawmakers About Staff And Budget Shortfalls. Public school officials told legislators Wednesday the state has sent conflicting messages, failed to provide timely safety and health guidance, and needs to provide additional money to school districts in order to continue reopening schools during the pandemic. Superintendents are warning of budget shortfalls and staff shortages as they navigate the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to members of the House and Senate Education committees on Wednesday, district leaders praised schools for figuring out how to reopen safely and provide services to families, but they said community frustration with schools are high, and staff shortages could force schools to go remote all over again. Substitute teacher shortages have plagued New Hampshire for years, but with COVID-19 safety protocols requiring any student or teacher with any symptom of the coronavirus to remain home, substitutes are in even greater demand. White Mountains Regional School District Superintendent Marion Anastasia said, “This shortage could literally shut us down if we don't have teachers, paraprofessionals, nurses, bus drivers and cooks for students and custodians to keep our schools safe and clean," she warned. New Hampshire schools have received $34 million in federal coronavirus relief aid, but district leaders say many schools will need more than their allotted amounts to remain open this year with proper HVAC systems, PPE, air filters, cleaning supplies, and technology. (Sources: InDepthNH)

6. Some Local Election Officials Question Apparent Changes in Absentee Ballot Mail Delivery. State election officials say they will work with their counterparts in the U.S. Postal Service to clear up concerns around an apparent policy change that’s causing some absentee ballots to make an extra trip through regional processing hubs, even if they’re just going from one address to another within the same city or town. As recently as the September state primary, election clerks across New Hampshire say their post offices were able to hold onto absentee ballots heading to or from voters with local addresses. But some clerks now say they were surprised to learn, when shipping out their absentee ballots for the general election, that’s no longer the case. Instead, some clerks say absentee ballots and other mail that previously stayed local is now being sent through regional processing centers in Manchester, N.H., or White River Junction, Vt. — resulting in an extra day or more of travel time. When questioned by NHPR, Stephen Doherty, a regional spokesman for the agency, pointed to a number of steps the Postal Service has recently taken to accelerate the delivery of absentee ballots. But Doherty did not address direct questions from NHPR seeking clarification about the changes local clerks have encountered when sending their absentee ballots to voters for the general election. Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said Tuesday that his office would follow up on the issue. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile in Manchester, post office officials promised to deliver absentee ballots being returned by voters despite a supplemental ballot inserted by the city that increases the weight of the envelope to more than would typically be allowed for a first-class stamp. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

7. Concord Theaters Plan to Apply for Cares Act Money. Two theaters at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the number of people they can accommodate, have found themselves in the same boat when it comes to the pandemic—strapped for operating funds. Both the tiny Hatbox Theater and the much larger Capitol Center for the Arts plan to apply for CARES Act funding for live venues announced this week. In all, $12 million is available for places “primarily engaged in hosting live theatrical presentations, musical entertainment, and/or sporting or racing events, that are seated, ticketed, and open to the public.” (Source: Concord Monitor) The application period for the state’s Live Venue Relief Program, is open now, from October 5, 2020, to October 13, 2020. More information and an application are available here.

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 7, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Wednesday, October 7

A pollworker at the Portsmouth Absentee Voting Center registers a new voter in City Hall Chambers.

State health officials reported two new COVID-19 deaths, 53 new cases, and no new hospitalizations on Tuesday. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. N.H. Communities Open Election Centers for Absentee Voting. Portsmouth isn’t the only N.H. city or town that has opened a COVID-safe absentee voting center. Rochester has transformed its spacious community center into an election center, offering plenty of hand sanitizer and lots of room for voters to safely socially distance. "People can come down to this location and request an absentee ballot, change their party affiliation, get registered to vote and they can have their absentee ballot today," said Rochester City Clerk Kelly Walters. Meanwhile, Portsmouth has turned its city council chambers into an absentee voting center. City Clerk Kelli Barnaby said more than 300 people stopped by Monday. (Source: WMUR) For more information on absentee voting in Portsmouth see the Voting Information page on the City of Portsmouth website. IMPORTANT: if you choose to vote absentee, do not use a felt-tipped pen or a Sharpie when completing your ballot. Ink can bleed through to the other side of the two-sided ballot. The problem can be avoided if you use a black or blue ballpoint pen. You can see a list of other mistakes to avoid when voting absentee here. (Source: NHPR)

2. Trump Urged Supporters To 'Watch The Polls' – But What Does N.H. Law Allow? President Trump’s call to supporters to “go to the polls and watch very carefully” has alarmed election officials in some states who worry that the message could create conflict or even confrontations at the polls. In New Hampshire, though, observing the voting process and counting of ballots is legal – to a point. Voters in the Granite State are allowed to watch the action, as long as they keep a distance, stay out of the areas specified for voting, and don’t do or wear anything that could be considered campaigning. But if they do anything that veers into the realm of intimidation or campaigning, they can be removed. Under RSA 659:40, any person who threatens “force, violence, or any tactic of coercion or intimidation to knowingly induce or compel any other person to vote or refrain from voting” is guilty of a Class B felony. (Source: Concord Monitor via NHPR)

3. Manchester Joins Nashua at State’s Highest Level of Community Transmission. On Tuesday, Manchester joined Nashua on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard in the “substantial” category for overall level of community transmission, which is defined using three metrics: New Cases per 100k over 14 days; New Hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days; and 7-Day PCR Test Positivity Rate. Over the weekend, Manchester became the first N.H. city to reach the ‘substantial’ level—which is the highest level on the state’s scale—but dropped to a lower level within two days. But now both of the state’s largest cities are reporting community transmission at the highest level. Nashua had 84 active cases of COVID-19 Tuesday; Manchester 66 and Bedford 46 as the three highest in the state. (Source: InDepthNH)

4. Increased Prices of PPE Create Additional Hardship for Healthcare Providers. Healthcare providers, already hurting from the lost business during the pandemic, are facing another financial challenge— the increased costs of personal protective equipment. Steve Ahnen, the president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, said in a recent survey, many hospital representatives responded that the PPE access and price were still huge concerns of theirs. Hospitals in New Hampshire have already lost hundreds of millions of dollars due to COVID-19 and overpriced PPE isn’t helping. Ahnen said he’s heard anecdotally that price inflation has decreased from 1,000% of the original price to about 400% of the original price. “The cost of acquiring PPE has risen astronomically,” he said. “Hospitals are spending significantly more on the same PPE they’ve been purchasing for years.” Michael Auerbach, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Dental Society, said dental practices have faced similar problems acquiring PPE, as many supply chains have dried up. He said some dentists, faced with backlogs from their usual suppliers, have had to turn to Amazon or Home Depot to order equipment like masks and gowns. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. N.H.'s State University System Faces $70M Deficit Amid COVID-19 Fiscal Impacts. University of New Hampshire Chancellor Todd Leach says the university system is anticipating a multi-million dollar deficit due to a number of factors. “A lot of the costs associated with testing and PPE, cleaning and also a cost associated with reducing the density of our dorm spaces. All of those things collectively, even with some significant cost-cutting measures we're taking, we're expecting to lead us to somewhere around a $70 million deficit,” Leach said. He says cuts are being planned, but they will be strategic so money can be reinvested in areas that “are really more important to the core missions of the institutions.” (Source: NHPR)

6. State Revenues Rebound Despite the Pandemic. Pandemic-impacted state revenues rebounded in September led by business and tobacco taxes. Released Tuesday by Administrative Services, state revenues for the month are $20 million more than anticipated, almost the same as business taxes were over the budget plan. One-quarter into the 2021 fiscal year, the state has about $6 million more than budget writers anticipated to have a balanced budget, and $53 million more than a year ago. Business taxes for September produced $145.6 million, $20.3 million more than anticipated and $39.8 million more than a year ago. For the year to date, business taxes have produced $196 million, which is $35 million more than predicted, and $40 million more than a year ago. The Department of Revenue Administration said the increase in revenue is primarily due to an increase in estimated payments and extension payments from multinational corporations and a decrease in refund requests. (Source: InDepthNH)

7. New Hampshire Bankruptcy Filings Fall Again in September. The number of bankruptcies filed in New Hampshire hit yet another record low in September, continuing to defy expectations during the pandemic-induced recession. Some 71 Granite State businesses and individuals filed for protection, the lowest number of any month since 1988, save for three months in 2005 following a change in the bankruptcy law that made it much harder to file. (Source: NH Business Review)

8. Rural Health Center Waiting To See If ‘Survival’ Help Will Come. A rural community health center in need of “survival funding” will have to wait at least another week to find if it can receive COVID-19 relief to continue to serve 4,200. Mascoma Community Health Center, which serves the medical, dental, mental, and pharmacy needs for residents of Dorchester, Canaan, Enfield, Grafton, and Orange is seeking help to keep its doors open. The center – that sees patients regardless of health insurance based on ability to pay – is facing a net operating loss of $446,895 without more COVID-19 funding relief, according to documents received by the state. Since the pandemic, the center has seen a 46 percent loss in medical revenue and a 44 percent loss in dental care revenue, plus a significant decline in fundraising compared to 2019 and has a net operating loss of $446,985. (Source: InDepthNH)

9. Livestreaming of New Hampshire Trials Criticized. As Hillsborough County Superior Court hosts its first trial in half a year on Wednesday, critics are unhappy with plans to livestream trials, including victim testimony, especially in cases involving sexual assault or domestic abuse. Hillsborough County Attorney Michael Conlon and a victim-rights advocate expressed concerns about the live broadcasts on the New Hampshire Judiciary website. Although the victim in Wednesday’s trial is aware of the broadcast, Conlon said he worries that the process could discourage victims from testifying in future trials. “We want victims to feel safe and secure in the criminal justice process. It’s very important that the public have access to the trial, but we also want to minimize impact to victims of crime,” Conlon said. The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence believes the court should rethink whether to livestream cases that involve intimate partners, said Amanda Grady Sexton, the organization’s director of public affairs. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

10. Portsmouth City Council Wrestles with Extension of Outdoor Dining Through November. City councilors on Monday debated the idea of extending outdoor dining permits – both on private property and public streets – past the current end date of Oct. 31. Some councilors sought to give flexibility to restaurateurs who want to invest in patio heaters and blankets, while others felt the demand for an extension hasn’t presented itself.Ultimately, the council tabled Councilor Deaglan McEachern’s proposal – to extend outdoor dining through November – until its next meeting scheduled for Oct. 18. McEachern and Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine were adamant the council should give the go-ahead, and let the market decide what works. “I’d like to leave this in the hands of the restaurants,” McEachern said. “Some may close up shop early, others may want to take advantage if there is warmer weather.” Splaine called it a “brilliant idea,” and noted some restaurants may want to “be a little innovative around the holiday time.” Finding ways to make “that extra $2,000 to 3,000” may be the difference “from being able to stay open or closed,” he said. (Source: Seacoast Online)

11. Corn Mazes Back for Halloween—With Changes. The pandemic might be upending trick-or-treating but another tradition of Halloween season, the corn maze, is still going strong. It appears that most farms around New Hampshire which hosted corn mazes last year are holding them again his year, taking advantage of the dry weather and people being more comfortable outdoors. There are changes, of course, most visible in layout. “The paths are a foot wider than they were before. We’ve aimed for 5 feet, now it’s 6 feet,” said Nate Kimball, owner of Beech Hill Farm in Hopkinton. “We have quite a few spots where people can move over to the side, let everybody pass if a group is moving too fast or moving too slow. Another goal of mazes in the COVID era: Reducing the number of dead-end paths in the pattern. These are a traditional indication that maze-goers have gone astray but they’re also a place where different groups can pile up, getting closer than social distancing suggests. (Source: Concord Monitor)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 6, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Tuesday, October 6

On Monday the state of New Hampshire announced one new COVID-19 death, 35 new cases, and no new hospitalizations. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. N.H. COVID Update: Sharp Rise in New Cases Over the Weekend; Almost 500 People Have the Disease. The recent slow rise in new COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire became noticeably faster over the weekend. The state reported 218 new cases from Friday through Sunday, the most we’ve seen in three consecutive days since June 4-6, four months ago. The spike appears to have been driven largely by cases in the southern tier and UNH. The state’s COVID-19 dashboard says the town of Durham, for example, has an active caseload of 151 per 100,000 people, Nashua has 86 and Manchester 60, compared to 19 active cases per 100,000 people in Concord. Durham’s results may be higher because the large-scale testing at UNH has not yet been fully integrated into the state’s reporting. (Source: Concord Monitor) Worth noting is that on Monday, CovidActNow, an independent nonprofit COVID-19 monitoring group, raised N.H’s COVID-19 risk level from “Slow disease growth” to “At risk of outbreak”—the same alert level as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. Meanwhile, the alert levels for Vermont (“On track to contain COVID”) and Maine (“Slow disease growth”) remained unchanged. (Source: CovidActNow) Vermont’s status remained unchanged despite a jump in cases over the past week highlighted by an outbreak affecting 26 migrant farm workers working at a large apple orchard in Shoreham. The workers have been placed in 14-day quarantine. (Source: The Valley News)

2. Substantial Spread of COVID-19 Seen in Nashua. One of New Hampshire's largest cities is now considered a "red" community because of rising transmission levels of COVID-19. The spread of the coronavirus in Nashua is now considered substantial, up from moderate, according to Nashua public health officials. They said they have been following the trend of rising cases in the city and surrounding towns for the past month. "Our new cases per 100,000 is at about 100.7, which is what pushed us from moderate community level transmission to substantial community level transmission," said Nashua epidemiologist Angela Consentino. Nashua's public health director Bobbie Bagley said slowing the spread depends on people following good practices, including washing hands, wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. Nashua officials said that a few weeks ago, they were seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases among 19- to 29-year-olds, but that has now slowed, and the majority of cases are in people 65 and older, those who are most at risk of developing serious symptoms. (Source: WMUR)

3. Rapid COVID Tests Arrive In N.H.; State Encourages Students To Get Tested. With hundreds of thousands of rapid COVID-19 antigen testing supplies slated to arrive in the coming months, the state says it will now include those results in its daily coronavirus testing figures. The state says through early October, it recorded 126 positive antigen tests, which will now be counted toward the state’s official number of confirmed cases. The federal government is expected to provide a total of 400,000 Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen tests to the state by the end of the year. According to information on the state’s website, antigen tests are being administered at multiple Convenient MD and ClearChoice MD urgent care facilities. Hospitals and other providers continue to offer PCR tests. With the increase in testing capabilities, New Hampshire is seeing a corresponding rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases. As of October 3, the seven-day average of positive cases reached 53, compared to mid-August when the seven-day average bottomed out at 17 positive cases. (Source: NHPR).

4. Sen. Shaheen Says COVID-19 Cases in White House, Senate Should be "Wake up Call" for Nation. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has said the president and first lady’s COVID-19 positive diagnoses are a wake-up call for the country. Shaheen said the slew of cases among top Republicans in the White House and Senate should prompt action on a new relief bill, when it is safe to reconvene. Shaheen said she wished the president, first lady, her Republican colleagues and everyone testing positive for COVID-19 a full recovery, but she believes the cluster of cases traced to the White House should make everyone take a step back. “I think this is a reminder of just how critical it is for us to take coronavirus seriously,” Shaheen said. Shaheen said the focus now should be on passing a second COVID-19 relief bill with sufficient help for the people and the states. (Source: WMUR)

5. Despite Moratorium, Evictions Back Up. Hundreds of renters in New Hampshire have received eviction notices over the past month, even after a new eviction moratorium took effect on Sept. 4, state court data show. As Families In Transition-New Horizons staff meet people experiencing homelessness in their Manchester shelter and in encampments around the city, “we continue to see new faces,” said Megan Shea, the organization’s chief program officer. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

6. State Launches Grant Program to Help Live Performance Venues. The state has launched a $12 million relief program to help live performance venues that have been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants of up to $1.5 million are available for nonprofit and for-profit facilities that are primarily engaged in hosting live theatrical presentations, musical entertainment, or sporting or racing events that are seated, ticketed, and open to the public. Live performance venues have been hit particularly hard during the pandemic with many live shows and events postponed or canceled and physical distancing requirements limiting the capacity of venues still hosting events. The deadline to apply is October 13 and the application is available here. (Source: WMUR)

7. Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Underway in Maine and New Hampshire. As candidates finalize their pitches to voters prior to Election Day, some voters have made up their minds and have already cast absentee ballots. Both Maine and New Hampshire have already received record numbers of absentee ballot requests with just under a month to go before the Nov. 3 general election. Maine has received 277,000 requests. Normally the state receives around 40,000 absentee ballot requests for a presidential election. New Hampshire greatly expanded absentee voting in this election by classifying concern over COVID-19 as a qualifying disability. As of Sept. 29, the state has received 148,630 absentee ballot requests. In New Hampshire, voters can mail in their ballots or drop them off either in person with their municipal clerk. In both states ballots must be received by November 3 to be counted. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 5, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Monday, October 5

On Sunday, one new death and 53 new COVID-19 cases were announced by state officials. There were no new hospitalizations. Here is the other pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Does N.H. Have Enough Contact Tracers? With N.H.’s daily case count trending upward over the past few weeks, a non-profit watchdog group affiliated with Georgetown University Medical Center, the Harvard Global Health Center, and Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center cautions the number of active cases in N.H. may now exceed the state’s ability to investigate them. According to CovidActNow, with 68 new daily cases on average, New Hampshire needs an estimated 340 contact tracers on staff to trace each new case to a known case within 48 hours of detection. Per available data, New Hampshire has 110 contact tracers, fulfilling 32% of this staffing requirement. With insufficient contact tracing staff, the group says New Hampshire is unlikely to be able to successfully identify and isolate sources of disease spread fast enough to prevent new outbreaks. (Source: CovidActNow)

2. Nashua COVID-19 Community Transmission: ‘Substantial’ and Manchester Down to ‘Moderate’. The state Department of Health and Human Services has announced Nashua has reached “substantial” with 73 active cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile Manchester, which became the first community to hit the “substantial” level on Saturday, has returned to “moderate” status. The status level for community transmission is one of the key metrics appearing on the state’s COVID-19 schools dashboard. It is defined using New Cases per 100k over 14 days; New Hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days; and 7-Day PCR Test Positivity Rate. Community transmission levels are one of the key indicators the state recommends local school board officials use to make decisions about transitioning between remote, hybrid, and in-person learning. (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Some Nashua Parents, Students to Rally Today for Return to Classroom. At least 100 parents and students are expected outside of Ledge Elementary School at 9 a.m. Monday to rally in support of Nashua students getting back in the classrooms. The Nashua School District -- which is in a fully remote learning model for most students -- had early plans to switch to a hybrid model in October before they decided against it. “They are saying that we will go back in January, but there really isn’t a true plan on how that will go, so we really want some answers,” said Danielle Dion, one of the event organizers who has two high schoolers and another son in fifth grade. The group has sent letters to Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess and to New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. It has also filed an appeal with the city’s Board of Education and started a petition in support of in-person learning. (Source: NECN)

4. N.H. Food Bank Expresses Concern Over Politicization of Food Aid. During the pandemic, the number of people obtaining food from the state’s food pantries has soared. Starting last week, food boxes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture started arriving at the New Hampshire Food Bank with something more than food—a letter with President Donald Trump’s signature. “As part of our response to coronavirus, I prioritized sending nutritious food from our farmers to families in need throughout America,” the letter says. The letter has been criticized by many food bank directors for politicizing a service for families in need, just weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Written in both English and Spanish, the letter touts the president’s dedication to the safety of Americans. Last week, the USDA mandated that all packages in the Farmers to Families Food Box Program include the letter from Trump. Nancy Mellitt, director of development for the New Hampshire Food Bank, said the staff first noticed the letters in a shipment that was distributed on Tuesday. “We are a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization, we don’t like having the letter in the box – it’s not who we are,” she said. “We’re not endorsing any party or individual.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Remdesivir Clinical Trials Show Improved Recovery Time In COVID-19 Patients at Dartmouth Hitchcock. In March, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center joined 97 other institutions around the world to conduct clinical trials on Remdesivir. The hospital started offering the drug to most of its COVID-19 patients and is now available at most hospitals. Dr. Richard Zuckerman a DHMC Infectious Disease Physician and Researcher said it was important to get data out early so that the medication could be used broadly because it showed some success. “What Remdesivir showed was an improved time to recovery, a trend toward lower mortality in the severe trial,” Zuckerman said. “And in the moderate trial, they also showed an improvement in time to recovery in patients receiving five days in Remdesivir.” President Donald Trump is currently taking Remdesivir as he fights his own battle with COVID-19. Other patients can take it as well if they meet emergency use criteria and are at low risk for complications from the drug itself. (Source: WMUR)

6. Regal Cinemas Considering Temporary Closure of All U.S. Theaters. The parent company of Regal Cinemas said it was considering temporarily closing all its screens in the United States after studios pulled major releases such as the latest James Bond film. The chain operates two locations in New Hampshire, in Hooksett and Newington. Parent-company Cineworld, the world’s second-biggest cinema operator, is also expected to shutter theaters in Britain. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

7. Portsmouth Absentee Voting Center Opens Today. Voters wishing to avoid potentially crowded polling places on Election Day may register, obtain an absentee ballot, and return an absentee ballot at the Voting Center inside City Council Chambers. But due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Center cannot accommodate voting within the City Hall Municipal Complex. City Clerk staff will also be available outside of City Hall on Saturday October 10, October 17, October 24 and October 31, from 9 am to 12 noon, to collect absentee ballots from voters who are returning their own ballots. (Source: Seacoast Online) If this is your first time voting absentee, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the process and to avoid common mistakes that could result in your ballot being rejected. One of the most common mistakes is mailing your ballot too close to the Election Day deadline. In N.H., ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day will not be counted. Failing to sign the affidavit on the inner envelope and not including postage are other “gotchas” that can result in issues with your vote being counted. (Source: NHPR)

8. An Election Infected by the Coronavirus. In this commentary, veteran State House reporter Gary Rayno reflects on a campaign for the heart and soul of America that centers on what he says is one issue—the coronavirus and what was and was not done to slow its spread and prevent hundreds of thousands of Americans from losing their lives. (Source: InDepthNH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 4, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center-NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Sunday, October 4

New Hampshire health officials announced 66 new positive tests for COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the number of current cases in the state to 500. That's the highest number of current cases since July 26. There were no new hospitalizations or deaths. Here’s the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. Manchester COVID-19 Community Transmission: ‘Substantial’ with 81 Cases. Manchester has become the first N.H. community on the state school dashboard map to reach the red “substantial” level for community transmission with 81 active cases. The level is defined using three metrics: New Cases per 100k over 14 days; New Hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days; and 7-Day PCR Test Positivity Rate. The community transmission level is one of the key factors used to determine potential shifts to in-person, hybrid, or remote learning in public schools. The three communities with the highest number of active cases Saturday are Manchester (81), Nashua (72), and Bedford (43).(Source: InDepthNH) Worth noting is that while the community transmission level in Manchester is “substantial”, the state school dashboard map for October 3 does not list any active outbreaks or cases in city schools.

2. Sex Crimes Against Children Tips Triple During COVID, Says ICAC Commander. Soon after COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were issued in March, cyber tips to the Portsmouth-based Internet Crimes Against Children task force tripled, said detective John Peracchi, commander of the statewide unit. Charged with finding adults who target children through the internet, ICAC investigators began seeing more children talking online with adults they thought were their own age, Peracchi said. They began seeing more children having online conversations with people they knew were adults and the conversations quickly became sexual, he said. The ICAC officers also received more tips about adults viewing images of children being sexualized and/or sexually abused. To help attack the backlog, the ICAC unit received a $1 million COVID-related grant, with the stipulation that it be used by the end of the year. Peracchi said he’s moving quickly to use the funds to train officers around the state to investigate the crimes. But with the deadline for spending the grant three months out, he said, it’s unlikely he can use it for his biggest need, “personnel.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Moderna CEO Says Lonza Plant Ready for Vaccine Production But Tamps Down Expectations for 2020 Distribution. Moderna Inc.’s CEO Stéphane Bancel now says the company’s eagerly awaited COVID-19 vaccine won’t be ready until November – after the election – but as soon as it is set, a key part of the production will begin almost immediately at Lonza Biologics’ plant in Portsmouth. In an interview Wednesday with the Financial Times, Bancel said the company will not seek emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration for use by frontline medical workers and at-risk individuals until Nov. 25 at the earliest. And, he said, the vaccine won’t be available for widespread distribution until at least spring 2021. He told the FT he expected approval of the vaccine coming in the late first quarter or early second quarter of 2021, calling that “a reasonable timeline, based on what we know from our vaccine.” The Moderna vaccine is experimental since it relies on technology that uses genetic material that enlists human cells to help trigger an immune response – technology that has never been approved before. (Source: Concord Monitor)

4. Report: Two-Thirds of New Hampshire Hotels at Risk of Shutting Down. A recently released national report’s prediction that two-thirds of New Hampshire’s hotels will shut down if they don’t get more federal aid seems “really high,” but that doesn’t mean that the state’s lodging industry isn’t in big trouble, said Mike Somers, president of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association. “Let‘s be real clear: There is a great deal of risk that some hotels won’t be able to stay open. A lot of properties are heavily leveraged, and the aid could make be the difference of some of the making it and some of them not,” Somers said. The report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association estimates that 233 of the state’s 348 hotels will shut down if Congress doesn’t pass another stimulus package that would include such support as the Paycheck Protection Program, which ended in early August. (Source: NH Business Review)

5. Some Jaffrey-Rindge Families Asked to Quarantine Students After COVID-19 Exposure. Several Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District students have been asked to stay home after a potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus. In a Facebook post on the district’s website on Friday morning, district Superintendent Reuben Duncan wrote that some students may have been exposed to a person who potentially tested positive with COVID-19 through a local youth sports program. “The district has not officially been notified by the [New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services] that there is a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but we have decided that we need to be proactive in our approach,” Duncan wrote. (Source: Mondanock Ledger-Transcipt)

6. Laconia Schools Set to Transition to Full-Time In-Person Learning. Public school students in the city could be going to school five days a week as soon as the second half of this month, Superintendent Steve Tucker said Thursday. The plan calls for full-time, face-to-face instruction to be phased in over a four-week period, between Oct. 19 and Nov. 13, Tucker said. The plan was approved by the school board during a special meeting on Tuesday. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Some Parents of Students with Special Needs Say COVID Regulations and Remote Learning Are Hurting Their Kids. Families of children in special education programs say they are struggling to access services during COVID-19, and some say the masks, distancing and online learning that is required by schools are at odds with their children’s needs. “Screen time makes Brendan agitated, aggressive and frustrated,” Concord parent Sarah LeBoeuf wrote in an email to the Concord School Board on Aug. 26. “He is unable to focus, difficult to manage and he gets very emotional. I am conscientious to limit screen time in our home. Brendan is very sensory seeking, and screen time is like a sensory overload for him.” LeBoeuf is also critical of mask requirements, complaining that her other son, who has ADHD, had an anxiety attack after being asked to put on a mask. Bridget Paré, an education consultant in the governance unit of New Hampshire’s Department of Education, says school districts determine their own mask policies, since there is no mandated mask policy in New Hampshire. Paré said the calls she has been receiving from parents about the mask issue have become more frequent in recent weeks. When the department receives a complaint from a parent, Paré says Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut calls the superintendent of the district to talk through the issue and try to find a solution. “We can’t mandate ‘you have to,’ but we are strongly recommending that districts work to come to a resolve so safety is taken into consideration but also students’ needs are being met,” Paré said. (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Portsmouth Tavern, Shuttered for COVID Guideline Violations, Reopens. The Clipper Tavern reopened for business Saturday, after meeting requirements set by city officials. Co-owner Jeff Goss said he held a training session with his employees Saturday morning and made changes required by the city to reopen, after the tavern’s food service license was not renewed last week following violations of the COVID-19 guidelines set by the state. Goss said he is willing to continue to work with the city to keep his business in good standing. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 3, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

SATURDAY, October 3

New signage on the City of Portsmouth’s mask mandate appears downtown.

On Friday, state officials announced 99 new COVID-19 cases, but no new hospitalizations or deaths. Here is the other pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. State Health Officials Attribute Leap in Cases to Inclusion of Antigen Test Results and ‘Delayed Reporting’ of Other Tests. The 99 new cases reported Friday represents the highest total in N.H. since May 7th, when infections across the state were at their peak. However, back in May, testing was far less available than it is now and many of the people tested at that time were symptomatic or at high risk—leading to a much higher positivity rate. In its daily summary, the Department of Health and Human Services said 22 of the newly reported positives are no longer active cases and were added because of a delay in reporting lab results. 18 of the positive cases were the result of antigen rapid-tests, which have not been included in reporting to date. (Sources: N.H. DHHS and CovidActNow) In its ongoing analysis of N.H. COVID-19 metrics, the Concord Monitor reports that while the steady increase in cases is an indicator the virus continues to spread, the percentage of people testing positive is hovering around 1% and there has been no sustained increase in hospitalizations. Both are indicators that at least for now, the spread in N.H. is largely being contained. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. UNH Poll Finds Unease With COVID-19 Vaccine, But Strong Support for State Government Response. A majority of New Hampshire residents say they wouldn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were made available today, according to a new poll from the UNH Survey Center. Polling results released Friday show that 48 percent of respondents who identified as Democrats said they would get a vaccine if it were available immediately, versus 38 percent of Republicans. The survey also finds that, overall, trust in New Hampshire state government’s ability to effectively respond to the pandemic remains high at 87 percent. (Source: NHPR)

3. Judges Denies Challenge to COVID-Related N.H. Voting Rules. Most of New Hampshire's voting rules will remain in place as planned for November, despite a court challenge by by the American Federation of Teachers that sought to overturn rules it said may keep some people from voting. A judge on Friday rejected claims that the state’s absentee ballot deadline, postage requirements and “ballot harvesting” restrictions created burdens on people's right to vote. The judge’s ruling it a legal victory for the Republican National Committee and President Trump's re-election campaign, who sided with N.H. state attorneys in opposing additional changes. It means that New Hampshire voters will still need to make sure their completed absentee ballots arrive to their local clerks by 5 p.m. on Election Day (whether by mail or hand delivery), will still need to come up with their own postage if sending their absentee ballot by mail, and will need to have a witness if registering vote by mail. (Source: NHPR)

4. State Sees Record Surge in Absentee Ballot Requests. The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office says that just over 148,000 absentee ballots for the general election have been requested as of this week. That’s a record-breaking number and already double the roughly 75,000 absentee ballots that were cast in the 2016 election. Voters can request an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on the day before the Nov. 3 election. The deadline to return completed ballots is 5 p.m. on Election Day November 3. Ballots received after that time will not be counted. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Absentee Voting Center Reopens Monday in Portsmouth. The City of Portsmouth has announced its Absentee Voting Center will reopen at City Hall starting on Monday October 5th. Voters may register, obtain an absentee ballot, and return an absentee ballot inside City Council Chambers. But due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Center cannot accommodate voting within the City Hall Municipal Complex. City Clerk staff will also be available outside of City Hall on Saturday October 10, October 17, October 24 and October 31, from 9 am to 12 noon, to collect absentee ballots from voters who are returning their own ballots. See the Voter Information page of the City of Portsmouth website for hours of operation and more information. (Source: City of Portsmouth)

6. Leader of Greek Church in Portsmouth Disputes Cause of COVID Outbreak. The chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston contends that none of the St. Nicholas parishioners who were diagnosed with COVID-19 “received communion,” where they would have used a shared chalice and spoon. State officials have confirmed a total of six positive coronavirus cases associated with the church last month, and one individual was hospitalized. As of Friday, the state’s investigation has been closed. In a letter dated Sept. 25, Assistant Attorney General Anne Edwards said the traditional use of a chalice and spoon, prohibited under one of the state’s COVID-19 emergency orders, “appears to be” linked to a COVID-19 outbreak among St. Nicholas parishioners. But this week, the Rev. Theodore J. Barbas, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, said that’s not true and that none of the parishioners who contracted COVID-19 had actually received communion. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Merrimack High School Suspends Some Sports Games, Practices After 6 Positive Cases of COVID-19. Merrimack High School canceled all upcoming games, meets and practices for six teams after six students tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Student-athletes on those teams will be in quarantine for 14 days. In a letter to parents, the Merrimack superintendent said the virus was not transmitted inside a school. All sport activities in Merrimack have been suspended until Oct. 4 at the earliest, pending test results from other student-athletes. (Source: WMUR)

8. Proposed COVID Rule Changes Would Relax Restrictions for Hair Salons and Barbershops. Hair salons and barbershops may soon be allowed to open reception areas and end the practice of making customers wait in their car under reopening rules that a state task force endorsed Thursday. The proposed rules also would let salons cut the hair of customers seated closer than 6 feet apart if the work stations are separated by plastic barriers. Walk-in business would be permitted for the first time since May, though reservations would still be encouraged. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

9. Pandemic Spurs More Layoffs at Dartmouth College. Dartmouth College this week laid off or cut the hours of seven staff workers, part of job reductions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about a possible structural deficit in fiscal year 2022 and beyond. “A small number of employees in the Campus Services division, 7 in total, are being notified of a layoff, furlough, or reduction in hours this week,” Dartmouth spokeswoman Diana Lawrence said on Thursday. “Employees are being individually notified this week to allow them privacy to process the information, and more details about the changes in Campus Services will be shared next week. No additional changes are planned at this time.” (Source: Valley News) Note: Dartmouth's endowment generated a return of 7.6% for the 2020 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, 2020, bringing the endowment's total value to $6 billion. (Source: The Dartmouth News)

10. Portsmouth Announces Halloween Pandemic Safety Precautions. Portsmouth City Manager Karen Conard, in conjunction with City Health Officer Kim McNamara, Fire Chief Todd Germain and Police Captain Mark Newport outlined steps on Friday for trick-or-treaters. According to the city website, the hours permitted for trick-or-treating will be Saturday, October 31 from 3 to 6 p.m., but the schedule may change based on COVID-19 infection rates at the time. Families are asked not travel to town-to-town or invite friends or family from other towns to come to Portsmouth because that would increase the risk associated with mixing households in close groups. Face coverings, hand sanitizer, and maintaining physical distancing between people who aren’t members of the same household will be required. Residents who do not want to participate should leave their front houselights turned off or put a sign on the driveway or sidewalk. (Source: City of Portsmouth)

11. Skiers Must Wear Face Masks Except on Trails. Under new guidance released on Friday, skiers and snowboarders in New Hampshire will be required to wear face masks everywhere but on the trails this winter. Ski resorts will also need to take a pro-active stance to educate guests about new restrictions that come with the coronavirus. The guidance notes that the areas should set capacity limits on their lodges and retail space and also set them for shuttle buses. It says there should be a one-way flow of traffic as much as possible and that people need to be distanced six feet apart, including in lift lines outdoors, where strangers will be strongly discouraged from riding up the lift together. The full guidelines are available here. (Source: InDepthNH)

12. A Quick Reminder to Support Local Journalism. The people responsible for bringing us the news each day need our help. Advertising revenue has fallen off sharply during the pandemic and many local news outlets have been forced to layoff staff or cut hours. Your online subscription or contribution can help. More information here.

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 2, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Friday, October 2

On Thursday, 52 new positive test results were announced for COVID-19, along with two additional deaths and no new hospitalizations. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. NH Reacts to News that President and First Lady Have Tested Positive for COVID-19. Americans awoke to the news this morning that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for the coronavirus. Also testing positive were a number of White House aides. The diagnosis is the most serious health threat for a U.S. president in decades and comes after the president has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans. Early this morning, Gov. Sununu tweeted: “Valerie and I are wishing the President and First Lady a speedy recovery. We join the people of New Hampshire in praying for their health in this difficult time.” U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas also sent good wishes to the president and his family, tweeting “I hope President Trump and the First Lady have a quick and full recovery from COVID-19. My thoughts are with them, our country, and the many others suffering from this virus.” (Sources: Associated Press and WMUR).

2. State Officials Say N.H. Should Expect Big Spike in Announced Cases Today. On Thursday, Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said Granite Staters should expect an unusual spike in cases Friday because of the way the state is calculating the number of positive cases. Previously, the state only included results from PCR tests. It didn't include positive results from rapid antigen tests because those were considered presumed cases, not confirmed ones. But Daly said as the state moves toward using those tests more often, the positive results will be considered confirmed cases. The change will add 126 cases from throughout the pandemic to the state's overall total. (Source: WMUR) Meanwhile, with 52 new positive tests Thursday, the state’s two-week average of new COVID-19 cases is now higher than it has been for three months. The average count of daily new cases as of Thursday stood at 38, higher than any time since June 21. The rise may be linked to outbreaks at schools and colleges and a sharp increase in testing but it has been gradual and does not seem to indicate any community-wide spreading of COVID-19. (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. COVID-19 Outbreak at Portsmouth Greek Church. The state Division of Public Health is working with the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church to “manage and control” a COVID-19 outbreak among its parishioners, according to a recent letter from the attorney general’s office. The Greek Orthodox practice of using a single, shared chalice and spoon “appears to be a source” of the outbreak, wrote Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards on Sept. 25 to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, which oversees the Portsmouth church along with more than 60 others across New England. Use of the chalice and shared spoon, Edwards warned in her letter, is in violation of one of the state’s active COVID-19 emergency orders. Edwards said the church was informed of the violation July 25 by Portsmouth Health Officer Kim McNamara. “However, the practice seems to have continued,” she wrote. On Sept. 12, the church posted on Facebook that “due to unforeseen circumstances,” there would be no liturgy that Sunday. The next day, the church posted, “Let us pray especially for our fellow parishioners who have been diagnosed with COVID.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Major Outbreak Reported in Residents, Staff at Bedford Long-Term Care Facility. A new COVID-19 outbreak in a Bedford long-term care facility involves 33 residents and 14 staff members, health officials said Thursday. Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said the outbreak was detected in the Bedford Hills Center. A smaller outbreak, involving three residents and one staff member, was also discovered at the Ward Health Center in Windham. Shibinette said it's concerning how quickly the outbreak grew at the Bedford Hills Center, going from zero to 47 cases in a week to 10 days. "That is a testament to how quickly COVID-19 moves," she said. Shibinette said the Bedford Hills Center had been participating in a surveillance testing program and had tested its entire staff, with all tests coming back negative before the outbreak. (Source: WMUR)

5. Nursing Homes Press State to Restart $300/Week Stipend for Workers. Craig Labore, administrator of the Grafton County Nursing Home, told a legislative committee on Thursday that state needs to restart a fund created to help nursing homes retain workers during the coronavirus pandemic that provided a $300-a-week stipend to essential workers. The program helped retain workers and provided the staff financial security until it ended July 31. “I advocate for the resumption of the program,” Labore said, “particularly as we head into fall and winter which is shaping up to be a very challenging time for sectors of New Hampshire’s economy and also for nursing homes.” The program allocated $75 million of the $1.25 billion federal CARES money, but ended July 31 when Gov. Sununu declined to continue it. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. COVID Fatigue Frustrates Some Contact Tracing Efforts, Health Officials Say. Public health officials said Thursday that COVID fatigue is creeping into the Granite State, making people who might have been exposed to the coronavirus reluctant to curtail their activities. Officials said they're beginning to note some negative reactions when their contact tracers are making calls. They said the negative reactions are coming from a small minority of the people they contact, but the problem is growing. They said it can be particularly bad for people who need to quarantine due to an immediate family member contracting COVID-19. (Source: WMUR)

7. Portsmouth Restaurant Shut Down for Breaching COVID-19 Rules. The food service license, allowing Clipper Tavern to operate inside its 75 Pleasant St. restaurant, as well as on the city street, has not been renewed due to violations of COVID-19 regulations, City Attorney Robert Sullivan said. Clipper Tavern’s license expired at midnight Wednesday, and Health Officer Kim McNamara decided not to renew it as a result of complaints and observations, said Sullivan. Observed violations included employees not wearing face masks at all times and staff not maintaining 6 feet of distance between seats at all times, both inside and at the street cafe. (Source: Seacoast Online) Note: A sign on the door of the restaurant Thursday night said, “Closed Today But Open Tomorrow. Thank you for your support.”

8. Sununu Says All Schools Should Offer Some In-Class Learning. Citing a low rate of COVID-19 cases among students statewide, Gov. Chris Sununu on Thursday urged districts still operating 100% remotely to offer some in-person instruction. More than 80% of New Hampshire districts have some in-classroom learning, either full-time or part-time, with some work from home. After roughly a month of school in most districts, only 60 of the state’s 192,000 public-school students have tested positive for COVID-19 — one out of 3,200 students, Sununu said. For the first time, Sununu also said he likely would earmark some unspent federal CARES Act money to reimburse school districts for the purchase of personal protection equipment. Sununu denied that school districts have been unable to reopen schools because they can’t obtain enough PPE. “That’s just simply not true. We can always provide an opportunity for them to access PPE, getting them a short-term bridge. Both funding and PPE are not barriers to opening schools in our state,” Sununu said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Meanwhile, on Wednesday Sununu issued an emergency order to extend COVID-19 emergency orders for public health guidance and "safer at home" guidance until Nov. 15. (Source: NHPR)

9. Record 10,000 Ballots Expected in Durham As UNH Absentee Voting Aims to Ease Crowds. With about one month until the general election on Nov. 3, Town Administrator Todd Selig says Durham is “the canary in the coal mine in terms of voter turnout on big elections.” Drivers of Durham’s expected record turnout are University of New Hampshire students and high interest in the race between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The Democrat-leaning town favored Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016 by a count of 6,501 to 2,450. UNH has announced three in-person absentee voting opportunities exclusively for students who live in a residence hall, house or apartment in Durham. The events will be held at Huddleston Hall Oct. 8, 2 to 6 p.m.; Oct. 14, 2 to 6 p.m. and Oct. 24, noon to 4 p.m. The sessions will be moderated by Durham town voting officials. (Source: Seacoast Online)

10. New To Absentee Voting in New Hampshire? Don't Make These Mistakes. More New Hampshire voters will be casting an absentee ballot in the November election than ever before. The vast majority of New Hampshire absentee ballots are processed and counted without any problems. However, according to federal voting data, small but significant errors — like missed deadlines, signature matching issues or missing envelopes — can disenfranchise hundreds of New Hampshire voters during major elections. If you plan to vote absentee this year, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid having your ballot rejected. They range from not procrastinating to reading directions carefully and ensuring you complete both envelopes and use the correct postage. (Source: NHPR)

11. One Month In, N.H.'s Hybrid School Models Get Mixed Reviews. Some of the state's largest school districts – including Concord and Manchester - are moving from a largely remote model of instruction to a hybrid later this month. Many schools in New Hampshire have already been experimenting with the hybrid system for a month, with varying degrees of success. The ‘hybrid’ looks different in each school, but typically divides students into two groups with schedules that alternate - some days they’re in school, some days at home. This approach allows class sizes to stay small, allowing for social distancing and easier contact tracing, should a student or staff member test positive for COVID-19. So far, the hybrid model has allowed some districts – like Bedford – to stay open even after positive COVID-19 cases, in part because of the social distancing made possible with smaller cohorts. But teachers in some schools say the hybrid model is unsustainable. “The vibe is one of sheer exhaustion,” says Emily Carr, an English teacher at Pinkerton Academy who is now a month into the hybrid model. “At first it was a paralysis, like ‘I don’t even know what to do’...now it’s auto pilot and survival mode.” But Dr. Timothy Powers, the headmaster at Pinkerton Academy, says hybrid is the best compromise. “This whole world has been flipped upside down,” he says. “Everyone is in an uncomfortable space, trying new things, so it's just going to take time to get to a place with some kind of consistency and rhythm.” (Source: NHPR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 1, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

Thursday, October 1

The Hovey statue masked up at Prescott Park.

The state Department of Health and Human Services announced 34 new positive test results for COVID-19 and no new deaths or hospitalizations on Wednesday. Here is the other pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Come to Portsmouth’s ActivMed and Volunteers Are Wanted. ActivMed, a Portsmouth clinical research center, is participating in the trials for a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca. Located at 110 Corporate Drive at Pease International Tradeport, ActivMed is seeking at least 1,000 participants into the trial for AstraZeneca’s AZD1222 vaccine, one of three vaccine candidates the federal government is funding for Phase 3 trials under Operation Warp Speed. Information about the trials and how to sign up can be found at activmedresearch.com. Terry Stubbs, founder and president of ActivMed Practices & Research said she plans to reach out to recruit volunteers through the use of social media, postings in medical offices, and newspaper advertisements. A consent form is required for participants. (Source: Seacoast Online)

2. Portsmouth Company to Begin Manufacturing COVID-19 Vaccine in NH Next Month. New production lines at Lonza Biologics in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aim to start making vaccine ingredients in November for a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Moderna. Meanwhile, three Lonza production lines deep in a valley in the Swiss Alps should begin delivering by December. There is no approved COVID-19 vaccine yet, but several are in advanced trials, including vaccines from Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, whose candidate vaccines rely on technology never previously approved that enlists human cells to help trigger an immune response. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)
   
   In a related story, results from an early safety study of Moderna Inc's MRNA.O coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots, researchers said on Tuesday. The side effects, which included headache, fatigue, body aches, chills and injection site pain, were deemed mainly mild to moderate. However, in at least two cases, however, volunteers had severe reactions. One developed a grade three fever, which is classified as 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39°C) or above, after receiving the lower vaccine dose. Another developed fatigue so severe it temporarily prevented daily activities. (Source: Reuters)
   
   A logistical requirement could also complicate the eventual distribution of the Moderna vaccine. The Moderna vaccine requires a storage temperature of minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit—colder than most commercial freezers. A vaccine candidate from Pfizer requires an even lower storage temperature of minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. These are not easy temperatures to maintain accurately in the distribution supply chain. A study from 2019 estimated that 25 percent of vaccines are degraded by the time they arrive at their destination. If a vaccine is exposed to temperatures outside its range, and this gets noticed, then the vaccines are always thrown away.(Source: The Daily Beast)

3. Portsmouth PD Officials Say Mask Mandate is Going Well. Speaking to a meeting of the Portsmouth Police Commission, Police Chief Robert Merner said there have been “very few complaints” since a mandatory mask wearing ordinance was enacted Sept. 14 by the Portsmouth City Council. When occasional complaints have been lodged about maskless people, the chief said, officers explained the ordinance and some were tourists who did not know. He said most people police officers encountered about masks, had one with them and compliance was met. “Overall it’s gone very well,” Merner said. Meanwhile Capt. Mark Newport, who will be sworn in to replace Merner as interim chief later this week, said Newport prior to the Nov. 3, he’ll meet with the city clerk and other city officials to come up with a plan to address how to consistently handle voters who show up at the polls and refuse to wear masks. Newport said the goal is to ensure, “We’re all on the same page about how it’s handled.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Six New COVID-19 Cases Reported at Franklin Pierce University. Six people at Franklin Pierce University tested positive for COVID-19 during the school’s most recent round of random testing last Thursday, a university spokesman said Tuesday. The university on Tuesday did not specify whether these new cases came from students or employees. None of the people at Franklin Pierce who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus had shown symptoms of the viral respiratory illness, spokesman Ken Phillips said Tuesday. These new cases bring the university’s total to 18 for this academic year, Phillips added. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

5. N.H. Health Officials: Testing Kids Not 'Medically Necessary' But Good for Public Health. Some schools say students sent home because of displaying COVID-19-like symptoms are returning with doctors' notes indicating their symptoms are not a concern, and recommending they return to school without a test. In response, state health officials are doubling down on their recommendations to schools for dealing with potential COVID-19 cases, in spite of criticism that the recommendations are too strict. The state says students with any new or unexplained COVID-19 symptoms should immediately be sent home and referred to their physician for COVID-19 testing. National and state data show many kids with COVID-19 only having mild systems. State health officals say this means testing is the only way to confirm a student’s status. (Source: NHPR)

6. NH Town Clerks See Surge In Absentee Ballot Requests. With just 34 days until Election Day, town clerks' offices across New Hampshire are seeing unprecedented demand for absentee ballots, and many have already been completed and returned. In Bedford, election officials in the town of more than 18,000 registered voters said 4,000 absentee ballots have already been sent out, and they expect they'll have sent out 6,000 to 8,000 by Election Day. It's a similar story statewide. In Manchester, more than 9,400 absentee ballots have been requested. In Nashua, more than 8,000 were requested. In Litchfield this year, 800 absentee ballots have gone out, compared to 235 in 2016. (Source: WMUR)

7. Halloween Precautions Begin to Take Shape. As communities across the state wrestle with how to safety conduct traditional Halloween activities—or if they should even be allowed—the New Hampshire Municipal Association on Wednesday hosted the webinar featuring advice to communities on both legal and public health matters. Sophia Johnson, health officer specialist with the state Bureau of Public Health Protection, said communities will have to get really creative for Halloween 2020. She noted candy slides and ziplines as innovative ways to distribute sweets to trick-or-treaters while maintaining proper distancing.Johnson said communities must keep in mind three main takeaways: distance, barriers and time. “If you can reduce the risk in those areas, you can significantly reduce the risk of the virus spreading,” Johnson said. Johnson detailed the creative plans of several New Hampshire towns. Weare will have trick-or-treating for three hours on Halloween night, and the police department is sponsoring a contest for the most creative way to distribute candy while maintaining social distancing. In North Hampton, trick-or-treating will be Friday, Oct. 30 for three hours, and only wrapped items are allowed to be distributed on a table or from behind a barrier. The town is prohibiting treats being directly handed to children. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – September 30, 2020

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

OTHER DATA/METRICS SOURCES WITH N.H. DATA

• NHPR Interactive Charts: COVID-19 in NH

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

• CovidActNow NH Outbreak Risk Level

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