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

Monday August 31

9 new cases reported in N.H. on Sunday and no new deaths. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Portsmouth City Council to Vote Tonight on Mask Mandate. At 7 p.m. in a Zoom teleconference, the Portsmouth City Council will take a third and final vote on a mandatory mask ordinance. The ordinance imposes a $25 penalty on violators. It would take effect immediately upon passage and would expire on November 6, unless extended by the Council. An agenda, a packet including the proposed ordinance (see page 12), and a sign-up link to attend the Zoom conference are available here. Meanwhile, Concord City councilors will also be voting tonight on a mask mandate. The proposed Concord ordinance exempts children under 10 years of age or “any person for whom wearing a face covering may pose a risk for health-related reasons.” The penalty for the first offense would be a written warning and for the second and any subsequent offense it’s a $15 fine. Failure to pay the fine within 10 days results in the fine doubling, failure to pay within 20 days means the fine goes to $60 and failure to pay after 20 days also may result in a court summons. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. Manchester Aldermen Will Consider Mask Ordinance with Fine of Up to $1,000. A proposal to require anyone in Manchester 10 or older to wear a mask or face a $1,000 fine will be taken up by aldermen in N.H.’s largest city on Tuesday. Over the weekend, Mayor Joyce Craig, who supports the ordinance, said in an email that with “college students coming back, schools opening, and cold weather around the corner, we must do everything we can to keep our community healthy and safe. The last thing we want is another outbreak and have our restaurants, retail and businesses shut down again.” City Health Director Anna Thomas said the ordinance places an emphasis on education first and enforcement as a “last resort.” The city’s public health director, designee(s), police, and fire departments are responsible for enforcing the ordinance. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

3. N.H. Records 1st Positive Case in an Elementary School In the New School Year. Two days into the new school year, the Riddle Brook School in Bedford has identified its first positive case of COVID-19. The student who tested positive is suspected to have contracted the virus at a sports camp in another town. That student had only been in the school building on Friday, because of the new hybrid learning system – just half the class was at school. The student was asymptomatic, but after learning of the positive result, the school was cleaned and sanitized. Students will return for a normal school day as scheduled on Monday. Parents in the district were notified with an email and voicemail. (Source: WMUR)

4. N.H.'s Private Schools See Uptick In Interest During Pandemic. Interest in many New Hampshire independent schools has increased during the pandemic, particularly in areas where public schools are opting for remote or hybrid models. Boarding schools are also reporting more last-minute inquiries from families in New Hampshire and other states, while interest from international students declines. Building Block Commons - located in an SAU that is staying remote - typically has a waitlist of 70; this year it’s double that. “There’s desperation,” director Wren Hayes says of families in the area. “You just hear it, because you get repeat phone calls.” (Source: NHPR)

5. COVID-19 Tracker: N.H.’s Numbers Look Very Good. In its weekly report on the status of 4 key coronavirus metrics, the Concord Monitor reports all four metrics continue to move in the right direction. The 14 day running average of new cases has dropped to 20–the lowest level since late March. The positive rate of PCR tests is less than 5%, indicating that while transmission is still occurring, it is not widespread. Testing was the only cause for concern. Although the total number of PCR tests would seem to be well over the level needed to detect the spread of the virus in the general population, the numbers count multiple tests given to the same people as part of ongoing surveillance testing in places like nursing homes and hospitals. When multiple tests are subtracted from the count, the testing level barely reaches a level considered adequate. The bottom line is a pandemic that has killed more than 183,000 people across the U.S. has, in large part, spared New Hampshire from many of its worst impacts. But with college students returning to N.H. campuses, many K-12 students returning to the classroom, and the state waiting to see if Motorcycle Week produces an uptick in cases after it announced positive cases in six Sturgis attendees, now is not the time to let down our guard. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Manchester Community College Resumes Classes Today. Manchester Community College is expecting 300 to 400 students back on campus taking classes amid rigorous precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Students will be going through temperature checks and filling out a screening form before they go to class. They will also be wearing masks in the classrooms. Most of their classes are remote, but many of the labs are in-person such as hands-on learning like automotive, welding and HVAC. Tuition support has been increased from the state for the fall semester for families affected by COVID-19. (Source: WMUR)

7. Portsmouth Voting Center Provides One-Stop Shop for Absentee Voting for Sept. 8 Primary. All this week, the Portsmouth City Clerk’s office will be staffing a special Voting Center set up in City Council Chambers at Portsmouth City Hall. Voters who have completed ballots for the September 8 Primary Election that they received in the mail—but who are concerned that their ballot may not reach the Clerk in the mail before the 5 p.m. September 8 deadline—can walk in and hand their sealed ballot to the Clerk. (Important: Do NOT leave your ballot in the grey receptacle in the City Hall parking lot). Voters may also walk in, apply for, receive a ballot, and fill it out there—or take it home, fill it out, and mail or bring it back in later. The Voting Center is open during regular City Hall hours (Mon, 8 am – 6 pm; Tues-Thurs, 8 am – 4:30 pm; Fri, 8 am – 1 pm). But because City Hall will be closed the day before the Sept. 8 election for the Labor Day holiday, Friday will be the last day the Voting Center will be open before Primary Election Day. What can you do if you receive an absentee ballot but forget to mail it in or to drop it off before City Hall closes for the week? You can designate an “authorized agent” (usually a family member) to bring your sealed ballot to your polling place by 5 p.m. on Election Day and hand it to your ward clerk. If you are a new voter and haven’t registered, the last day to register to vote prior to the September 8, 2020 Primary Election will be Tuesday, September 1, 2020 during regular hours in the City Clerk's Office and also during the Board of Registrar's Session from 4:30 - 5:00 p.m. As always, new voters may also register at their polling place—and vote—on the day of the election. (Source: City of Portsmouth) Here’s a visual preview of what to expect—and what you’ll need to do—should you decide to vote absentee in the Voting Center.

STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA:

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

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

Previous

Sunday August 30

30 new infections were announced by state health officials on Saturday, but no new deaths. Here is the COVID-19 news for New Hampshire you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. Red Alert for Seacoast Arts Venues. The red lights that will illuminate Seacoast performance spaces on Sept. 1 are distress calls for an industry in serious peril. Locals performing arts venues will be throwing the red switch Tuesday and taking part in #RedAlertRESTART, a national effort putting focus on the dire situation the live events industry finds itself in. With no additional state or federal assistance on the horizon, a venue’s only options are highly reduced audience efforts, offering minimal income. Without help, the region risks losing venues, its art-rich standing, and a vital industry that employees hundreds, and feeds surrounding businesses. ″ #RedAlertRESTART’s nationwide statement says 2,000-plus North American buildings will go red Tuesday, Sept. 1 from 9 p.m. to midnight to bring attention to the industry’s financial plight. “The goal is to raise public awareness that the Live Events Industry is on Red Alert for its very survival,” a statement reads. A key goal is for Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S.3814), which would offer economic relief to the industry. (Source: Seacoast Online )

2. Protesters in Portsmouth Say They Should Not be Mandated to Wear a Mask. A small group of people gathered in Market Square Saturday, standing in the rain to support their position that government cannot mandate that they wear a mask. The no-mask demonstration was organized by David Lheureux of Campton Lower Village. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Portsmouth City Council to Vote on Mask Mandate on Monday. Monday at 7 p.m., the Portsmouth City Council will take a third and final vote on a mandatory mask ordinance. The ordinance imposes a $25 penalty on violators. It would take effect immediately upon passage and would expire on November 6, unless extended by the Council. You can view the agenda, a packet including the proposed ordinance (see page 12), and sign up to attend the Zoom conference here. One of the issues that is sure to come up is enforcement. While public health ordinances are typically enforced by public health officials, many N.H. towns don’t have them. In Exeter, enforcement responsibilities have been placed into the hands of its local health officer. But some local health officers have pushed back in taking on additional enforcement duties saying their departments typically lack staff resources for broad enforcement of regulations beyond traditional duties, such as restaurant inspections. This means in cities with mandates, the responsibility for enforcement may fall to local police departments. While some departments are concerned about the potential for confrontations during a time when relations between the police and many communities have frayed, others are simply taking it in stride. Both Newmarket Police Chief Kyle True and Durham Police Chief Rene Kelley said their residents have been compliant, by and large, with the mandates enacted by their towns. They said neither department has issued a fine for not wearing mask during the three-plus weeks the ordinances have been in effect in both communities. True said his officers are not “jumping out of their cars” to stop people they see without masks and not socially distancing, and he does not want residents calling police to report people for not wearing masks. He said he has appreciated the community for not over-reporting when they see people possibly violating the mask ordinance. True said he encourages officers to make at least one foot patrol per shift downtown. He said officers have mostly encountered groups of kids not socially distancing and/or without masks, and it gives officers a chance to have positive interactions with young people on an issue of critical importance to protecting public health. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Vermont Considers Flu Shot Mandate. Public health officials in Vermont said the state is considering becoming the second state to mandate flu shots as a way to ease the burden of influenza amid the coronavirus pandemic. Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine said Friday the rate of flu in the state needs to be as low as possible to avoid a situation he called a "twindemic." He said last year, less than 43% of children age 5 to 12 received the flu vaccine. He says the primary focus of the mandate would be increasing the vaccination rate among children and teens. (Source: NECN)

5. Convalescent Plasma Promising, Needs Study. Two New Hampshire hospitals, Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, are taking part in a Mayo Clinic study of giving convalescent plasma treatment to hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Both facilities are actively seeking blood plasma donations from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus to use in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized its emergency use for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from the virus. Mayo Clinic is working collaboratively with medical centers across the U.S. as part of a national expanded access program to collect plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 to be used for convalescent plasma therapy, according to its website. (Source: Seacoast Online) The “emergency use authorization” of convalescent plasma as a potential new treatment for COVID-19 has triggered an outcry from some scientists and doctors. They said the decision was not supported by adequate clinical evidence and criticized the FDA for what many perceived as bowing to political pressure. (Source: Kaiser Health News)

6. Recovery Homes Struggle to Stay Afloat Amid Pandemic. Lower occupancy rates caused by COVID-19 concerns and the slow distribution of federal aid are adding up to big problems for N.H. homes that provide support to groups helping people recover from addiction. “They are not getting income from people that are within the house,” said Bock, who noted that that occupancy rates for the houses are lower than before the pandemic. “What are we five or six months in now?” Bock said. “Seven houses have closed because they can’t sustain that.” In June, Gov. Chris Sununu announced that $6 million would support substance use disorder (SUDs) and mental health programs in the state, but only $1.3 million has been allocated to recovery homes. The Department of Health and Human Services is developing an application as well as a criteria for distributing the funds, but a spokesperson says there isn't yet a timeline for this plan. (Source: NHPR)

7. N.H. Court Data Shows More Victims Seeking Legal Protections After Lifting of Stay-at-Home Order. After restraining order requests and calls to the state’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline plummeted this spring during the height of the pandemic, advocates say there are now positive signs that more victims in need of help are reaching out. The state court system saw a 21% drop in domestic violence petitions filed in March and April compared to the same time period in 2019 and a 30% drop in stalking petitions. The downward trend continued through May, but this summer a spike in the numbers suggests a reversal. That’s good news for domestic violence advocates, who say a new online filing system for domestic violence protection orders gives victims expanded access to potentially life-saving protection despite access barriers enhanced by COVID-19. (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. N.H. Nursing Homes to Get $11.4M in Federal Money, More Needed. New Hampshire’s congressional delegation has announced N.H. nursing homes will receive another $11.4 million from the CARES Act to hire and train staff, buy protective gear like masks and face shields and pay for testing. But the head of a group that represents many of New Hampshire’s nursing homes says it’s not enough. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

9. N.H. Loses 8.5% of Clean Energy Jobs, But the Good News is the Drop is the Third Smallest in U.S. Before the pandemic, there were about 17,000 clean energy jobs in the state, about 2.9% of the state’s workforce, according to the last report by Clean Energy NH. That’s a bit higher than the 2.25% national rate but below neighboring states, such as Vermont, which leads the nation at 5.7%, and Massachusetts at 3.1%. Since the pandemic began, the state has lost nearly 1,461 clean energy jobs, according to BW Research Partnership, where Clean Energy NH gets its figures. That’s actually an 8.5% decline, the third smallest in the nation — behind South Dakota and Utah. Nationally, the job loss was 14.8%. But the state’s bounce-back has been small too – only a few hundred jobs — but many businesses tell a different story. It all depends on the company and the industry. For many solar companies, especially those that concentrate on residential installations, business hardly skipped a beat. But those with business customers, even small ones, are still uneasy. “Those with a commercial side are taking a hit,” said Fleischmann of Green Energy Options. “I attribute that to the pandemic. Their business is like our business. Who knows what is going to happen in two months?” (Source: NH Business Review)

10. Durham Town Administrator Urges UNH Students Planning to Register to Vote in Fall Elections to Do It Early. The town of Durham is encouraging UNH students to register ahead of time and vote absentee to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. Students may register to vote Registration to vote takes place at the Durham Town Clerk’s office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. The last day to register for the NH State Primary is Monday, August 31st and October 25th for the general election. Those who wish to register must bring proof of identity, residency, age and citizenship. Town Administrator Todd Selig said the town’s goal is to run a safe and healthy election. Selig said that a typical presidential election in Durham could mean registering as many as 4,500 people on the day. This number wouldn’t usually be an issue, but Selig said that students taking the time to register in advance and not registering the day of voting would “make it easier for everybody,” especially during the pandemic. Lorrie Pitt, the Town Clerk, said the emphasis on registering early and voting absentee is to ensure there is the least amount of people grouped at the polls on Election Day. (Source: The New Hampshire) Note: As in previous years, new voters in ALL N.H. Cities and towns who don’t have time to register before Election Day will be able to register at the polls on the day of the Primary Election or the General Election.

11. N.H. Charter Schools Set Diverging Paths Heading Into Academic Year. In central New Hampshire, most public school districts are starting September in a remote or hybrid learning model that has students home two to five days of the school week. By contrast, area private schools are mostly opting for in-person models that have students in school as usual, with extra safety precautions. Area charter schools, which receive government funding but are privately managed, are going in both directions. Those choosing hybrid models cite a desire for caution while those choosing in-person cite small class sizes that keep risks down. (Source: Concord Monitor)

STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

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

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

Saturday August 29

The N.H. GOP absentee voting mailer that was found by the N.H. Attorney General’s Office to be in violation of state election laws.

23 new COVID-19 cases in N.H. for Friday—and one additional death, which brings the state’s death count up to 432 people. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. Attorney General Says N.H. GOP Broke Election Law, Orders Halt On Party's Mailers. The N.H. Attorney General’s office says an absentee ballot application distributed by New Hampshire Republican Party violates state election law and may confuse voters, and has ordered party officials to stop mailing it immediately. The order, issued Friday, is the latest round of scrutiny from the Attorney General over a series of state GOP election mailers that have gone out in recent weeks. The first batch of GOP mailers, sent in early August, directed recipients on how to register to vote absentee, but the forms included incorrect information on where to return them, a mistake the Republican Party blamed on a “printing error.” Many of the mailers were also addressed to long-deceased people who had never lived at the listed address. The second batch of mailers, which went out last week, included directions for recipients to request their actual absentee ballot, but failed to correctly reproduce the proper application. The cease and desist order is targeted at the party’s second batch of mailers. Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said the state Department of Justice is also investigating why the mailers included such a range of incorrect return address information. (Source: NHPR) The cease and desist order also indicated that the mailer was examined by Assistant Secretary of State David Scanlan with Republican State Committee Executive Director Elliot Gault indicating Scanlan had said the mailer was “good to go.” But the order states Scanlan does not have the authority to waive provisions of the law. During the week of Aug. 24, Edwards’ office retrieved a total of 482 postcards from the Durham Post Office were recorded and re-mailed to 154 town and city clerks for processing. To date, the Attorney General’s Office has correctly delivered 2,533 postcards to 197 town and city clerks. Her office will seek reimbursement of its expenses from the NH Republican State Committee. (Source: InDepthNH) You can check to see if your city or town clerk has received your request; when your absentee ballot was sent to you; and when it was received back in the clerk's office here.

2. N.H. Jobless Claims Drop, But Historic Unemployment Trend Continues. More Granite Staters are getting jobs than losing them, but people are still being laid off in record numbers. New claims for the week ending Aug. 22 were down by 13%, to 2,465 – though that number is still more than four times the usual number who filed a claim before the pandemic. The greatest job recovery has been in accommodations which now employs 80.8% of the workforce it had before the pandemic. Employment in restaurants and bars has risen from 48.3% to 85.5%. The healthcare industry seems closest to normal. Hospitals are at 96.1% of pre-Covid employment, with ambulatory healthcare services at 94.6% and nursing and residential care facilities at 92.3%. The state’s official unemployment rate for July is 8.1%, but it is expected to drop in August. (NH Business Review)

3. At Trump's Manchester Rally, Praise For COVID Response But Little Interest In Mask Wearing. President Trump returned to New Hampshire Friday night, fresh off the Republican National Convention, for a rally at Manchester Airport. For the hundreds of supporters in attendance, the atmosphere was festive. Many wore Trump-themed clothing. Others wore T-shirts celebrating right-wing figures ranging from Fox News host Tucker Carlson to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. A minority wore masks, which are now required in New Hampshire at gatherings of more than 100 people. And many in the crowd jeered when an announcer on the PA system suggested they don them. (Source: NHPR) Trump opened the rally with a rant against demonstrators who accosted guests departing his Thursday convention speech at the White House and at times needed to be escorted by police officers to safety. It marked his latest attempt to frame the general election as a dire choice between two futures for the nation — a theme he was expected to amplify on the campaign trail. (Source: Associated Press) In an interview after the rally with WMUR, Trump criticized his opponent in the November General Election and praised N.H.’s response to the coronavirus. "New Hampshire, number one, is doing very, very well in terms of the, as I call it, the ‘China virus.’ You have a great governor. He’s doing an incredible job. Your numbers are very, very low. And young children just don’t have very much of a problem. … You have to open up your state. You have to open up your country,” Trump said. (Source: WMUR)

4. Craig Pushes Trump for More Federal Money for Manchester. Ahead of President Trump’s planned appearance at Friday’s campaign rally in Londonderry, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig sent him an open letter, asking him to take action while in New Hampshire to protect residents and jobs and support increasing federal funding for the Queen City. In her letter, Craig asked the president, to increase federal coronavirus funding for her city. “This pandemic is a challenge one community cannot solve on its own,” Craig wrote. “Please commit to taking action to protect our residents and jobs, and advocate to increase federal funding for affordable housing, public education, healthcare institutions, economic recovery and direct funding to cities and towns that will help move Manchester forward through the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

5. Some Communities Ask: ‘Should Public Meetings Stay Virtual?’ With the expiration of New Hampshire’s stay-at-home order and the associated limits on gathering sizes, officials across the state are at a crossroads: Should public meetings continue virtually, or transition back to a live format? In March, Gov. Chris Sununu signed an emergency order allowing public meetings to be conducted virtually during the ongoing state of emergency, prompting most boards to begin meeting via Zoom, Webex and other videoconferencing services. While some are anxious to get back to in-person meetings as soon as possible, others would like to continue the option of meeting virtually after N.H.s state of emergency is finally allowed to expire. Chesterfield Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Jeanny Aldrich has written to area legislators asking that they consider changing parts of RSA 91-A, the Right-to-Know Law, which normally requires a physical quorum for regular meetings of public boards. (Source: Keene Sentinel) In Portsmouth, Mayor Rick Becksted has advocated a return to in-person meetings of the Portsmouth City Council. However, with City Council Chambers currently being used as a walk-in Voting Center for absentee voting and for residents registering to vote, resuming in-person meetings may present logistical as well as public health challenges.

6. ‘Freedom Rally’ Planned for Today in Laconia to Protest COVID Restrictions. A protest is scheduled at Weirs Beach to demonstrate against the emergency orders that remain in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizer Tony Campo said he hopes to be joined by other people who feel that Gov. Chris Sununu’s orders run against New Hampshire’s spirit of liberty. “We don’t want this to be a bash-Sununu fest, but we want him to know that he’s overstepped a bit.” (Source: Laconia Daily Sun) A similar rally is also planned for today in Portsmouth.

7. Exeter Mask Mandate on Hold as Enforcement Concerns Are Raised. The Exeter Select Board held a public hearing on an emergency mask ordinance, which featured impassioned calls from residents both in support of and opposing a mandate, causing the board to hold off voting on the measure to incorporate residents’ feedback. The draft ordinance discussed earlier in the week mandated the wearing of masks inside and outside for downtown up to Lincoln Street, with potential fines for repeat violations. The board is likely to vote on the measure in its next meeting Monday, moved up because of the Labor Day holiday the following week. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. State Health Officials Give Advice to School Nurses Preparing for COVID-19. In a question-and-answer session held Friday with N.H. school nurses, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan highlighted the possible use of rapid testing to clear symptomatic students and minimize the time they need to be out of school. Chan also offered advice on how to manage siblings of symptomatic students. Chan said if the child has no risk factors and a test is pending, the sibling can go to school. But if risk factors are present and a test is pending, siblings should stay home. The same applies to teachers and staff members with symptomatic children or spouses. Chan also emphasized the importance of having a separate isolation room with a closable door and a private bathroom. But he acknowledged that not every school will be able to provide that. (Source: WMUR)

9. Outdoor Schools Offer COVID-19 Alternative for Parents of Pre-Schoolers and Kindergarteners. With COVID-19 creating anxiety around school and child care options, more families are looking at alternative education models like nature schools. In Kittery, Maine, the outdoor preschool model has been operating for several years – starting in 2012 as the Eyes of the World Discovery Center and then later renamed the Kittery Forest Preschool – out of the Kittery Community Center. That’s where teachers Dawn Jenkins and Jessica Labbe built a groundwork for outdoor schooling on the Seacoast for ages 2-5. But since the indefinite closure of the Kittery Forest Preschool earlier in the year by the town of Kittery, Jenkins is now operating her own Eyes of the World Nature Immersion program in South Berwick, and Labbe is seeking land to open her own school – called the Village Nest Cooperative. (Source: Seacoast Online)

10. Masks and Reservations Required for Mount Sunapee, Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. This winter, skiers and snowboarders at Mount Snow, Stowe, Okemo and Mount Sunapee will be required to wear masks and make reservations to get on the hill, under new guidelines released by Vail Resorts, the national ski resort company that owns or operates seven mountains in the Twin States and 27 others across North America. (Source: The Valley News)

STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA

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

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

Friday August 28

Outdoor dining view of the North Church in Portsmouth from Tuscan Market.

Thursday in New Hampshire, COVID-19 claimed another life and 35 new cases were announced—the highest number in several weeks. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. COVID-19 Update: N.H.’s Numbers Are Looking Good. New Hampshire’s COVID-19 numbers continue to be quite good despite concerns about opening up business this summer, as the start of the school year approaches. The number of newly reported cases tied a record daily low of 8 on Wednesday and the two-week average dropped to 20. One more death was reported in a person over age 60 and 8 people have tied from COVID-19 over the past two weeks—the smallest number since the start of April. Hospitalizations remain low, as well, at barely one a day. Testing remains robust: Virtually every day is seeing the results of more than 3,000 tests and last Wednesday, Aug. 20, saw what might be the highest number yet: 4,479. (Source: Concord Monitor) Note: this article was published before Thursday’s numbers were released. However, daily peaks and troughs have been common throughout the pandemic and most experts agree that the best indicator of whether or not the virus is spreading is movement in the two-week average of active cases.

2. N.H. Health Officials Reject Federal Changes to CDC Testing Guidelines. New Hampshire health officials are sticking to longstanding COVID-19 testing recommendations despite some recent changes announced by federal officials. The Centers for Disease Control said this week that an asymptomatic person who has been in close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 doesn't need to be tested. Officials have since walked back the change, which was met with widespread criticism and outright rejection from states including Texas, Florida, Michigan, and California. In their weekly call with health care workers, health officials made clear the state's guidelines for testing, travel and quarantine. State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said New Hampshire will continue to recommend people get tested if they have come into close contact with a confirmed case and to self-quarantine when returning from any travel outside of New England. (Source: WMUR)

3. UNH Incident Exposes Social Distancing Concerns for Colleges. The University of New Hampshire says it is reevaluating some of its COVID-19 protocols following a campus event Wednesday night when roughly 100 freshmen were observed not complying with social distancing requirements while gathered around fire pits. Kenneth Holmes, UNH’s senior vice provost for student life and dean of students, said that reevaluation will include how UNH approaches student entry and egress for campus activities to minimize potential transmission of the coronavirus. Holmes attributed entry and egress challenges to why the crowd size at Wednesday’s event, a university-organized freshmen welcoming event, swelled beyond the 25-student cap UNH has on all gatherings. UNH staff broke up the student gathering after students witnessing it complained about the lack of social distancing, Holmes said. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Bike Week ‘Going Off the Way We Want,’ Sununu Says. Saying that he “has not seen anything yet that gives me concern,” Gov. Sununu estimated Laconia Motorcyle Week attendance at 20-30% of normal. He said state liquor enforcement has been “a great educator” and working in a proactive way with restaurants and business owners in Laconia to ensure that the events follow guidelines to protect the public from the virus. Meanwhile, state health officials are urging all who attended a similar event in Sturgis, South Dakota to stay clear of this rally and to quarantine for 14 days. Sununu said he is hopeful that a similar outbreak will not occur in New Hampshire. (Source: InDepthNH) South Dakota, a state with a smaller population than New Hampshire, reported 343 new cases yesterday. (Source: South Dakota Department of Health) New Hampshire officials have confirmed 6 cases in New Hampshire in residents who attended the Sturgis rally. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) In Laconia, at least one business owner is blaming optics from the Sturgis rally for a decline in business that “was like someone turning off a switch.” “We have no tourists, no bikers, we have no one,” NASWA Report owner Cynthia Makris told Gov. Chris Sununu when he stopped by Wednesday evening to cut a birthday cake for the 97th installment of the rally. “We have 50 empty rooms. So everyone was sufficiently scared.” (Source: Laconia Daily Sun) Motorcycle Week ends on Sunday, August 30.

5. COVID Restrictions to Ease for Amusement Parks and Cruise Boats. Amusement parks will be able to expand capacity from 25 to 35 percent and cruise boats and excursion trains from 50 to 100 percent provided their guests can maintain six feet of social distance, the governor’s policy director said Thursday. D.J. Bettencourt, Gov. Chris Sununu’s policy director, outlined these and other plans for the state to drop some individual industry guidance requirements, which he believes will go into effect at the end of the day on Friday after the governor formally authorizes the order. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. Restrictions Also Loosened at Some Nursing Home Facilities. Restrictions are being loosened a bit for long-term care facilities in three New Hampshire counties that have maintained very low coronavirus numbers for at least two weeks, state Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said Thursday. She said facilities in Belknap, Coos and Grafton counties can now increase the number of visitors indoors to two per resident. Some rules also have been loosened regarding communal dining and other activities, she said. (Source: Associated Press)

7. N.H. Attorney General Fields Nearly 1,000 Inquiries, Complaints About Violations of COVID-19 Guidelines. Through a right-to-know request, WMUR obtained hundreds of documents showing interactions between the AG’s Office, which has been tasked with enforcing the guidelines, and members of the public. The paperwork documents several hundred contacts with people reporting possible violations, looking for clarification about guidelines, and revealing frustration and confusion. Most were from people reporting a lack of mask wearing and social distancing at businesses, restaurants and attractions. Some documents also revealed confusion about quarantine requirements. When contacted, most businesses seemed to appreciate the information and agreed to follow the guidelines. But some businesses expressed frustration with the legal status of the guidelines, with one owner saying, "If the governor cared, he would have made them laws." (Source: WMUR)

8. N.H. Lawmakers, Biz Leaders Unite to Oppose Mass. Income Tax on N.H. Remote Workers. Legislators, business leaders and taxpayers urged the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to eliminate a rule adopted after the pandemic that requires New Hampshire residents working from home because of COVID-19 to pay the Bay State’s 5% income tax. About 140 people telecommuting from New Hampshire sent emails to the revenue department about the temporary rule, which has touched off an interstate furor. The tax is scheduled to remain in place through the end of the year or until 30 days after Gov. Charlie Baker suspends the current state of emergency, whichever is later. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

9. Manchester May Start School Year Fully Remote After All. The Manchester School District is re-examining its plans to offer a hybrid model to kindergarten and first-grade students, citing a shortage of teachers willing and able to return to in-person teaching. The state's largest school district is reviewing legal paperwork filed by staff who want to take a leave of absence or get an exemption from in-person teaching because of a disability or health condition. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile, the Brentwood School Board voted 3-2 to break with the rest of SAU 16 and rejected remote learning in favor of a return to in-person learning. (Source: Seacoast Online)

10. ‘Not the Person I Used to Be’: Business Owner Beats COVID-19 But Effects Linger. A Brentwood salon owner has been released from isolation and is back to work, but reports lingering effects from her battle with the virus. Michelle Negri and her husband, Dan, were diagnosed with the coronavirus in June. She beat back COVID only to see the symptoms come back, including a pounding in the chest that woke her well before dawn. “I have,” she said, “seen more sunrises than I have my entire life.” She still has issues with her lungs, her voice, her blood pressure, her vision and her memory and has become what she calls “a long-hauler”—a person whose struggle with the illness doesn’t end right away. “I still don’t go out much,” she said. “I find it hard to talk to people. I feel like I’m existing in the shadows, not the person I used to be.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

11. NH GOP Sends Absentee Ballot Request to Pennsylvania Man. An 83-year-old Pennsylvania man, a registered Democrat, received an absentee ballot application in the mail from the New Hampshire Republican Party telling him to return it to the Rochester, N.H., city clerk and his daughter wants to know why since he has never lived here and didn’t request one. This is the just the latest wrinkle of confusion in New Hampshire relative to the NH GOP absentee ballot request mailers. On Aug. 10, InDepthNH.org reported that the NH GOP had mailed requests to New Hampshire residents that would have been returned to the Durham, N.H., town clerk even though they didn’t live there. On Saturday, another NH GOP absentee ballot request mailer, this one with President Donald Trump’s picture on it like the one Short received, was reported by a Dover man whose absentee ballot request said to return it to the Exeter, N.H., town clerk. The Attorney General’s Office has been looking into the mailers since the first round was discovered and has said the NH GOP will reimburse towns that reroute them to the proper address for their work. (Source: InDepthNH)

12. A Visual Guide To Absentee Voting at The Voting Center at Portsmouth City Hall. Worried about your absentee ballot being received in time for the September 8 Primary Election? Here’s how to accelerate the process. (Source: Portsmouth City Clerk )

13. Trump's NH Rally Moved to Londonderry. President Donald Trump has changed the location for tonight’s campaign rally in New Hampshire from Manchester to Londonderry. The rally was scheduled to be held at a hangar near the north end of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, but Trump’s campaign announced on Thursday it was moved to a different hangar at the airport, Pro Star Aviation at 8 Kelly Ave. in Londonderry. The rally is still scheduled for 6 p.m., with doors opening to the public at 3 p.m. Masks are required at the event and will be provided to all attendees, the Trump campaign said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

Thursday August 27

Portsmouth City Clerk Kelli Barnaby gets ready to help voters with absentee balloting at the temporary Voting Center in City Council Chambers at Portsmouth City Hall.

On Wednesday, the state announced 1 new death and 8 new COVID-19 cases. There are currently 40 active cases in the seacoast region, 76 in Rockingham County, and the the number of cases in Portsmouth is not being reported to protect the identity of the individuals involved because it is between 1-4. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related N.H. news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. City Clerk Opens Voting Center In City Hall Council Chambers. To assist Portsmouth residents with what is expected to be high demand for absentee voting due to COVID-19, the City Clerk’s Office has set up a Voting Center in Council Chambers at City Hall. The Voting Center is open during regular City Hall hours (Mon, 8 am – 6 pm; Tues-Thurs, 8 am – 4:30 pm; Fri, 8 am – 1 pm) from Tuesday, August 25 through November 2. Visit the Voting Center to: register to vote, complete an application for absentee ballots (check the box on the application to receive absentee ballots for both the September 8 NH Primary and the November 3 General Election); and receive and an absentee ballot for the NH Primary. You can speed up the process by downloading and bringing your completed absentee ballot application with you. You can download an application here. When you receive your primary ballot at the Voting Center, you can take it with you, fill it out later, and return it to the City Clerk by mail—or drop it off with the Clerk on a return visit prior to the day of the election. You can also have an authorized agent (usually a family member) drop it off at your polling place any time before 5 p.m. on Election Day itself. Starting Monday, you will also be able to complete and return your ballot immediately after you receive it at the Voting Center. (Sources: Portsmouth City Clerk, City of Portsmouth Email Newsletter, personal notes)

2. N.H. Attendees of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Advised to Get Tested After 6 N.H. Attendees Test Positive. Granite Staters who traveled to the Sturgis motorcycle rally are being asked to get tested for COVID-19 after six cases associated with the rally were confirmed in New Hampshire residents. New Hampshire health officials said more than 100 COVID-19 cases have been traced to the motorcycle rally in South Dakota, where protective measures such as wearing cloth face coverings and physical distancing were not in place. Officials with DHHS said any Granite Staters who attended the rally should get tested and quarantine and monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days when they returned, even if they test negative. (Source: WMUR )

3. As Motorcycle Week Nears the End, Many Laconia Business Not Complying with Mask Guidelines. A stroll through downtown on Wednesday shows compliance with face mask requirements varies widely from business to business. Unlike other New England states, New Hampshire does not have an overarching requirement that people wear facial coverings. Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said the rule that customer-contact employees must wear masks is an example of a mandatory requirement that can be enforced, while the guidance involving customers is a discretionary recommendation. Edwards said retail staff members who ring up sales and wait on customers are required to wear masks. Her office has fielded about 175 complaints over potential violations of the state COVID-19 requirements over the last few months, but none have progressed to the actual imposition of civil penalties. At the restaurant, Trillium Farm to Table, owner Hanah Rush was taking customer orders without wearing a mask. Rush said she didn’t want to talk about the issue of face masks. Jim Daubenspeck, owner of Daub’s Cobbler Shop, was sitting on a stool outside his store. He said it doesn’t make sense for him to wear masks for hours at a time, when customers are fairly infrequent. He said he keeps a mask handy in case a customer wants him to put one on. Myles Chase, owner of MC Cycle & Sport, also said he tries to be amenable to his customers. He wasn’t wearing a mask. “It’s whatever everyone is comfortable with,” he said. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

4. State Plans to Purchase Rapid-Testing Machines for Limited Testing of K-12 Students. Rapid testing of students who may have contracted COVID-19 could be available at 25 community centers across the state as early as November, pending federal approval. Democratic legislative leaders initially asked to equip all public schools with testing equipment. But state Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette said the equipment would take at least a year to get, cost $6.4 million and pose “several obstacles to overcome,” including posting a nursing professional at each school and federal health certification for each site. Instead, the Legislative Advisory Board unanimously endorsed spending $50,000 to purchase 25 Quidel Sofia antigen test machines and enough supplies to perform the tests through Dec. 31. Shibinette told the panel the Trump administration has cut New Hampshire’s allotment for the state’s own rapid-testing supplies because the state has a low infection rate compared to other regions. “I have no guarantees I will be able to procure enough test kits to maintain services for these machines long-term,” Shibinette said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) The news came as the Centers for Disease Control raised the bar on who should get tested, advising that some people without symptoms probably don't need it -- even if they've been in close contact with an infected person. Previously, the CDC said viral testing was appropriate for people with recent or suspected exposure, even if they were asymptomatic. When asked to comment, a CDC spokesperson referred all questions to the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir said the focus of the change was to do more "appropriate" testing, not "less" testing. But the new directive also lines up with a trend in policy and rhetoric from the White House. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested the US should do less testing. (Source: CNN)

5. COVID-19-Related Costs for Some NH School Districts Soar Well Above Relief Money Allocations. Officials with the New Hampshire School Administrators Association said the $34 million in federal coronavirus relief bill money won’t be enough and districts will need at least $25 million above the relief already in place. Costs to overhaul HVAC systems in schools were not accounted for in budgets developed before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Local districts are also covering costs to update technology, sanitation equipment, personal protective gear and added staff during the crisis. According to the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, 92% of districts qualified to receive fewer than $500,000 in federal aid, while 49% qualified to receive fewer than $50,000. Ten percent of districts received nothing. In some districts, remote and reopening costs have been three or four times larger than the allocated amounts. (Source: WMUR)

6. UNH Warns Returning Students About ‘Reckless’ Partying. University of New Hampshire officials issued a stern warning to students about off-campus partying two days after police say 50 people ignored university coronavirus safety guidelines during an incident in a Main Street apartment. “It is reckless behavior such as this that will necessitate UNH pivoting back to remote learning only,” Vice Provost Ken Holmes wrote Wednesday in an email to students. “In the end, you and your peers will have the final say if we stay together or not.” Officers observed most of the 50 attendees weren’t wearing masks and none were practicing social distancing while packed in close quarters inside the apartment, both of which run counter to what local, state and federal health officials have stipulated for large gatherings. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. COVID Causing Some N.H. College Students to Consider Gap Year. Tanner Duval, president of Mascenic High School’s Class of 2020, is one of thousands of college students around the country who have changed their higher education plans due – in one way or another – to COVID-19. After being admitted to the prestigious Park Film School at Ithaca College, Duval had registered for classes, signed up for housing, and last week, he was checking his email for a dorm move-in date when he got some bad news – Ithaca had reversed course and would be all-virtual this fall, with hopes that it could open for in-person instruction in the spring semester. At that point, Duval decided to put his college plans off for a year. A recent College Reaction/Axios poll found that 22 percent of current college students were not planning on enrolling this fall. (Source: Monadnock Ledger Transcript)

8. Dartmouth Decides to Go Ahead with Bringing Half of Undergraduates to Hanover. Dartmouth College will bring half of its undergraduates to Hanover next month, after all. College President Philip Hanlon and Provost Joseph Helble announced the decision Wednesday in an email, a week after they had put the plan on hold after COVID-19 outbreaks were reported at other colleges after students returned. Dartmouth’s plan is to rotate its roughly 4,000 undergraduates through campus during the academic year, with half in Hanover and half learning at home at any one time. This should allow every student to spend two of the four terms on campus. (Source: Concord Monitor)

Wednesday August 26

On Tuesday, state health officials announced 16 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in New Hampshire. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. Portsmouth Mayor Criticizes City School Reopening Plan, Favors Shelving Mask Ordinance, and Urges Return to In-Person Meetings of City Council. City government and schools need to move on to more in-person re-openings, instead of restrictions “based on fear,” said Mayor Rick Becksted. They mayor is calling for an end to City Council meetings held by Zoom videoconferencing and said there’s no reason all students can’t return to school twice weekly, instead of once-a-week, as announced. The mayor said the City Council has meet twice in person during the coronavirus pandemic, both times to discuss in non-public session a performance evaluation for City Manager Karen Conard. He said Council Chambers provide adequate space for social distancing, there is not a state of emergency and the city is sending mixed messages by meeting virtually. Asked to respond, Health Agent Kim McNamara replied in a joint statement with Conard, through the city’s public information officer. “This community has worked very hard from the start to keep the infection numbers down,” they said. “We need to continue to do all those things we’ve been doing to keep the numbers down, including not gathering in groups indoors.” (Source: Seacoast Online) Note: The mayor’s claim that there is no state of emergency is false. On July 31, Gov. Sununu issued Emergency Order #61, an order extending Emergency Order #52, as part of the state's efforts to respond to COVID-19. The order extends N.H.’s state of emergency to September 1, when the governor will likely renew it for a seventh time. (Source: Office of the Governor)

2. Portsmouth School Board Forms Subcommittee to Explore Options for Fall Sports. On Tuesday, the Portsmouth school board initially decided to allow low-risk sports like golf and cross-country for competition and to allow other sports to only hold practices and scrimmages. The committee later decided to put together a subcommittee that will explore competition options for other sports. The board says that while it's responsible for making decisions on policy and budget, it does not have clear guidelines about making decisions on sports. (Source: WMUR) The Board also heard mixed comments from parents on its decision to limit in-school learning to one day a week. While some thanked the board for putting the health of students and teachers first, others denounced the decision saying less time in the classroom and more time devoted to remote learning will create stress for working parents and will harm their children. Speaking during the public comment session, Mayor Rick Becksted repeated his call for the Board to return students to the classroom two days per week instead of just one. Earlier, Superintendent Steve Zadravec presented a school reopening update presentation that walked viewers of the Zoom conference through the revised plan as well as the rationale for moving away from an earlier plan that would have returned students to school 5 days per week. Zadravec acknowledged the additional stress the revised plan puts on teachers, students and parents. But he said staffing, spacing, and budgetary restrictions forced the change in course. Zadravec also said he hopes to be able to return to full-time in-classroom learning later in the year. (Source: personal notes) The School Department has also posted a document that provides answers to frequently asked questions about school reopening.

3. Exeter Coop Board Approves all Fall Sports and Extracurricular Activities. The Exeter Region Cooperative School Board voted, 8-1, Tuesday night to approve a motion allowing all fall sports to be offered with interscholastic competition at Exeter High School this season. The plan includes creating a “bubble effect” at the high school, with an effort to select teams early in the preseason and keep those teams together throughout the fall, with staggered practice times. Scheduling will be regional, masks will be mandatory during practices, and the use of locker rooms, training rooms and bathrooms inside the school will be prohibited. Spectators will be limited to parents (or possibly two game tickets per athlete) to start.The only sport permitted to go indoors and use the gymnasium will be the girls volleyball team. But Exeter superintendent Dr. David Ryan stopped short of recommending all sports be played without the assurance that opposing schools are following the same strict protocols as SAU 16. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Remote Learning Spaces Pop Up to Fill Childcare Demand. As New Hampshire public school districts prepare to open with remote and hybrid models that have students taking classes from home, working parents are searching for supervised learning spaces and community organizations are quickly trying to meet the demand. Last week, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire announced that it plans to create a supervised area in the Steeplegate Mall in Concord where students from kindergarten and up can come and do their remote learning during the day if they can’t get supervision at home. A similar remote learning space is opening up for K-3 students in the Lebanon School District and surrounding towns. FitKids Childcare is opening a program called FitKids Academy where students will learn in a supervised environment inside a 1,782 square foot yoga studio. The cost for the program is $1,742.50 per month per student, and includes school and afterschool care from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., hands-on enrichment activities and sports. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Sununu to Greet Trump, But Will Pass on Rally. Gov. Chris Sununu said he’ll greet President Donald Trump when he gets off Air Force One in Manchester Friday night, but is unlikely to attend Trump’s 2020 campaign rally in a nearby hangar. “As the governor, I will always be there to greet the president,” Sununu said. “I don’t have plans to be at the rally. When I can, I try to avoid large crowd events.” Sununu says New Hampshire’s face mask requirement for gatherings of 100 people or more will be in effect during the rally. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

6. NH Health Care Exec Sharply Criticizes Trump Administration Testing Support for Nursing Homes. The Trump administration's latest effort to use COVID-19 rapid tests -- touted by one senior official as a "turning point" in arresting the coronavirus's spread within nursing homes -- is running into roadblocks likely to limit how widely they will be used. Federal officials are distributing point-of-care antigen tests—which are cheaper and faster than tests that must be run by a lab—to 14,000 nursing homes to increase routine screening of residents and staff. But two manufacturers that have received Food and Drug Administration authorization and whose instruments are being delivered say their antigen tests are intended for patients with symptoms but NOT for people who are infected with the virus but asymptomatic. This has called into question how valuable the tests would be for broad screening purposes—such as ongoing surveillance testing at nursing homes. “I just have a lot of skepticism," said Brendan Williams, president of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the state. "Basically you're giving some lousy tests for nursing homes and you're making them pay for them. I don't see that as a win; I see that as a risk." (Source: Kaiser Health News)

7. State Review of Long-Term Care Ventilation Systems Reveals No Links to COVID-19 Spread. Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said the state's recently completed review of ventilation systems in the 28 long-term care centers that have experienced outbreaks turned up no common factors that might have encouraged the spread of the coronavirus. Engineers have recommended installing ultraviolet light systems in ducts to disinfect the air and increasing the air exchange rate in resident and common rooms, Shibinette said. She said the state will examine whether such changes might make a difference. (Source: WMUR)

8. Election 'Sabotage' Alleged at Save the Post Office Rally in Manchester. The leader of the local postal workers union says changes at the U.S. Postal Service have “wreaked havoc” on service to Americans, with mail-sorting machines being shuttered and overtime hours slashed. About 130 union members and supporters of the Postal Service stood outside the Goffs Falls Road post office at a “Save the Post Office” rally Tuesday morning. Every member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation spoke at the rally in support of the Postal Service. Outrage over the removal of expensive sorting machines in Manchester and from post office facilities across the country just as many voters are expected to vote absentee by mail has prompted calls for an Inspector General investigation. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

9. City Clerk Opens Voting Center at Portsmouth City Hall. To assist residents with what is expected to be high demand for absentee voting due to COVID-19, the city clerk’s office has set up a voting center in Council Chambers at City Hall. The center is open through Nov. 2 during regular City Hall hours, Monday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents can visit the voting center to register to vote, complete an absentee ballot application for either or both the Sept. 8 primary and Nov. 3 general election), receive and complete an absentee ballot for the primary, and—when available—receive and complete a ballot for the general election. (Source: Seacoast Online)

10. Seacoast Rep’s Hustle to Survive Pandemic Featured in NBC Digital Series ‘Rebound'. What can a business centered around the arts do to survive a pandemic that is threatening its staff, hurting its bank account and keeping its audience at home? Portsmouth’s Seacoast Rep is one of the small business survival stories being featured in an NBC digital documentary series called “Rebound,” created by NBC Owned Television Stations and NBC LX. Despite the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue along with cancellations forcing staff and performer cuts, the Rep has kept the theater running by live-streaming musicals, running digital programming and implementing entirely new strategies to run their shows. The Rep’s story is profiled in Episode 2 of the series. (Source: NBC Boston)

Tuesday August 25

Congress Street in Portsmouth with picnic tables set up in parking spaces to accommodate outdoor dining.

27 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday, but no new deaths. Here is the news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. Outbreak Reported at Rockingham County Jail. The superintendent of the Rockingham County jail announced 11 positive cases of COVID-19 between inmates and personnel on Monday, forcing a facility-wide lockdown to prevent further spread. Superintendent Stephen Church said the first positive case was diagnosed Friday. Church said 55 inmates have since been tested, yielding nine positive results. Inmates who tested positive have been isolated from the rest of the population. (Source: Seacoast Online)

2. Feds OK Extra $300 Per Week in Unemployment for NH Residents. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved New Hampshire's participation in a program to provide an extra $300 per week to unemployed workers, the agency announced on Monday. After a federally funded $600 weekly jobless benefit expired in July, President Trump signed an executive order to extend a reduced benefit of $300 or $400 a week, depending on which plan governors choose. Gov. Sununu opted for the lower amount. So anyone who already is getting $100 per week from the state will get the additional amount without the state having to pay more. For the rest, the state will bring them up to $100 so they can qualify for the additional money. (Sources: FEMA and NECN) Some background: after initially announcing the $100 state contribution would be mandatory, the White House modified the program allowing states to count their current unemployment payments towards their $100 contribution. The result was more appetite from states—like N.H.—to participate, but a lower benefit for most unemployed workers. (Source: Forbes) FEMA is administering the grants to states because President Trump authorized the $44 billion in required funding to be taken from money already set aside for hurricane and emergency disaster relief. (Source: FEMA)

3. Manchester School Officials Warn Lack of Teachers Could Nix In-Person Learning for K-1st Graders. School officials in the state’s largest school district warned this week they may not have enough teachers to provide in-person learning for kindergarten and first grade students when schools open next month, based on the number of educators who qualify for exceptions to in-person teaching under federal law. School board members will hold a special meeting on Monday, Aug. 31, to review additional guidelines for the reopening of schools in Manchester, following a marathon meeting Monday night that stretched into Tuesday morning. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

4. Portsmouth Parents Can Weigh In Tonight on Return-to-School Plan. For the first time, parents and families will be able to comment publicly tonight on a revised plan calling for one day per week of in-person instruction once school resumes next month. In addition to the opportunity for public comment at tonight’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Stephen Zadravec will begin with a full presentation on the decision to move from a planned reopening consisting of in-person instruction five-days-a-week, to a one day per week plan. Also on the agenda for tonight’s Zoom video conference meeting at 6:30 p.m. are fall sports. More information and a registration link are available here. (Source: Seacoast Online) NHPR has created an excellent set of answers to frequently asked questions about school reopening in New Hampshire that you can find here. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile, the approaches districts across the state are considering when it comes school sports are almost as controversial—and varied—as the approaches to reopening. In Nashua, officials have decided to permit all fall athletics—including higher-contact sports like football—at both the middle and high school levels. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) But in other communities, like Bedford, officials continue to struggle to finalize a decision after initially deciding to shut-down competitive sports for the fall. (Source: WMUR)

5. Some Students Returning to N.H. Colleges and Boarding Schools Are Bringing COVID with Them. Students are starting to return to residential New Hampshire campuses this week, and in some places, the COVID-19 virus is right behind them. An individual has tested positive for COVID-19 at the boarding school Kimball Union Academy just days after student orientation leaders arrived back on campus, and Franklin Pierce University has discovered six confirmed cases last week. The N. H. Department of Health and Human Services is currently working to develop a website that will list all New Hampshire schools and the number of COVID-19 cases identified at each. The department says it will issue public notifications if any school experiences an outbreak. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Move-Ins Delayed by Testing Issues at Keene State. Move-ins planned for Monday and Tuesday for roughly 1,100 Keene State students have been delayed until this weekend because students still haven't filed or received their test results. Under the college's reopening guidelines, all students are required to test negative for COVID-19 within a week before returning to residence halls or in-person classes. College officials said the 1,100 students who are now set to move in over the weekend must have their negative test results filed by Friday. Other students will move in Wednesday as scheduled. (Source: WMUR)

7. UNH COVID Testing Lab Up-and-Running as Another Wave of Students Returns to Campus. According to officials at the University of New Hampshire, a newly-opened on-campus COVID-19 lab will test students, faculty and staff up to twice a week; process thousands of tests each day; and return results within 12 hours. The lab will also process samples from Keene State College and Plymouth State University—which should help with delays in receiving test results from off-campus labs, which both universities have experienced. The lab is being used as part of a testing protocol that requires students at all of New Hampshire’s public universities and colleges to be tested before they arrive on campus, again upon arrival and again two weeks after arrival. UNH President Jim Dean said the free pre-arrival testing has proved particularly important, based on results at other institutions. He said the lack of pre-arrival testing has been one of the key common denominators between institutions with outbreaks, as have the fact that the universities are located in states with far greater infection rates than New Hampshire’s. (Source: Fosters Daily Democrat)

8. Proposed Portsmouth Mask Ordinance Faces Second Protest. A group of protesters marched through Portsmouth Saturday speaking out against the city’s proposed face-mask ordinance and plan to protest again this Saturday, said organizer David Lheureux. Last weekend’s march began at Prescott Park where about a dozen people carried signs with messages including, “Don’t suffocate our rights,” “fight for freedom,” and “stop government control.” Lheureux wore a pistol holstered to his right thigh, which prompted one call to police, who recognized his right to open carry, but warned him his bullhorn violates a city ordinance. A resident of Campton Lower Village, Lheureux said he’s been leading protests against municipal mask ordinances around the state. (Source: Seacoast Online) On Monday August 31, the Portsmouth City Council will hear public comment and vote on the third and final reading of a proposed mandatory mask ordinance. An agenda, meeting materials, and a registration link will be available here.

9. Mental Health Providers Concerned About Kids During Pandemic. Mental health officials said Monday that children are a particular concern during the coronavirus pandemic both as patients and as offspring of providers working from home. The pandemic has exacerbated existing workforce challenges in behavioral health, Cynthia Whitaker, interim president of Greater Nashua Mental Health, said during an online discussion organized by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. She and others said many providers are juggling their jobs with overseeing their children’s remote educations. Rebecca Throop, vice president of community relations at Seacoast Mental Health Center said that during the pandemic the burden of assessing children has fallen largely on parents. “When we’re getting children in emergency services for intakes, the severity we’re seeing has skyrocketed,” she said. “Parents are waiting until there’s a crisis and then they bring their kids in, when it’s so obvious you can’t ignore it.” (Source: Associated Press)

10. New Hampshire Ski Areas Prepare for a Socially Distanced Season. Many ski areas already got a taste of what can happen with Covid-19 when the virus shut down most of their outdoor activities prematurely at the end of the 2019-20 season. This season, changes will be coming to restaurants, ticket areas, rest rooms, rental areas and possibly lift lines in order to help people maintain social distance. Rather than waiting in line and ordering tickets from an employee behind a glass window, ski areas are encouraging patrons to order online. At the mountain, kiosk will be available where lift tickets can be printed, either using a credit or debit card or from a QR code emailed after the purchase. “One thing we looked at was technology,” said Tom Day, general manager at Gunstock Mountain in Gilford. Customers can buy tickets, reserve ski schools and select rentals online so that cash exchanges and in-person interactions are limited, he said. (Source: NH Business Review)

Monday August 24

15 new positive cases and no new deaths for Sunday. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related New Hampshire news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Time Is Running Out to Apply by Mail for an Absentee Ballot for the September 8 Primary Election. With Primary Election Day just over two weeks away, keep in mind that if you apply by mail, you need to allow time for your application to be received by your town clerk, processed, and a ballot to be mailed back to you. You then must complete the ballot and mail it back in time for it to be received by the day of the election. Postal Service officials are urging voters to mail in their completed ballots at least one week before the election. So if you want to vote absentee and want to be sure your ballot is received in time:

   • AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, download, complete, and mail the application form to your city or town clerk. If you also want to also receive a ballot for the general election, make sure to check the boxes for both the Primary Election and the General Election. You can find the address of your city or town clerk here.

   • Track the status of your absentee ballot application on the N.H. Secretary of State’s website.

   • When you receive your ballot, vote for the candidates of your choice and mail your completed ballot back to your city or town clerk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

   IMPORTANT: If you feel comfortable with a visit to your town or city clerk’s office, you can also pick up a ballot in-person, vote, and return your ballot by mail or in-person to your town or city clerk. In Portsmouth, you can also leave your completed application in the grey box outside City Hall and a ballot will be mailed to you. Keep in mind that If you have questions about voting, NHPR has put together an excellent voting guide with answers to frequently asked questions and links to resources and additional information. (Source: NHPR) If you live in Portsmouth, see the City Clerk’s Voting Information page for additional information, including your polling place. Also remember that if all this makes you anxious about your absentee ballot being received, you may designate an “agent” (typically a family member) who can bring your completed and sealed ballot to the the Ward Clerk at your polling place any time before 5 p.m. on Election Day. You may also skip the absentee voting process and vote at the polls on Election Day where moderators and election officials have been working hard all summer to ensure voting in-person will be safe. If you live in Portsmouth Wards 3 and 4, also note that your polling places have changed:

   • Ward 3 - SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER at 125 Cottage Street

   • Ward 4 - PORTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

2. COVID Tracker: With Start of School Looming, N.H. Numbers Are Good. The latest report from the Concord Monitor’s weekly tracking of the COVID-19 pandemic is very upbeat. But according to reporter David Brooks “it feels like a scorecard from the final baseball game of the regular season: Almost irrelevant because everybody’s waiting to see what happens in the playoffs.” Brooks continues, “The equivalent of playoffs in this metaphor is the opening of New Hampshire’s schools and colleges, which has the potential to completely change the state’s COVID-19 status.” As of last week, the average number of new cases in New Hampshire is as low as it has been since the first weeks of the pandemic. The two-week average of new cases rose in July but has since gone down to 23 new cases a day. The last time it was that low: March 30. (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. 100% Capacity ‘Doesn’t Change a Thing’ for Restaurants. Seacoast restaurant owners and staff members say Gov. Chris Sununu’s executive order last week allowing restaurants to open to 100% capacity will not help them. On Friday, Aug. 21, Sununu announced 100% capacity is now allowed at restaurants in all counties. But restrictions remain related to the distance between tables, face mask requirements and limits on bar service. For example, Chef Matt Louis, who owns or co-owns 4 restaurants in Portsmouth, said his Moxy restaurant has a seating capacity of 80, under normal operations. But with the need for social distancing, he had to reduce it to 36, and he can’t change that now. (Source: Seacoast Online) In Manchester, the reaction among the restaurant community was much the same. Tim Baines, owner of Mint Bistro on Elm Street in Manchester, said while it’s heartening to know that New Hampshire’s case numbers are moving in the right direction, Friday’s announcement by Sununu is confusing at best, and mostly a “nothing burger.” (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

4. At Least 6 People Injured After Tent Collapses in New Ipswich. A controversial religious gathering in New Ipswich nearly ended in tragedy when a tent collapsed during a severe storm on Sunday injuring six people. Of those who were injured, four were taken to local hospitals with injuries that appeared to be minor. The group sponsoring the tent revival—The Last Reformation—had drawn the attention of state and local officials for initially indicating it would not comply with state COVID-19 restrictions. Commenting at the scene on a Facebook video, pastor Torben Søndergaard said, “I’ve never seen any wind like this. A wind just came and took everybody up. The tent and everybody just went out. … Everyone just got lifted up.” (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

5. Second Round of NH GOP Absentee Ballot Mailers Also Have Incorrect Address. Voters have started to receive another batch of improperly addressed absentee ballot requests from the NH GOP, creating additional confusion along with the potential for the requests to be sent to the wrong towns. Software developer Brian LaPierre of Dover received an absentee ballot request form from the NH GOP – this time for the general election – with an incorrect address to return the request to Exeter. He received it on Friday. “I live in Dover and the form would have been mailed to Exeter,” LaPierre said, adding he considers the confusion a very important matter. These new mailers are in addition to the ones the NH GOP sent out earlier this month that would have returned the absentee ballot requests to the wrong town of Durham. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. Dozens of NH Towns Have Yet to Apply for Federal Virus Aid. More than 50 New Hampshire communities have yet to apply for reimbursement for expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic. Requests must be made by Sept. 15 to be reimbursed for expenses incurred between March 1 and Aug. 31. As of Friday, 51 towns had not applied, according to the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, which is in charge of distributing the state’s $1.25 billion in federal aid. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Early N.H. Task Force Emails Show Divisions on Economic Reopening. Nearly 1,800 emails sent to Gov. Chris Sununu’s Economic Reopening Task Force between April 22 and May 1 reveal stark division over what should reopen and what should stay closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the longest letters tackled what emerged as one of the most tangled topics: hair salons. Hundreds of salon owners and workers wrote in, many of them incensed by comments made by the head of the New Hampshire Cosmetology Association during one of the task force’s early meetings. Many of the other emails called for opening specific industries, from tattoo shops to a business billing itself as the state’s only competitive and recreational aquatic training facility for dogs. “We had people on one side that said we need to shut down, and people on the other side that said we have to open up. And we walked a narrow road between the two, with the ultimate goal of opening safely and I think we’ve done that,” said Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry. “The people were heard, and the people were part of this process.” (Source: Associated Press)

8. State Supreme Court: Tenants Facing Eviction Must Be Told of the Appeal Process. In a unanimous ruling that could help people facing eviction during the pandemic, the state Supreme Court has ruled tenants facing eviction must be told in writing that they have options other than immediately moving out. “Many tenants read an eviction notice stating they must leave by a certain day and think they must leave by that day, not realizing that once they leave, they give up their right to fight the eviction,” said New Hampshire Legal Assistant attorney Stephen Tower. The wording on eviction notice forms was modified by the Legislature in 2018 to include a statement explaining that tenants can dispute an eviction at a hearing before a judge. In an Aug. 11 ruling, in the case Horton v. Clemens, the state Supreme Court emphasized that this wording or its equivalent must be included on all eviction notices. (Source: Concord Monitor)

Sunday August 23

Rep. Peter Somssich and Kathy Somssich show their support for the Postal Service Saturday in Portsmouth.

22 new cases and 1 new death on Saturday. Here is the rest of the news you need to know for Sunday.

1. Trump Plans to Return to NH at the End of Next Week, Rally Likely Friday in Manchester. A high-ranking GOP official told WMUR that while details will soon be announced, it is “99 percent likely” that President Trump will visit the state on Friday and the visit will take place in Manchester – possibly at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Multiple additional sources also confirmed the plans. Trump had planned to visit Portsmouth on July 11 but postponed the visit citing an impending tropical storm. He later told an interviewer it was postponed due to concerns over COVID-19. Concerns over potential spread of the illness—despite the Trump campaign announcing it would provide masks to attendees—prompted several area businesses to announce they would close on the weekend of the rally and accelerated discussions in Portsmouth and other seacoast communities concerning mandatory mask ordinances. (Source: WMUR)

2. Rallies Held in Portsmouth and Kittery to Support Seacoast Post Offices and Postal Workers. Two rallies in support of the US Postal Service were held on Saturday, one in Portsmouth and another in Kittery, Maine. The local rallies were part of a nationwide action Saturday by those who believe the Trump administration is trying to undermine the USPS ahead of the November elections. Rallygoers in Portsmouth and Kittery marched to the post offices carrying signs expressing their desire to see that post offices stay funded, open and properly equipped to process mail-in ballots. A banner expressing support was delivered to workers at both facilities. (Source: Seacoast Online) In a related story on Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $25 billion in emergency funds to shore up the Postal Service and reverse changes blamed for mail delays ahead of the November election. Nearly two dozen Republicans crossed party lines to support the bill despite the president tweeting before the vote, “This is all another HOAX.” The bill is likely to stall in the Republican-controlled Senate. (Source: CNN) Meanwhile, after six additional states joined a lawsuit on Friday against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over changes they say have undermined mail-in voting ahead of the November election, New Hampshire is now the only New England state that has yet to take legal action. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Motorcycle Week Begins with Smaller Crowds. In previous years, Lakeside Avenue would be filled with motorcycles and vendors all over the street and the sidewalk. But this year, it’s a much quieter, scaled-down event with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Organizers say they are glad it’s happening at all. “We're very happy to have it. The city made some changes and we're good with those,” said Executive Director Charlie St. Clair. On Saturday, large sections of sidewalks were empty, while other spots were tighter to navigate. Some people wore masks, while others chose not to. “It’s probably the same percentage as anywhere else with people wearing masks and not and social distancing. We've sprayed everything, so if they do touch any of these railings or anything that should help,” St. Clair said. (Source: WMUR)

4. Rally Urges Opening of SAU 16 Schools, In-Person Classes. A group of concerned parents and students demonstrated in front of Exeter Town Hall Saturday to demand schools reopen and that students be allowed to attend class in person. The group Majority Voices of SAU 16 formed last week after SAU 16 Superintendent David Ryan announced that schools would begin the year using remote learning only. “We are all about school choice,” said Lewis Casey, a resident of Brentwood. “We think remote learning is a failed option. The Governor, the Centers for Disease Control and the American Pediatric Association all say to open schools.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. Private Schools See Surge of Interest as Remote vs. Hybrid Debate Continues. As public school districts around the region tentatively reopen with hybrid or remote models, some parents are looking to switch to private schools, which are mostly operating in-person. As a result, New Hampshire private school officials say they are seeing an increase in interest and enrollment beyond what was expected. Officials at Concord’s St. Paul’s School and Bishop Brady were anticipating lower enrollments, but with many public schools starting with remote learning or hybrid approaches, enrollment numbers are at normal levels. A key issue for some parents is supervision of children when remote learning is required. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central NH has moved to address this problem by offering a supervised space for Concord students to do their work, at a cost of $135 per child, at a location nearby, possibly the Steeplegate Mall. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Few Complaints So Far with New Ipswich Tent Revival. The religious tent revival being conducted by a group calling itself The Last Reformation has drawn hundreds of out-of-staters to New Ipswich since it started last week. News of the coming crowd caused town officials as well as officials from neighboring towns to speak out against it, saying it is a health risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. But New Ipswich police said Friday the tent revival has caused no issues in town and local business owners say members of the group have complied with mask-wearing and social distancing requirements. The group has been conducting religious ceremonies at night and going to New Hampshire cities during the day to preach the Gospel door-to-door while wearing masks. Pastor Torben Søndergaard said that after the New Ipswich event ends, the tent revival has nowhere left to go because of the COVID-19 restrictions in place in so many areas. “We have many invitations but because of the whole COVID thing we want to find a state that is good and easier to work with,” he said. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

7. Emails Show Businesses Held Sway Over Reopening Plans in Many States—Including N.H. Thousands of pages of emails provided to The Associated Press under open-records laws show that governors across the U.S. were inundated with reopening advice from a wide range of industries — from campgrounds in New Hampshire to car washes in Washington. Some governors put economic interests ahead of public health guidance, and certain businesses were allowed to write the rules that would govern their own operations. Margaret Byrnes, executive director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, urged Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s administration to keep campgrounds closed because of concerns they could attract visitors from areas with higher coronavirus caseloads. She also wanted cities to have a greater voice on the governor’s reopening task force. “There was a lot of business and industry representation, which is really important in the reopening process, but it needed to be balanced with some local municipal representation,” Byrnes said. Sununu’s policy director, D.J. Bettencourt, said municipalities were represented on the task force through lawmakers who doubled as local officials. He said opening campgrounds on May 1 was “an essential aspect of ensuring housing” for some health care workers and guarding against homelessness. (Source: Associated Press via Seacoast Online)

8. ‘The Class of COVID-19’ Facing the Most Dismal Job Market in a Decade. Students graduating in 2020 have found their post-college plans disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in ways they could never have foreseen as they entered their final semester of college. 2020 college grads are entering the grimmest job market since the peak of 2007 to 2009 recession. The unemployment rate of young adult ages 16 to 24 stood at 18.5% in July. Although that’s down from 26.9% in April, it’s “still about twice as high as a year earlier … and is the highest July rate since 2010,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday. The pandemic has hit performing arts graduates especially hard. Many performing arts venues have been shuttered with grads scrambling for part-time work or putting off plans for additional education. (Source: The Valley News)

Saturday August 22

24 new cases and no new deaths were reported on Friday. Here is the news you need to know about the state and local reaction to the pandemic to start your Saturday.

1. All NH Restaurants Can Now Operate at 100% Capacity with Distancing Restrictions Still in Place. All New Hampshire restaurants are now able to open at 100% capacity, as long as they continue to follow state reopening guidelines including maintaining 6 feet of distance between parties, Gov. Sununu announced Friday. Restaurants in six northern New Hampshire counties have been able to operate at 100% capacity since early July, but southern counties, including Rockingham County, were restricted to 50%. Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 has hit southern parts of the state harder than northern areas. Sununu said there have been no signs of increased coronavirus spread in areas that had been fully reopened, giving health officials confidence that the same rules can be applied across the state. Restaurants are still required to keep parties six feet apart and a restriction against standing in bars remains in effect. (Source: WMUR) Earlier this week, several N.H. restaurant operators told the governor’s Reopening Task Force that capacity restrictions were hurting their businesses.

2. Laconia Motorcycle Week Begins Today. Promoters of Laconia Motorcycle Week formally kicked off this year’s event stressing the need for safety — not only on the road, but off as well. Motorcycle Week Executive Director Charlie St. Clair pointed out the steps that the organization has taken to promote social distancing and encourage people to wear face masks when they are not riding.“The association has gone above and beyond this year,” he said. In the last two weeks the state has stressed that it intends to strictly enforce the requirement that all bar and restaurant patrons be seated, and that they must wear a facemask whenever they are moving about. “We feel it will be a successful event,” said Liquor Commission Chief of Enforcement Mark Armaganian, adding that if people see infractions of the rules they should call the commission’s tip line at 271-3521. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun) State health officials say they're working with Lakes region businesses to try to cut down on potential spread. But Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette said if someone tests positive, contact tracing could be difficult. “It would be hard to do full contact tracing if they attended a large events at Bike Week, so I would say that a public notification is likely unless it was a very isolated incident,” Shibinette said. (Source: WMUR)

3. Dartmouth Professors Ask College to Reconsider Return to Campus. As universities across the country begin reversing their plans to bring students back to campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 150 Dartmouth College professors are asking their administration to follow suit. “Evidence from other institutions and from our own experiences at Dartmouth convince us that we cannot maintain a safe campus and wider community with a large number of students arriving from all over the country, even with the extensive procedures and clear expectations as outlined in the College’s plans,” the professors wrote in an open letter to Dartmouth Provost Joseph Helble, which was signed and shared among faculty members at the college on Friday. This comes after Helble said in a community discussion that Dartmouth expects to move forward with its reopening plan, but that officials are waiting until next week to announce a return date. (Source: The Valley News)

4. Delays in COVID-19 Test Results to Keep Some PSU Students from Attending Class. Plymouth State University students are required to get tested for COVID-19 and provide a negative test result before returning to campus. But the university says a back up at an outside lab, Quest Diagostics, is delaying the return of their results. The hold-up has affected several hundred students' planned move-in to campus. A spokesman estimated about 20 percent of the student body will likely not have a result by the time class starts on Monday, Aug. 24, and they’ll have to take classes remotely for the first week of class. (Source: NHPR) You can learn more about how other colleges in N.H. are reopening here.

5. Hassan Grills Postmaster During Friday Hearing. After questioning U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy on Friday during a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) responded to testimony from DeJoy, expressing concern over inconsistency with his explanation of recent changes within the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). In Manchester alone, Hassan said that a total of five machines had been placed out of service with one, a specialized sorting machine, sold for scrap. Hassan also said she would continue to push Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to come back to the table on negotiations surrounding the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, which includes funding for the USPS. (Source: Manchester Ink Link) During the hearing, DeJoy told Hassan that his agency was planning to be able to deliver 95% of mail within 24 to 72 hours of Election Day. When pressed by Hassan to produce a more detailed plan by Sunday, DeJoy said, ““I don’t think we’ll have a complete plan by Sunday night,” acknowledging the plan was just being formed. (Source: NECN)

6. New Hampshire Courts Adopt Post-Travel Quarantine Rules. Anyone traveling outside of New England will be barred from entering New Hampshire courthouses unless they quarantine for 14 days first. To limit the spread of the coronavirus, the judicial system on Friday said it is adopting the state's general travel guidance, which says those who return to New Hampshire after traveling beyond New England should quarantine for two weeks. (Source: NECN)

7. ‘Massive Number’ of New Gun Owners as Firearms Sales Surge. The COVID-19 pandemic – combined with violent protests in some U.S. cities – has led to “a totally unprecedented” surge in demand for firearms and ammunition, according to the owner of White Birch Armory. The Washington Post recently reported firearms sales nationally from March to June exceeded predictions by about three million guns. Sales in June reached record levels since data collecting began in 1998, the Post reported, citing a Brookings Institution study. (Source: Seacoast Online)

Friday August 21

N.H. DHHS Daily Coronavirus Dashboard for August 21, 2020.

14 new cases and one new death were announced in N.H. on Thursday. Here are the other things you need to know about the state and local response to the pandemic to start your Friday.

1. Tent Revival Pastor Disputes Gathering is In Violation of State Guidelines. The pastor of a traveling Christian tent revival that arrived in New Ipswich last week says that his event is abiding by the state’s masking guidance despite videos showing no masks being worn. Torben Sondergaard acknowledged Thursday that the videos his church is posting to Facebook and YouTube show people not wearing masks, but contends he is still within the letter of the law. He says his group is operating the event both outdoors and at 50% capacity—two of the primary recommendations for places of worship developed by Gov. Sununu’s reopening task force. Videos posted by The Last Reformation Church raised the concerns of local residents because they show a clear lack of masks and social distancing. Sondergaard is seen preaching without a mask with most attendees also unmasked. While the state’s guidelines for places of worship mention the use of face coverings, they do not say that they are required. The revival is expected to last through the coming weekend. In an open letter to the community, Police Chief Timothy Carpenter downplayed cause for concern about the tent revival by referring to other New Hampshire events. “I will politely remind everyone that NH just hosted a NASCAR (race) in the Town of Loudon,” Carpenter wrote. “Participants at that event came from up and down the eastern seaboard that were COVID hotspots.” (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

2. Restaurants Seek Relief from COVID-19 Restrictions. Struggling restaurant owners asked a state task force Thursday to both reduce restrictions aimed at controlling the coronavirus and increase efforts to educate the public about them. John Dunn, director of operations at Michael Timothy’s Dining Group, told the governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force that state officials need to do more to explain to the public why masks are required when entering, exiting and moving about restaurants. “All of the enforcement of this is being placed on our hospitality workers. We have some young workers who are coming against some people who are very adamant about not wearing a mask and are abusive to staff,” he said. Later, several of the task force members expressed frustration that restrictions on many businesses haven’t been lifted despite favorable trends in the number of people testing positive for the virus, hospitalizations and deaths. They unsuccessfully pressed public health officials to describe specific metrics that would trigger the lifting of restrictions. “What is an acceptable mortality rate? Obviously zero is what we desire. What is an acceptable infection rate?”asked state Sen. Bob Guida, R-Warren. In response, State Rep. Dr. Jeffrey Salloway, D-Lee, a former professor of Health Management at UNH, suggested that the state look at the metric of the number of new cases as a percentage of the whole and if it stays at 1 percent or less for the next three weeks, “we can open up carefully.” (Sources: Associated Press and InDepthNH)

3. State Says Communities Can Require Masks at Polls. Communities can require that both voters and poll workers wear face coverings on Election Day to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and Secretary of State Bill Gardner released a 10-page document Wednesday with guidance for the Sept. 8 primary and Nov. 3 general election. They said they agreed with town moderators that decisions about mask requirements should be made locally in consideration of the wide variation in the size of polling places, expected volume of voters and other factors. However, communities that require face coverings for voters must provide alternatives for those who can’t or won’t comply, the officials said. Alternatives mentioned in the guidance are outdoor tents and roped off areas with separate entrances and exits. The guidance also clarifies issues around absentee voting, which has been temporarily expanded to allow the coronavirus pandemic as a reason for voting absentee. Municipalities can set up dropboxes to collect absentee ballots from those who don’t mail their ballots — both before Election Day and on Election Day — but the boxes must be staffed by election workers. You can read the full guidance document here. (Source: Associated Press)

4. Man Says He Bought Manchester Postal Sorting Machine in Auction, But Wasn't Allowed to Take It. A Pennsylvania man who bought a mail sorter from the Manchester post office at auction said he has been told he can no longer have the machine. Charlie Price said he arrived at the Manchester post office two weeks ago to pick up the machine, but he's leaving empty-handed. He said he hired three men to help him dismantle the 30-ton mail sorting machine that he said he bought in an online auction for $2,000. "We were told the reason these items were on auction is that there was a national program with the Postal Service to downsize the entire system by 20%," he said. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has been criticized for changes to Postal Service processing, staffing and facilities. One of those changes was the planned removal of mail sorting machines at the Manchester facility and other sorting facilities nationwide. On Tuesday, DeJoy reversed course and that said all mail processing equipment would not be removed until after the election. However, he made no mention of restoring equipment that has already been taken offline. (Source: WMUR) Earlier this week, postal service union officials in Manchester pushed back on the idea that the cost-cutting moves would slow the delivery of absentee ballots in this fall’s primary and general elections. (Source: Manchester Union Leader Source: Manchester Union Leader) NOTE: In Portsmouth, supporters of the Post Office and its mission will gather at 10 a.m. Saturday outside the Heritage Road facility to thank postal workers for all they do.

5. Some N.H. Teachers' Unions Spar With School Boards Over Reopening. With school just weeks away, some districts are still at odds with teachers' unions over whether to reopen buildings. Unions across the state are still in the process of bargaining with districts over how reopening plans affect current contract provisions. And in Rochester and Timberlane, teachers' unions are pushing their school boards to reconsider plans that put staff and students back into school buildings. Timberlane teacher’s union president Maria Kendall says the request was necessary because the union hasn't received answers to its questions about “everyday logistics,” including how to enforce mask rules, how PPE will be made available, who will disinfect classrooms between groups, and whether textbooks and shared materials will be allowed in classrooms. (Source: NHPR)

6. Bogus Unemployment Claims Surge in NH. A surge in fraudulent unemployment claims is underway, with scammers using stolen identifications to try to secure payments. In one week, the New Hampshire Employment Security Department detected and stopped 318 fraudulent claims related to identity theft—a spike of 82 cases from the prior week. State officials said steps are taken to ensure sure every claim is legitimate before paying benefits. But individuals and businesses are urged to report potential imposters to the Unemployment Assistance Hotline at 603-271-7700 or at nhes.nh.gov. (Source: WMUR)

7. Dems Blast Sununu’s Support For Trump, Lack of Mask Mandate. Health care advocates organized by New Hampshire’s Democratic Party criticized Gov. Chris Sununu at a Thursday press conference for his refusal to implement a statewide mask mandate, his support of President Donald Trump despite Trump’s efforts to seek repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and for not making the safety of New Hampshire residents his first priority. Jayme Simoes, New Hampshire State Director of Protect Our Care, a national group advocating expanded healthcare access and lower costs, criticized Trump’s efforts to curtail and repeal the ACA. “The Affordable Care Act offers free vaccinations for all Americans under law,” Simoes said. “Strike it down and it will be very hard to get people vaccinated to fight COVID-19.” Rich DiPentima, former Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology at the New Hampshire Division of Public Health, underlined the stress and consequences caused by the absence of a mask mandate in the state. He said that not having a mask rule had contributed to the high rate of death in long-term care facilities in the state. “Every long-term care death can be linked to community transmission,” he said, which could have been mitigated by required mask wearing in public. Sununu’s office responded saying, “Under Governor Chris Sununu’s leadership, New Hampshire has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the entire country, and no spin or press conference from the Democrats will change that fact.” (Source: InDepthNH)

Thursday August 20

Serving and protecting customers at the Elephantine Bakery in Portsmouth.

19 new cases and 3 additional deaths on Wednesday. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news for N.H. you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. Opinions, Actions Vary on Mask Mandates Among Seacoast Municipal Officials. While a proposed mask ordinance in Portsmouth advanced Tuesday night to a final vote that will take place on August 31—and Exeter will consider a mask mandate Monday night—mask proposals in Hampton and Seabrook have met with resistance. Hampton selectmen voted last week to mandate masks inside their town offices. But four selectmen said they thought a town-wide mandate would be unnecessary and difficult to enforce. Selectman Regina Barnes, who voted against the Town Hall mask mandate, said she opposed mask requirements because she believes they are unnecessary and can make it difficult to breathe. “I do not wear one. I do not plan on ever wearing one,” said Barnes, who is also running for state Senate against Sen. Tom Sherman. Stratham selectmen discussed the idea of a mask ordinance Monday night, but Selectman Joseph Lovejoy said the board decided against such a requirement until it is pushed by residents. In Seabrook, Selectman Aboul Khan, who contracted the virus and later recovered, said he would not support a motion for an emergency ordinance because he believes people can be responsible with social distancing. (Source: Seacoast Online)

2. Seacoast United Halts Baseball Due to Virus Case. Seacoast United has paused all baseball team activities for players and coaches after learning a player tested positive for COVID-19, also causing an impact for other teams in the region. “Seacoast United is following all CDC protocols across each of our programs within the organization,” club president and CEO Paul Willis said in a statement Wednesday morning. “Upon being informed of the potential exposure, the baseball families involved were immediately notified and all team activity for players and coaches was put on pause. As soon as we received confirmation on the positive case, all team activity was then suspended for the recommended 14 days. Parents of players on the opposing team were alerted of possible COVID-19 exposure in an email on Tuesday morning. (Source: Seacoast Online) In a related story, a Massachusetts-based sports league that's holding a tournament in New Hampshire has withdrawn invitations to teams from New York and New Jersey because of the Granite State's COVID-19 restrictions. New Hampshire requires travelers from outside New England to quarantine for 14 days. (Source: WMUR)

3. Bedford Cancels Most Fall Sports. Bedford is the latest school district in New Hampshire to cancel several fall sports. In a letter sent to parents Wednesday, officials said there will be no fall football, soccer, cheer or crew. Sports that will be allowed with restrictions are bass fishing, cross-country, field hockey, golf and outdoor volleyball. (Source: WMUR)

4. More Laconia-Area Bars Announce Plans to Shut Down During Motorcycle Week. As the start of Motorcycle Week draws closer, some bars and pubs are making last-minute decisions to temporarily close rather than face penalties for failing to successfully enforce COVID-19 rules and restrictions for employees and customers. A letter sent to area bars and restaurants by the state Liquor Commission earlier this month informed them that actions like mingling around the bar and visiting tables of friends would be prohibited. Violators were also warned that they could face fines, or potentially, even lose their liquor license. Some businesses are choosing not to take chances, but that means missing out on what is typically their most profitable week of the year. “We are taking a big chunk of what would be our yearly earnings off the table because of this decision,” Owner of the Witches Brew Pub Keith O’Leary said. (Source: WMUR)

5. Overdose Deaths Up During Pandemic. The number of overdose deaths in the state continues to increase, according to new data from the Medical Examiner’s Office. In July, the state reported 36 fatal overdoses, compared to 25 in July of 2019, an increase of nearly 45%. The most recent data is part of an overall trend of increasing overdoses since March, concerning health experts. Aside from June, each month since the pandemic has brought more overdoses deaths than the year before, painting a grim picture for addiction advocates. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Postal Workers Tell Sen. Shaheen Post Office Can Handle Mail-in Voting. Postal union leaders insist New Hampshire’s absentee ballots will be delivered to local town and city clerks on time, despite the cost-cutting moves of the Trump administration at the U.S. Postal Service. “Realistically the infrastructure we have now, even with their attempt to reduce sorting capacity, we still have the staffing and machines to make sure these ballots are not delayed,” Dana Coletti, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 230, told U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., during an online briefing Tuesday. “That issue is thwarted … because we prioritize these ballots.” On Capitol Hill, Shaheen urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to call the Senate back into session to approve $25 billion for the postal service that she said would allow it to maintain current operations through the end of 2020. “The Postal service has always been nonpartisan. This should not be about partisan politics. It should be about serving Americans,” Shaheen said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

7. Dartmouth Limits Student Travel to Handful of Towns. Dartmouth College students barely will be able to venture off-campus when they return this fall. According to the latest travel restrictions, undergraduate students will not be permitted to travel beyond the local area, which is defined as the towns of Hanover, Enfield, Lebanon, Lyme, and West Lebanon in New Hampshire, and Norwich and Hartford in Vermont. Graduate students, faculty and staff have more leeway. But those traveling outside New England, even for day trips, will be prohibited from accessing campus buildings for 14 days after they return. (Source: Associated Press)

Wednesday August 19

One more item for the COVID-19 grocery list: 10-packs of disposable facemarks available at Market Basket for $6.99.

After a Tuesday when N.H. Health officials reported no new deaths and 13 new cases, here is the news you need to know about the state and local response to the coronavirus pandemic to start your Wednesday.

1. Portsmouth Mask Mandate Moves One Step Closer to Final Approval. The Portsmouth City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move an amended mandatory mask ordinance forward to a third and final reading on August 31. In a debate that lasted over 3 hours, several amendments were offered and approved. One amendment revises the ordinance to make it applicable to both indoor and outdoor places where 6 feet of distancing can’t be maintained by people who are not members of the same family. Another specifies that face coverings must cover both the nose and mouth. The ordinance would take effect upon passage. While the vote to move the ordinance forward was unanimous, its final passage at the end of the month remains a question mark. Mayor Rick Becksted repeatedly raised questions around the cost and practicality of enforcement, while Councilor Esther Kennedy raised concerns that the ordinance will be difficult for people with disabilities to comply with. Councilor Deaglan McEachern said that with Durham enacting a mask mandate and with UNH students returning to campus, he’s concerned about students coming to Portsmouth who don’t want to wear masks. McEachern and Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine, who jointly proposed the ordinance, both framed it as an opportunity to educate residents and visitors and get more people to wear masks versus a tool that would be used to implement an indiscriminate crackdown. McEachern pointed out that Nashua, the first N.H. City to create an ordinance fining violators for not wearing face coverings, has taken this approach and has yet to issue a single violation. You can watch the entire meeting here. (Source: personal notes and Seacoast Online ). To date, Keene, Durham, Hanover, Plymouth, Nashua, Newmarket, Lebanon, and Enfield have passed ordinances requiring residents and visitors to wear masks. While Gov. Sununu last week issued an emergency order requiring people in gatherings of 100 or more to wear masks, he has yet to extend the order to smaller gatherings, to stores and shops, or to situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained. New Hampshire remains the only state in the northeast and one of only 14 states nationwide that does not have a mandatory mask mandate. (Source: AARP)

2. Sununu Says NH Will Opt Into Trump’s Executive Order for $300 Weekly Benefit. Gov. Sununu said Tuesday New Hampshire will accept President Donald Trump’s plan to continue a reduced amount of unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. A federally funded $600 weekly benefit expired in July and Congress has been unable to agree to a broader new coronavirus relief plan. Trump signed an executive order Aug. 8 to extend the benefit but cut it to $300 or $400 a week, depending on which plan governors choose. States are required to chip in $100 per claimant to be able to send out the higher amount. Sununu said anyone who already is getting $100 from the state will get an additional $300 without the state having to pay more. That amounts to about 95% of recipients, and for the rest, the state will bring them up to $100 so they can qualify for the additional money, he said. Sununu said that while there initially were questions about how the program would work and how much it would cost the state, it now appears that New Hampshire will be able to cover its share with up to $10 million from the unemployment trust fund. While it may take a few weeks to get the checks out, Sununu said the money, known as the “Lost Wage Assistance Program”, will be issued retroactively to Aug. 1. The reduced stipend will last 22 weeks. (Sources: Associated Press and WMUR)

3. Teachers Union Says Claims That Portsmouth Teachers Oppose Reopening Are Lies. The president of the Association of Portsmouth Teachers said recent rumors of teacher lawsuits over school reopening plans are “baseless lies.” Erin Bakkom said false narratives have circulated about Portsmouth teachers threatening to file lawsuits if they are forced to teach in-person. “That is absolutely untrue,” she said. “It is a baseless lie that is being propagated throughout the community at the expense of teachers who are desperately trying to figure out how to safely work with students.” She added, “There is no lawsuit, there is nothing. There is no secret plan. Teachers in no way had any part in any plan shift. We had no notice this plan was coming.” Superintendent Stephen Zadravec also called the lawsuit rumors “completely false,” adding that the district’s unions are “huge advocates for in-person learning.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Amid Threats, Exeter School Board Approves Restarting Schools with Remote Learning. Members of the Exeter Cooperative School Board, which oversees Exeter High School and Cooperative Middle School, voted 8-1 Monday to follow Superintendent David Ryan’s remote learning recommendation despite pressure to reconsider in-person instruction with a modified schedule. We are damned if we do, damned if we don’t as a board,” said board Chairwoman Helen Joyce. “We have received emails criticizing us because initially, we were opening and then criticizing us when it looked as if we were going to remote.” Board member Melissa Litchfield, of Brentwood, said while teachers and administrators have reported receiving threats after SAU 16 dropped its plans for in-person instruction, so have board members. She said she received an email stating she would have “blood on her hands” if something happened at the school if she voted in favor of in-person instruction. In other business, the board voted to postpone making a decision on whether to allow extracurricular activities and sports until Aug. 25, where they will hold a special board meeting to address the issue. (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. Despite Plan for Remote Learning, Some Students Will Return to Concord Schools. While the Concord School District is going remote in the fall, some students will have the option of being in the building and getting in-person instruction. They include students on individual education plans (IEPs) and those enrolled in the Concord Regional Technical Center (CRTC), school officials decided Monday. Additionally, students who are certain considered to be “at-risk,” who may not receive the necessary educational support at home, will have the option of attending school in person. (Source: Concord Monitor) In a 7-2 vote, the Concord School Board also reversed a decision to suspend fall sports and extracurricular activities. A parents group had gathered over 700 signatures in an effort to pressure the board to reverse an earlier decision to eliminate sports and other activities in the interest of public health. Officials said athletic practices and competitions will adhere to guidelines put forth by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association and athletic director Steve Mello. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. NH AG's Office Investigating Possible Guidance Violation at Exeter Youth Hockey Camp, But Governor Says System is Working ‘Very, Very Well’. The N.H. Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into whether state reopening guidance was violated at a recent youth hockey camp in Exeter. Investigators said there may have been teams in Exeter from outside New England, which would have violated New Hampshire COVID-19 quarantine guidelines. They also confirmed that the Exeter incident is just the latest in several sporting events they are looking into. But at his Tuesday media availability, Gov. Sununu said no adjustments need to be made to the state’s guidance at this time. “One case doesn’t dictate that you throw the whole system out,” Sununu said. “The system actually worked very, very well and you know that because we caught it, right?” (Source: WMUR) According to the Associated Press, the New York State Amateur Hockey Association has reported that several players are “very sick” and have passed the virus to family members. (Source: Associated Press)

7. NH Sets Rules for Taxing PPP Payments. All of the grants business have received or will receive from the state and federal governments are taxable by the state of New Hampshire, but none of the government-backed loans will be, the state Department of Revenue Administration announced Tuesday. The total includes the more than $2.5 billion that state businesses received through the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Emergency Injury Disaster Loan program as well as $300 million from the state’s Main Street Fund for small businesses, the Self-Employed Livelihood Fund and other state-controlled federal grants for healthcare providers, farms and daycare centers. (Source: NH Business Review)

8. Health Officials Say Getting Flu Shots Critical This Year: ‘We Can’t Afford Two Simultaneous Outbreaks’. As fall approaches, health officials are worried about an unprecedented flu season with two potentially deadly respiratory illnesses stressing the same limited healthcare resources. Getting a flu shot is important now more than ever, state officials say – the healthcare system simply can’t handle two simultaneous outbreaks. Beth Daly, the chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control in New Hampshire, said during the summer, someone with a respiratory illness can be easily be identified and tested as a COVID-19 patient. But once the flu season begins, diagnosis becomes more complicated. More cases of the flu means that more resources and effort will have to be expended to test people who become ill for COVID-19. So if there are fewer cases of influenza, health officials can focus their attention on monitoring the coronavirus pandemic. (Source: Concord Monitor) You can find out where to get a flu vaccine in your area using the CDC’s VaccineFinder.

Tuesday August 18

Sign outside Stoneface Brewery in Newington.

On a Monday where cumulative coronavirus cases topped 7,000 in N.H. and there were 19 new cases, here are the other things you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. Portsmouth City Council to Consider Mandatory Mask Ordinance Tonight. The Portsmouth City Council will conduct a second reading and public hearing of a mandatory mask ordinance tonight at 7 p.m. The proposed ordinance would require face coverings to be worn in indoor places accessible to the public as well as in outdoor public places when 6 feet of distancing can’t be maintained. Violators would face a $25 civil penalty that escalates with additional violations. More information—including a copy of the ordinance and instructions on how to join the Zoom meeting—are available here. During the meeting, councilors may also propose amendments. Last week, Mayor Rick Becksted floated the idea of raising the fine to $100, but limiting the scope of the ordinance to the downtown central business area only.

2. Saint Anselm Students Test Positive. Officials at Saint Anselm College say two students tested positive for COVID-19 during preliminary health screenings performed during the school’s 10-day move-in period. Of the 1,823 residential and commuter students given preliminary health screenings, two tested positive while all remaining students tested negative, college spokesman Paul Pronovost confirmed Monday. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

3. UNH Gives Returning Students a Choice: Sign Agreement or Stay Home. Only students who sign an informed consent agreement will be allowed back on University of New Hampshire campuses this fall, according to new information from college officials. University Provost Wayne Jones and President James Dean Jr. confirmed that only students who responded “yes” to the form will be allowed back on campus. UNH also clarified the procedure for testing students and staff for the virus. The university’s current plan is to test students every four days and on-campus faculty and staff once a week when the semester starts. Dean sent out a video emphasizing the university’s expectations for students coming back to campus— including social distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding large gatherings. “Whether we can do this or whether we will need to shut down again mid-semester depends on all of us doing what the health experts have told us that we need to do,” he said in the video. (Source: Concord Monitor) The head of the state university system, Todd Leach, also said Monday that UNH expects to open a coronavirus testing lab with a 12-hour turnaround time for results within a few weeks. The new lab will be able to process thousands of samples a day, not just from the UNH campus in Durham but from Plymouth State University and Keene State College, Leach said. (Source: Associated Press). Leach was part of a group of other New Hampshire college officials that also told Sen Maggie Hassan that paying for PPE and new safety measures along with increasing financial aid to families are taking a financial toll on them in the absence of additional federal aid. (Source: WMUR)

4. Parents Group Fight’s SAU-16’s Plan for Remote Learning. A parent-led community group intent on children returning to school in person is claiming the SAU 16 school boards are no longer representing students’ best interests. Some 200 parents from the six communities of SAU 16 – Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields and Stratham – are now members of the Facebook group “Majority Voices of SAU 16.” The group’s claims the district’s Joint School Board, comprised of members of each local school board and administration, is ignoring the will of a majority of parents who want schools to reopen in some fashion to start the academic year. The SAU 16 administration recently reversed course toward mostly remote learning (with some in-person features) due the coronavirus pandemic, after earlier in the summer announcing a return to classes in school buildings with a modified scheduled appeared likely. (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. Some Schools Start to Reopen as Other Finalize Plans. As schools across New Hampshire finalize plans to begin instruction again, some schools have already reopened. Coe-Brown Northwood Academy is open, and many students have chosen to return to class. Administrators said they are ready to change if needed. "If we've learned anything since March, it's flexibility," said Headmaster David Smith. The academy welcomed freshmen back Friday and is operating at 50% capacity to start the week. Upperclassmen are returning for a couple days based on the first letter in their last name, and everyone who has chosen to learn in person will be in attendance Friday and beyond. (Source: WMUR)

6. Laconia Biker Bar to Close During Motorcycle Week Citing ‘Impossible’ State Requirements. In a normal year with Laconia Motorcycle Week approaching, you might expect that bars in the Weirs area would spend this week preparing for a surge in business. But at least one bar – the biggest biker bar in the area – is going in the other direction. The Broken Spoke Saloon will close for all of Motorcycle Week, citing the additional requirements the state is imposing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Alicia Turner, operations manager for the Broken Spoke, said she felt it would be “impossible” for her staff to attend to their normal duties as well as ensure that patrons were following the rules that the state was expecting. Those rules include no standing at the bar or any other areas, remaining seated at their tables, and no mingling between groups. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

7. Portsmouth Chamber’s New Board Chairman is Optimistic About Economic Recovery. Former State Sen. Dan Innis, the new chair of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth’s executive committee, says he’s optimistic a recovery can happen within six months. But a few things must happen, he said, most importantly, a vaccine for the coronavirus. Innis also said the chamber is planning the annual Restaurant Week for the fall. “If we can figure out how to pull that off, I think that would benefit a lot of people, including the retailers,” he said. “Anything that brings people into downtown Portsmouth is going to help everybody.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. Recycling Centers Weigh COVID-19 Concerns Against Revenues. Most transfer stations across the state are now back to taking in all the recyclables they were prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Peterborough is phasing in metal recycling after suspending it for months. Other area transfer stations have already reopened their recycling programs, and some, like Wilton, never suspended them. Prior to the pandemic, many transfer station employees were sorting plastic and aluminum by hand before sending them into the balers, Peterborough recycling manager Scott Bradford said. “You get splashed on 50 to 100 times a day on a good day,” he said, and that’s before the baler crushes the air out of all the containers and sends it throughout the room – a concern if, say, someone infected with COVID-19 had just been drinking out of one of them. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcipt)

Monday August 17

Seen in a shop window in downtown Portsmouth.

Following a Sunday where state officials announced 8 new cases and no new deaths, here is the pandemic-related news you need to start your Monday.

1. Nashua Nursing Home Has Struggled with Active Outbreak Since May. Within a month of its first case being detected, Greenbriar, a nursing home in Nashua broke 100 cases — and all summer, its numbers kept climbing. As outbreaks came and went at other nursing homes, Greenbriar’s has been the longest and among the most severe to-date: More than 150 residents and staff infected, and 28 dead. The virus has caused dozens of outbreaks at nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the state, claiming at least 345 lives in the last six months. Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette has maintained there’s little the state could have done differently to prevent those losses. But according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Greenbriar was cited at least 55 times in the last four years for violations, such as failing to ensure staff are properly washing their hands when administering medicine to residents, or failing to wear proper protective clothing when dealing with a patient who is infected with a communicable disease — just the kind of precautions that have proven essential to fighting COVID-19. Aside from studying the ventilation systems in facilities that experienced outbreaks, state officials have not signaled any plans to examine why certain nursing homes were hit harder than others. A few weeks before announcing plans for that ventilation study, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a Democratic-backed proposal that would have authorized a more sweeping audit. That bill called for “an independent review of the COVID-19 situation in long-term care and nursing homes in New Hampshire” to help the state better understand what “funding, safety and public health upgrades, standards and rules” would protect long-term care facilities against future waves of the virus. In his veto message, Sununu called the bill “redundant”. But the NHPR report shows there were serious issues with nursing home care prior to the pandemic that only grew worse as the virus spread. UCSF School of Nursing Professor Emeritus Charlene Harrington, who has studied the nursing home industry for decades, said New Hampshire’s plan to focus its review of COVID-19 long-term care outbreaks on ventilation is “ridiculous.” Instead, she said they should look at how the virus spread through resident and staff contact, how residents are housed and whether too many residents are crowded into individual facilities.“We need real reform. Nursing home residents are less than one percent of the population. There's no reason they should have died like this,” Harrington said. (Source: NHPR)

2. New Ipswich Religious Gathering Underway Amid Health and Safety Concerns. A tent revival drawing hundreds of people from out of state has drawn criticism and concern. The Last Reformation, a traveling religious group, said it is working to follow safety protocols. Town administrator Scott Butcher has said so far, things have been quiet. In a video posted online, the founder of the Evangelist group complained about religious persecution, but also showed off plans for social distancing. “I think they seem to be making sincere effort to try to comply,” Town administrator Scott Butcher said. (Source: WMUR)

3. Seacoast Doctors Say Health Risks Are Real as Children Go Back to School. With schools set to reopen, doctors are worried about kids returning to school and catching and spreading the virus. “Children are not immune to COVID-19,” said Dr. David Itkin, an infectious disease expert at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. “Children do tend to have less serious cases. Their symptoms are milder, and they generally recover well. Hospitalizations are about one twentieth of adult cases, but of those a few do end up in the ICU. This is a widespread pandemic and kids will get sick. Some will die.” In rare cases, Itkin said, kids who get COVID-19 will get a secondary condition called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, which is much more serious and can be fatal. Itkin said kids in school will come into contact with many adults. “Schools have teachers, custodians, cafeteria workers and school bus drivers,” said Itkin. “School is going to be a hotspot to them. I also worry they will bring the virus home to susceptible people in their household, to their parents, to their grandparents. There will be transmission through the schools. (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Right-to-Know Request Reveals Identities of Concord Restaurants Accused of COVID-19 Violations. Consumer complaints alleging violations of New Hampshire’s coronavirus guidelines total in the hundreds, and they continue to roll in daily to the N.H. Attorney General’s office. Of the complaints received so far, most were resolved after business owners took steps to rectify the issues brought to their attention, Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said in a recent interview. However, the attorney general’s office has flagged a handful of businesses in the state, including Makris Lobster and Steak House in Concord, where prosecutors say violations of government orders persist despite repeated follow up. “Most businesses want to do what is right and they come into compliance quickly,” Edwards said. “If we have a concern that our efforts to educate are not working and we’re not getting through to the people we’ve been talking to, we’ll have the police do a follow-up within 48 hours.” Local police officers will stop by a business to speak with the owner and observe firsthand any violations of COVID-19 guidelines. Sometimes, officers may contact the New Hampshire Liquor Commission for additional guidance, or a municipality’s health inspector may become involved if a violation is observed during a routine inspection. Any questions or complaints about possible violations of COVID-19 guidelines can be directed to the attorney general’s office at 603-271-1225 or EO40issues@doj.nh.gov. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. COVID Campaigning Presents Unique Challenges to NH Candidates for Governor. With large rallies, hand shaking, and even knocking on doors not advisable because of the pandemic, candidates are getting creative to connect with voters. At an outdoor house party in North Hampton, Senate majority leader Dan Feltes held his first in-person event since the pandemic. On Saturday, Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky spoke at a car rally. “People mostly stay in their cars,” Volinsky said. For the incumbent, Gov. Chris Sununu’s campaign said he will campaign virtually by Zoom and attend smaller events where health and safety guidelines will be followed. (Source: WMUR)

6. NH Notables Get Word Out for Absentee Voting. A group of New Hampshire notables has recorded public service announcements to get the word out to residents that they can vote absentee in the state primary and general election during the coronavirus pandemic. Filmmaker Ken Burns, comedian Seth Meyers, former Governor John Lynch, former Governor and Senator Judd Gregg, and Granite State Challenge host Jon Cannon put out messages. The "NH Votes Safe" announcements emphasize that residents can visit the secretary of state office website at sos.nh.gov to learn about getting an absentee ballot or register by mail. They also can visit their town or city clerk website. (Source: NECN) In Portsmouth, voting information from the City Clerk’s office is available here.

Sunday August 16

Seen in a window display in downtown Portsmouth.

17 new cases but no new deaths or hospitalizations were announced in New Hampshire on Saturday. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. COVID Tracker: Almost 9 of Every 10 Patients So Far Have Recovered. In the Concord Monitor’s weekly analysis of COVID-19 metrics in N.H., one key metric continues to be problematic: the state’s two-week average of new cases, which continues to hold steady and is not decreasing. Better news is that the state’s recovery rate of 89% has been going up slowly but consistently. This improvement is a good indication that the pandemic remains under control in New Hampshire. But it does not mean that all of those 6,162 people are back to normal and feeling fine.” According to Jake Leon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, “recovered” means “they have met the criteria for coming off of isolation and can go back out in public.” As has been widely reported, a small portion of COVID-19 patients continue to suffer even after the virus has been eliminated by their immune system and medication. Problems range from fatigue and pain to liver damage. Doctors are still trying to determine the extent and cause of these maladies.(Source: Concord Monitor)

2. Northeast States Investigate Virus Spread Via Youth Hockey. Public health officials in multiple northeastern U.S. states are investigating the possible spread of the coronavirus among youth hockey players. The New York State Amateur Hockey Association said last week some of its players tested positive for the virus after attending a skills clinic in New Hampshire and playing in a tournament in Connecticut. Some players are “very sick,” the association said, and have passed the virus to family members. While ice hockey competitions are allowed in Connecticut and New Hampshire, they are prohibited in New York and Massachusetts. Chet Murch, general manager of The Rinks at Exeter, told the Boston Globe at least a dozen players from New York tested positive after the July 31-Aug. 2 tournament in Connecticut, as did a Massachusetts teenager who competed with a New York team and later attended the New Hampshire clinic. The New Hampshire attorney general’s office said it is reviewing complaints. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Sununu: Trump Executive Order Threw State a ‘Curveball’. For thousands of out-of-work New Hampshire residents, a presidential executive order on Aug. 6 held the promise of $400 per week in additional unemployment compensation. But, in the week since the order was issued, it has become increasingly clear that it could take quite a while before the extra money comes. At a news conference Thursday, Gov. Chris Sununu said “It was nothing that was discussed with governors. It came out of left field.” Under the executive order, governors are to apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding, with the federal government covering $300 of the increased compensation and the state providing an additional $100. Sununu said it’s not clear what source of funding would be best for the state to use to provide this $100. The executive order says the state contribution is to come from the Coronavirus Relief Fund under the federal CARES Act “or other state funding.” (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

4. Hundreds of New Hampshire Businesses Have Permanently Closed Since Pandemic Began, Yelp Reports. New Hampshire has endured the permanent loss of hundreds of businesses since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent report from internet giant Yelp. Officials with Yelp said 449 businesses in New Hampshire temporarily or permanently closed between March 1 and July 10. As of July 10, the most recent data available, 280 businesses were marked as permanently closed, according to Yelp. The business loss was profound in southern New Hampshire. In an area that encompasses Manchester and Nashua, at least 86 businesses have permanently closed, including 19 restaurants and 23 retail businesses, according to the data. (Source: WMUR)

5. Protesters Turn Out Against Keene's Mask Ordinance. With most not wearing face masks, protesters rallied against Keene's mask ordinance Saturday afternoon in the city's Central Square. According to an organizer, the purpose of the rally was to "bring citizens together around liberty." The city-wide ordinance — which requires kids over the age of 9 and most adults to wear face coverings in all indoor public places and outdoor spaces where business is conducted—was approved by Keene's City Council Aug. 6. Police did not issue any citations to the protesters. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

6. Oyster River School District Sets Plan for Return to Schools. The reopening plan for the Durham, Lee and Madbury school community for the start of the 2020-21 school year calls for half-day in-person learning for grades 4 and younger, with mostly remote learning for students in grades 5-12 with a Sept. 2 start date. Pre-kindergarten through Grade 4 will start the year with what is being called an a.m./p.m. model four days a week with a remote option for families who choose not to send their children to the school buildings. Grades 5-12 students will start the year with remote learning with in-person instruction for targeted learners. The Oyster River School Board will review the decision Oct. 21 and periodically throughout the year. (Source: Fosters Daily Democrat)

7. Absentee Ballots Cannot Be Left in Town Hall Drop-Off Boxes After Hours. Amid uncertainties about mailing absentee ballots caused by President Trump’s financial squeeze of the U.S. Postal Service just before the election, voters might be tempted to swing by their local clerk’s office and leave their ballot in the drop-off box. But don’t do it. Unless the clerk’s office is open and you physically hand your ballot to an official, it might not get counted. “It never has been an option” to leave a ballot at town or city hall after hours, said Dave Scanlan, deputy Secretary of State for New Hampshire. Some states allow official drop-off boxes for completed ballots but New Hampshire is not one of them. (Source: Concord Monitor) You can find a full list of absentee voting do’s and don’t’s here.

Saturday August 15

The Music Hall readies for an evening “Under the Arch.”

43 new cases and one new death were announced by N.H. State officials on Friday. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. New Enforcement Powers and Fines May Lead to Crackdowns on Violators of COVID-19 Rules. Under a new emergency order issued by Gov. Sununu Thursday night, health inspectors and liquor enforcement officers now have the authority to shut down bars and social events that recklessly breach public health guidance. Emergency Order 65 gives enforcement officials the authority to show up unannounced at any business or event and close it down and/or issue fines per day per violation for violating any of Sununu’s emergency orders related to the pandemic. The $1,000 fine per day per violation would be a civil matter for any business or event organizer that “recklessly” violates any emergency rules, including the new one requiring masks to be worn for events with 100 or more people present. Public health violations include a fine of $2,000 per day; failure to cooperate in an investigation of a potential violation comes with a $1,000 fine each day. Failure to cease operations upon notification of the Department of Public Health to do so incurs a $1,000 per day fine. And failure to comply with DPH instructions after notification of a positive COVID-19 test result will mean a $1,000 per day fine. (Source: InDepthNH)

2. Postal Service Warns 46 States Their Voters Could be Disenfranchised by Delayed Mail-in Ballots. In notifications that went out to 46 states in late July, including New Hampshire, the Postal Service warned that that it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted — adding another layer of uncertainty ahead of the high-stakes presidential contest. The notifications were obtained in a records request by the Washington Post. (Source: Washington Post) The news comes as New Hampshire state officials said voters have already requested four times as many absentee ballots for the September primary as they cast in the same election in 2016. In an information session for local pollworkers Thursday morning, Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said voters have thus far submitted 44,460 absentee ballot requests for the Sept. 8 state primary and 42,115 requests for the Nov. 3 general election. There are still several weeks to go before the primary election, so the final absentee voting totals could be even higher. Because of the unusually high volume of absentee ballots pollworkers will be processing this year, election officials are asking voters to request and mail in their absentee ballots as soon as possible. (Source: NHPR)

3. Mail Sort Machines Being Shut Down in Manchester. Local postal union officials said the U.S. Postal Service at the Goffs Falls Road processing center is putting four of its mail sorting machines out of commission, a move critics charge will slow down the delivery of absentee ballots from New Hampshire voters to town and city clerks. Dana Colette, president of the American Postal Workers Union, Local 230, said the controversy underscores the need for voters to mail any absentee ballots long before the Sept. 8 primary and Nov. 3 general election. "We are already seeing the impact of this. If it is going to come down to slowdowns, the only thing I would suggest is do not wait until the last minute; don't procrastinate," Colette said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) The moves comes after an admission by President Trump on Thursday that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of money to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him reelection. (Source: Associated Press) In Maine, Governor Janet Mills, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap and Attorney General Aaron Frey have been working together and with local election officials to prepare for the election in light of the letter and the recent threats by the president to financially hamstring the service. (Source: Portland Press Herald) In N.H., Gov. Sununu, Secretary of State Bill Gardner, and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald have yet to publicly respond.

4. N.H. Attorney General Asking GOP To Cover Costs Of Their Absentee Mailer 'Printing Mistake'. The New Hampshire Attorney General continues to investigate how a recent mailer from the state Republican party ended up getting sent to approximately 50,000 residents — including some deceased people who are no longer on local voter rolls — with the wrong return address. As of Friday, Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards said the state intercepted 946 of those mailers from 141 different communities at the Durham Post Office. Officials from the state, Durham and the post office are working together to ensure all of the registration requests erroneously sent to Durham end up at the appropriate location. The state also plans to ask the Republican party to cover the costs of rerouting the mailers to the appropriate local election officials, Edwards said. (Source: NHPR)

5. COVID Revenue Drops Add Up to Billion in Losses for N.H. Employers. Prominent New Hampshire law firms, high-end restaurants, manufacturers with offshore operations, established construction firms, well-known consultants — all hit by the coronavirus — reported suffering huge losses even after getting thousands, in some cases millions of dollars from the federal Paycheck Protection program. According to the disclosures, nearly 5,400 New Hampshire employers anticipate a $2.6 billion drop in revenue this year because of the pandemic. Those are the employers who received help from the state’s Main Street Fund, which went to firms with less than $20 million in revenues. It also excluded organizations that get money from other sources, including healthcare and day care providers, farmers, nonprofits and self-employed individuals. (Source: NH Business Review)

6. State Health Officials Urge Masks, Rapid Testing, and Caution as Schools Reopen. State health officials say schools should be prepared to send students with even mild symptoms of the coronavirus home, and that rapid testing will be necessary for schools to remain open. On a call with school nurses and school leaders on Friday, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan and deputy state epidemiologist Dr. Elizabeth Talbot said that rapid testing and clear communication about the ease, safety, and accuracy of testing was key to identifying and containing COVID-19 in school communities. They also clarified that if a student with symptoms of COVID-19 refuses to get tested, they should be treated as a possible COVID-19 case and required to stay home for at least 10 days. Depending on the severity of the symptoms and the rate of transmission in the community, their siblings may be asked to stay home as well. (Source: NHPR)

7. Hampton SAU 90 Delaying Start of Schools for Teacher Prep. SAU 90 is moving its school start date to Sept. 8 to give staff additional time for training and preparation as its transitions to a hybrid of in-person and remote learning in the fall. The board voted Tuesday night to move the start date from Sept. 1 after receiving an update on the district’s reopening plan. The new date, according to SAU 90 Superintendent Lois Costa, will give faculty an extra three days to train, refine plans and prepare for the first day of school. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. COVID-19 Cases for College Students Will Be Counted Differently Than for Tourists. Students at New Hampshire colleges and universities who test positive will be reported as New Hampshire residents, Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette confirmed Thursday. The state will ensure this by having students enter the address of their school, not their home address, on their test forms. On the other hand, seasonal residents and tourists who test positive in New Hampshire will not be reported as cases in the Granite State but as cases in their state of residence. (Source: InDepthNH)

9. Motorcycle Week Organizers to Bikers: ‘Have Fun, Be Safe, Obey the Rules’. Organizers of Laconia Motorcycle Week are continuing to boost this year’s event – which is just a week away – but they say their promotions are tempered by pointing out the need to abide by precautions designed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The Laconia Motorcycle Week Association is encouraging attendees to wear face masks when they are not riding and to practice social distancing as well as practice enhanced personal hygiene such as frequent hand washing or sanitizing, said Charlie St. Clair, the organization’s executive director. Mayor Andrew Hosmer said he found the association’s messaging appropriate. “Bike Week is going to take place. They are not dissuading (people from coming), but they are reaffirming the (safety) protocols.” (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

Friday August 14

2 more deaths and 34 additional cases on Thursday. Here is the news you need to know about the state and local reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire to start your Friday.

1. State Issues Guidance For Dealing With COVID-19 Cases In N.H. Schools. Governor Sununu says state public health officials will work hand in hand with school districts to identify positive cases, conduct contact tracing, and notify the public about outbreaks in schools. In a press conference on Thursday, Sununu said the state will track positive cases, clusters (three or more cases in a classroom) and outbreaks in all school districts and publish the information on a centralized website. The announcement comes as many districts prepare to re-open fully or with a hybrid model, under what some school leaders said was limited guidance for protocols if a staff or student tested positive. At Thursday's press conference, Sununu added that the state does not have a plan yet to expand rapid COVID-19 testing in schools. But he says they expect most testing for students and people in schools will still be done through “traditional” means – labs, doctors and urgent care centers that have done the bulk of testing in the state so far. Sununu says he thinks the turnaround times for those test results should be enough to keep schools safe. (Source: NHPR)

2. Remote Learning: A Progress Report. Newspapers across the state have been running a series from the Granite State News Collaborative on the impact of remote learning on students, parents, and teachers. The series includes articles on:

   1. How school administrators dealt with the transition;

   2. The challenges of tracking student progress;

   3. How special needs students and their teachers struggled and adapted; and

   4. The challenges faced by students just learning how to speak English, who make up 3% of N.H.’s student population but have a much larger presence in cities like Manchester and Nashua.

3. Debate Resumes Over Proposed Portsmouth Mask Mandate. A proposed mask mandate will be discussed by the City Council Tuesday for a second reading that Mayor Rick Becksted predicts will be an hours-long debate. Becksted said Thursday he’d like an ordinance that pertains only to the downtown overlay district, with education and a $100 fine for violators, “so it’s taken seriously.” Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine, also on Thursday, said he would like to see an ordinance cover the entire city and a $25 penalty for those who ignore the ordinance. The Tuesday, Aug. 18 meeting starts at 7 p.m., will be streamed live and members of the public can speak via the Zoom platform. (Source: Seacoast Online) Agenda and registration information here.

4. Multiple Students Bound For N.H. Colleges Test Positive For COVID-19. Multiple college students have tested positive for coronavirus at home before returning to campuses in New Hampshire. But State Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette says the results are an indicator that the state's pre-arrival testing requirements for returning students are working. She did not disclose how many students have tested positive before returning. She says some are in other states, and some are in New Hampshire. For students to be allowed back on college campuses, they must show a negative COVID-19 test result prior to arrival. (Source: NHPR)

5. New Ipswich Town Officials Say They Expect Evangelical Gathering Will Follow COVID Protocols, After All. After meeting with members of The Last Reformation, a group planning a weekend tent revival, New Ipswich Town officials said Thursday they believe the traveling evangelical group will follow New Hampshire’s COVID-19 guidelines after all. In a video press release issued Thursday, Last Reformation leader Torben Sondergaard said reports that the group had violated COVID-19 guidelines at their previous stop in Des Plaines, Illinois were due to local officials changing their mandates after the group had already arrived in town, and that they’d always planned to follow local guidelines when they arrived in New Hampshire. Reports to the contrary in newspapers were “fake news” and “lies,” he said, despite the fact that local event organizer Lars Somero told the New Ipswich Select Board at last week’s video-recorded meeting that he didn’t expect the traveling evangelists to wear masks, quarantine, and socially distance. (Source: Monadnock Ledger Transcript)

6. Lebanon Passes Mask Mandate, Following Orders in Hanover, Enfield. City officials passed an ordinance Wednesday night requiring people in Lebanon to wear face masks inside businesses, government buildings and other public indoor spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The City Council voted unanimously to impose a “mask mandate” similar to those recently passed in neighboring Hanover and Enfield. Lebanon’s ordinance, which takes effect immediately, requires employees to wear coverings over their noses and mouths when they are within 6 feet of co-workers and customers who are not members of the same household. Masks must also be worn by customers and other people when inside any “business, governmental or nonprofit,” or while riding on public transportation, such as Advance Transit buses. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Exeter Select Board to Vote on Mask Mandate. The Exeter Select Board will vote on an emergency mask ordinance Aug. 24, following nearby communities enacting similar measures that can carry fines for violations. The board plans to hold a public hearing on the ordinance and could vote to pass it that night. Health Officer James Murray was tasked with drafting the ordinance. The move comes after Durham and Newmarket passed emergency ordinances requiring face-covering masks last week due to concerns the influx of University of New Hampshire students could result in spikes of COVID-19 cases. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. Black Women Are Affected Disproportionately By COVID-19 In N.H. New Data Shows. Newly released state data shows Black women in New Hampshire have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, echoing patterns seen across the country in the last few months of the pandemic. Looking only at raw numbers, white residents account for the majority of New Hampshire’s COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. But when state officials adjusted those numbers to account for the sizes of individual racial and ethnic groups within the overall population, they found non-white residents have been infected at much higher rates than their white neighbors. While Black women make up a relatively small percentage of the state's overall population, state data shows they have been infected at roughly six times the rate of white women, and more than eight times the rate of white men, when adjusted for population. (Source: NHPR)

9. Visitation Rules Eased at Most NH Long-Term Care Facilities. State health officials said residents in most long-term care facilities can designate one person to visit them inside the building. Masks and social distancing will still be required. Some nonessential personnel, such as hairdressers, will also be allowed in the facilities again. If that goes well for two weeks and there's a drop in COVID-19 cases in the county, then residents can have two visitors, and limited communal dining and group activities can continue. Health officials said there are outbreaks in two long-term care facilities in New Hampshire. Those facilities will continue to operate with restrictions until the outbreaks are cleared. (Source: WMUR)

10. Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund Awards Include Portsmouth Recipients. The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery has announced the names of the organizations that will receive New Hampshire Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund awards. 496 awards were granted to New Hampshire nonprofit, 501c3 organizations totaling $39,792,601. Among over a dozen Portsmouth-area recipients were 3S Artspace, the Players Ring Theater, the Prescott Park Arts Festival, Black Heritage Trail of NH, Crossroads House, Friends of the Music Hall, Gather, the Krempels Center, the NH Art Association, the NH Theater Project, Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, Portsmouth Historical Society, Pro Portsmouth, and the Star Island Corporation. You can view the full list here. (Source: InDepthNH)

11. Laconia Officials Expect Smaller Bike Week Crowds. City officials say the annual event that begins in a week will attract far fewer motorcyclists than in the past, and those who do come will find much less to do. COVID restrictions for bars and restaurants will be strictly enforced and special outdoor activities will be virtually non-existent. That was the message Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer, City Manager Scott Myers, Police Chief Matt Canfield, and Fire Chief Kirk Beattie delivered at a news conference Wednesday. They were trying to assure the public that, because of the special restrictions that will be in place, the rally will not turn into a super spreader event for the coronavirus pandemic, although that cannot be 100 percent guaranteed, officials conceded. Hosmer said the state Liquor Commission’s plan to “saturate the area with enforcement” would prevent bars and restaurants from getting crowded. (Source: Concord Monitor)

12. As Town Clerk’s Gear Up for Fall Elections Some Key Questions Still Unanswered. When Gov. Chris Sununu gave his news conference on Tuesday, Laconia City Clerk Cheryl Hebert was watching. At one point the governor announced that he had signed a new emergency order requiring people to wear masks during events involving 100 people or more. “I wonder if that will include polling places,” Hebert asked shortly afterward. “We’ll need to get some clarification on that.” With the state’s primary election less than a month away, Hebert and her counterparts in other Lakes Region communities are navigating in uncharted waters as they figure out procedures that will ensure that voting is safe and efficient. A key question for Belmont Town Clerk Cynthia DeRoy is whether or not she will have enough poll workers. DeRoy said she is planning to reach out to the Belmont High School Honor Society to see if any of those students would like to help out, including sanitizing voting booths after each person votes. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun) Meanwhile, Vermont isn’t New Hampshire. But Vermont election officials were pleased that a record number of voters participated in Tuesday’s primary election. According to unofficial turnout numbers the morning after the election, 157,193 Vermonters cast ballots. That far exceeds the previous record-breaking primary in 2016, when about 120,000 ballots were cast. (Source: The Valley News)

13. Petition Calls for End of Hampton Beach ‘Walking Mall’. Former state Sen. Bob Preston Sr. has compiled pages of signatures for a petition calling for the reopening of Ocean Boulevard at Hampton Beach, currently closed down for pedestrians to walk. Preston said the traffic plan has caused problems for his family’s real estate business and summertime Christmas shop Sand and Santa at the southern end of Ocean Boulevard. He said the traffic barriers around his block between M and N streets, which include Buc’s Lagoon, give the appearance the walking mall ends before their section, killing business. (Source: Seacoast Online)

Thursday August 13

Where to get a COVID-19 test in New Hampshire.

After a Wednesday that saw 26 new cases and New Hampshire’s first death this week, here is the pandemic-related state and local news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. Portsmouth Schools Scale Back Plans for Return to Classrooms. Portsmouth School Superintendent Stephen Zadravec on Wednesday announced a school reopening plan that calls for students to spend an average of one day a week in school buildings. In a letter to parents and guardians, he said the decision comes “after a great deal of planning for multiple opening scenarios.” The plan now calls for a modified Phase 2 of the School Department’s re-opening plan. The goal is to have fewer students physically in school in order to minimize the potential for community spread of the virus. “This phase involves remote instruction with in-school supports for students who either require special services or otherwise may struggle the most accessing remote learning. We are, however, planning to modify this phase by scheduling all students to be physically in school weekly,” wrote Zadrevic. (Source: Seacoast Online) The news comes as the State Department of Education released the results of back-to-school surveys completed by parents in dozens of New Hampshire school districts, including Portsmouth. You can access results for ALL of the individual district surveys here. Portsmouth’s survey results can be accessed here. Meanwhile in Seabrook, results of a separate survey now in the hands of Seabrook school parents will determine if the district’s reopening roadmap can proceed as planned in light of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. “Survey really isn’t a proper name for it,” said SAU 21 Superintendent Bill Lupini. “It’s really a commitment letter. We’re looking for elementary school parents to give us the names of their children and tell us whether they intend to send them to school or keep them at home for remote learning.” If the number of parents intending to send their children back to classrooms exceeds Seabrook’s threshold for social distancing, the district may need to adjust plans to mix in additional remote learning so fewer students are in school at the same time. (Source: Seacoast Online)

2. New Guidelines from School Nurses’ Association Say Students Should Wear Masks. All students and staff should wear masks throughout the school day, according to new guidance from the Hampshire School Nurses’ Association and Department of Health and Human Services released Wednesday. That recommendation is at odds with some of the plans recently adopted by school districts across the state, and the difference illustrates the challenge local schools will have in setting clear policies. Paula MacKinnon, the president of NHNA, said she hopes districts will be flexible and update their mask policies. MacKinnon suggests parents start getting their children accustomed to wearing masks for long periods of time before the school year starts. “We feel children can be taught,” she said. “For a child that needs to wear eyeglasses, it’s hard for them to get used to it at first. It’s simply a habit and practicing gets them into that habit.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. Nashua Considers More Stringent Mask Mandate Requiring Denial of Services to Customers in Noncompliance. Under a proposed amendment to Nashua’s mask ordinance, Nashua businesses would be required to refuse anyone who showed up without face covering. Nashua’s ordinance was the first local mask mandate approved by a New Hampshire community and already requires customers to wear masks while visiting retail stores, restaurants and other establishments. “No business and no employee of any business shall provide goods or services to any person not complying with face covering requirements,” says the proposal introduced to the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday. “No business and no employee of any business shall permit a person to remain on its premises in violation of these requirements.” The proposal comes as the city wrestles with a new school year, which will begin with remote learning. “We want to get the case count as low as we possibly can so the risk of spread in schools is as low as possible when in-person classes do resume — either in hybrid or in full,” said Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess, adding that there is risk associated with the reopening of city schools. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

4. Liquor Commission Prepares to Enforce Public Health Rules at Motorcycle Week. With New England’s largest annual motorcycle rally less than 10 days away, the event is expected to test the limits of the COVID-19 rules and restrictions in place to protect public health. Officials with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission said they have been working closely in recent weeks with 24 bar owners and operators in Laconia. The Liquor Commission has 26 investigators and officials say Laconia is their top priority for the week starting Aug 22. Mark Armaganian, of the Liquor Commission said the agency wants to be supportive, rather than punitive, as much as it can. But he added: "Noncompliance will result in significant administrative actions." (Source: WMUR)

5. Accuracy of Rapid Testing Systems Arriving at Nursing Homes Raises Concerns. New Hampshire nursing homes are starting to receive rapid COVID-19 test systems at the direction of the federal government, but state health officials said communication about the tests has been lacking. The tests can produce results in as little as 15 minutes, but there are questions about their accuracy. Some health providers are asking if the positive results need to be confirmed by an additional second test, why would the government be using the rapid tests at all? "The positive predictive value is over 84% for this test, and I believe the FDA's cutoff, from conversations I've been on national calls, is 80%," said Christine Bean, director of the state public health lab. "We heard the first one arrived in a northern county already, so we have to get up to speed on how these are going to be best used," said Dr. Elizabeth Talbot, the deputy state epidemiologist. (Source: WMUR)

6. $39.5 Million in Federal Affordable Housing Aid Coming to New Hampshire. New Hampshire is receiving another $39.5 million in federal CARES Act funding to support affordable housing programs and organizations around the state. The funding, announced by all four members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, includes $19.3 million through the Community Development Block Grant program, which can be used to expand community health facilities, childcare centers, food banks and senior services as well as support eviction prevention, rental deposit assistance and homelessness prevention programs. Another $8.9 million was awarded to the state through the Emergency Solutions Grant program, which provides funding to help homeless people quickly regain permanent housing. (Source: NH Business Review)

7. Number of Uninsured Spiking in N.H. Because of Layoffs. Tens of thousands of Granite Staters lost their health insurance as a result of layoffs during the pandemic and the numbers could keep getting worse. An estimated that 96,000 people, or 11% of New Hampshire’s adult population, are now uninsured, an increase of up 3% from 2018, according to a recent report from the National Center for Coverage Innovation. Elliott Fisher, an epidemiologist and a public health researcher at The Dartmouth Institute, warned it could be higher, as the study only looked at data until May. (Source: NH Business Review) In addition to finding a new job with coverage—not a simple task in a state with a historically high unemployment rate—there are two actions that could help many people who now are unemployed to regain coverage. One is creating an open enrollment period that would allow any unemployed person to enroll for subsidized coverage under the Affordable Care Act. President Trump has repeatedly declined to do this. Another is relaxing state-level income eligibility guidelines for Medicaid, which Gov. Sununu has thus far refused to do.

8. N.H. Hospitals Struggle to Return to Pre-COVID-19 Financial Health. According to the New Hampshire Hospital Association, the state’s hospitals collectively lost $575 million in revenue between March and July. The group estimates hospitals will lose $700 million by year’s end. Lynn Robbins, spokesperson for Portsmouth Regional Hospital, said COVID-19 simultaneously reduced revenues and increased expenses at PRH. New Hampshire continues to see high numbers of unemployed and uninsured patients, which can deter patients from seeking treatment, she said. Robbins said PRH, working with HCA Healthcare, launched an uninsured hotline – (833) 541-5757 – that helps those who have lost health insurance understand their options for coverage. They also are advocating at the federal and state level for additional support and resources for the uninsured. (Source: Seacoast Online)

9. Notice Your Mail’s Been Slower? You’re Not Alone. The state primary is 27 days away, and town clerks anticipate absentee ballots to play an outsized role in the election, as well as the November general election. Meanwhile, the US Postal Service is attempting to reassure voters considering mailing a ballot despite recent delays in service associated with the pandemic and the new Postmaster General’s emphasis on strict deadlines. Former Peterborough postmaster Bill Chatfield said that although he had no complaints about local postal workers, he was concerned about the recent slowdown in service that he believes is exacerbated by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s focus on saving money over maintaining service. He said he had no specific concerns about rural offices’ ability to handle absentee ballots, but expressed disappointment in a number of systemic factors that he believes are also decreasing the Postal Service’s promptness, including tighter-than-ever staffing, an outdated fleet of vehicles underequipped for modern package loads, and a long-term decline in local mail revenue. Janet Kemble, the Legislative Director for Manchester Local 230, a union representing postal workers, said mail delivery has slowed recently for a number of reasons, but emphasized that postal workers’ training includes preferentially treating election mail. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

10. Dems Call for “Full Investigation” of Faulty Absentee Voting Registration Mailers Sent By NH GOP. With many people leery of voting at the polls because of the pandemic, absentee voting laws have been temporarily changed to allow voters concerned with COVID-19 to vote absentee. But to receive a ballot, you must do one of the following 1) call your city or town clerk and request an application be mailed to you 2) complete an application downloaded from the N.H. Secretary of State’s website and send it to your clerk in time to receive a ballot or 3) simply stop by your city or town clerk’s office and pick up a ballot for the primary. With hundreds of thousands of additional voters expected to vote absentee, and most unfamiliar with the process, any misinformation or glitches in the process could result in a voter being unable to vote. That’s why a voter registration mailer sent out by the NH GOP continues draw fire from the New Hampshire Democratic Party. In a letter to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office sent Monday, NHDP attorney Bill Christie described the state’s initial response to a misaddressed GOP mailer that could have resulted in many voters never receiving an ballot as “inadequate.” The mailers were billed as an “official absentee voter registration packet request” from the New Hampshire Republican Party,” but included incorrect return addresses routing them back to Durham instead of to their own city or town clerk’s office. According to the letter, the Attorney General’s Office responded on Aug. 10 with a memorandum that stated in part: “We have spoken with representatives of the Republican State Committee and understand this was a printing error.” Christie’s letter states that, “Simply speaking with representatives of the Republican State Committee is not an investigation.” (Source: InDepthNH) The mailers also appear to have been sent to a number of deceased people, including those who never lived or voted in New Hampshire, according to recipients of the mailers who confirmed as much to NHPR. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile, the NH GOP isn’t the only organization dealing with a controversy over information being supplied to absentee voters. The N.H. Secretary of State’s office says it forgot to change the wording on the official envelope used to mail in ballots so it matched new instructions on the ballots themselves. The ballot instructions make it clear that concern over COVID-19 is a legitimate reason to request an absentee ballot. A spokesman says a sticker will be affixed to future ballots adding this information. (Source: Concord Monitor)

Wednesday August 12

21 new cases and no new deaths for the 5th day in a row. Here are the other things you need to know about New Hampshire’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to start your Wednesday.

1. Sununu Issues Mandatory Mask Order for Gatherings of Over 100 People. Masks are now required for any gatherings of 100 or more people in New Hampshire effective immediately. After resisting calls for mandatory mask-wearing at events including a NASCAR race and a postposed rally for President Donald Trump, Gov. Sununu said the state Department of Justice is working to establish how fines would be leveled, and indicated it would be directed at the event organizers rather than individuals who do not wear masks. The new emergency order was announced Tuesday and comes less than two weeks before Laconia Motorcycle Week. Sununu said he was prompted to make the order in part because of video from the Sturgis motorcycle rally showing large crowds of attendees not wearing masks. (Source: InDepthNH) Sununu also said a planned tent revival in New Ipswich for this week will have to follow his new mandate. The group organizing the revival is called The Last Reformation and made headlines in late July in Illinois, where it held a series of revival events with hundreds of people who did not wear face coverings or follow social distancing orders. New Ipswich Town Administrator Scott Butcher said that with the new mandate, the public will expect active enforcement, but he’s worried about how this might strain his small town’s police resources. “For us, we’re so close to this event starting now that trying to react and be prepared is going to be a little bit more difficult,” he said. (Source: NHPR) Butcher has requested assistance from the state, but it’s unclear from reports whether assistance will be provided and, if it is, in what form. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

2. NH Data Shows More 20-Somethings Have Had COVID More Than Any Other Age Group. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant focus has been put on seniors, who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill or dying from the viral disease. But in New Hampshire, the largest number of infections has been among a group decades younger: 20-somethings. The state health department's demographic data report — which is current through Monday — shows 1,102 COVID-19 cases had been diagnosed among 20- to 29-year-olds, or 16.1 percent of all those who'd tested positive in the Granite State. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

3. Health Commissioner Says Turnaround Times Improving for COVID Test Results. Several weeks after a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide slowed down testing, New Hampshire health officials said the average turnaround time is improving. Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said Tuesday it now takes an average of about three days to get a test result back. She said some labs are turning around results in as little as one to two days. One lab is even seeing turnaround times of less than a day. Shibinette also said she hopes to be able to release more details Thursday on plans to ease restrictions on long-term care facility visitation. (Source: WMUR)

4. Black, Latino Workers Lost Jobs At Higher Rate, Researchers Say. People of color and women have experienced higher unemployment than whites and men during the COVID-19 pandemic, and women of color and Latina immigrants have the highest jobless rates, according to new research by UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy. Overall, the researchers said, Black and Latino unemployment remains higher than white unemployment. (Source: NHPR)

5. SAU 16 Superintendent: Stop Threatening Teachers. SAU 16 Superintendent David Ryan said he was alarmed “at some of the choices of language” some community members directed at teachers after the administration changed course and moved away from plans to return to in-person school at the start of the 2020-21 year. Ryan said parents have taken to social media in recent days upset SAU 16 is now set to begin the upcoming school year with remote learning, instead of following through on a previous plan to return to in-person learning with modified schedules. Ryan said a group of people have said they intended to stalk district teachers and photograph them not wearing masks as they go about their day. He said some have gone to the extent of making “threats and wishes of harm” against he and members of the administration. “I’m very concerned about some of the choices in messaging towards our teachers,” Ryan said. “If there is to be any criticism or any fault, I need you to direct it towards me.” (Source: Seacoast Online) Meanwhile, a group of Exeter-area parents have organized an effort to help bring back athletics and all other extracurricular activities at SAU 16 schools this fall, following “Safe and Sane Policies.” The group, called “Friends of Exeter Activities” (FOEA), created a petition addressed to Superintendent of Schools David Ryan that had generated over 500 signatures of support from parents, students and alumni as of Monday afternoon. (Source: Seacoast Online) Last week, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs high school sports in the state, announced plans to restart high school sports in a staggered schedule in September. But local communities have the option to opt out if they feel the danger of spreading the coronavirus is too great or if it would jeopardize the broader goal of returning to schools. In Concord, a special meeting of the Concord School Board has been called for Monday to discuss what will happen to school sports after the board’s earlier decision to start the year with remote learning. The board could go in any number of directions with this issue. Some low-risk sports like golf and cross country might be allowed, while some high-risk sports like football and soccer might not be. High-risk sports could be moved to the spring. Or teams could jump into the middle of a fall season that’s already in progress if it’s deemed safe enough. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Moving Inmates Across State Lines Could Expose New England Communities to Coronavirus. A recent outbreak among inmates in Vermont highlights the potential danger of importing and exporting inmates during a global pandemic, especially in New England, where virus mitigation has been largely effective. While the outbreak among transferred Vermont prisoners appears to be an anomaly in New England at this point, Vermont Interim Corrections Commissioner Jim Baker took responsibility for failing to ask more questions about the Mississippi prison’s protocols. “Clearly, where we sit now with the number of positive tests, something went wrong,” Baker said. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Hampton Mandates Face Masks at Town Hall. Hampton selectmen voted 3-2 Monday to enact a policy requiring residents and visitors to wear masks or face cloths while inside the town building at 100 Winnacunnet Road. The vote came on the heels of several town employees calling into the selectmen’s meeting asking that masks be required. Town Hall has been closed to the public since March due to the coronavirus pandemic with employees serving residents via online, phone, email or drop-off box. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. Mandatory Mask Ordinance Back on the Table in Concord. Concord city councilors are reconsidering a mask mandate three months after the idea initially gained little traction because of concerns about enforcement. A proposed mask mandate wasn’t initially on the council’s agenda Monday night, but Mayor Jim Bouley re-raised the question of whether the city should draft an ordinance in light of ongoing concerns from business owners and residents. A committee of four councilors, Mayor Jim Bouley, and City Solicitor Jim Kennedy will take the next few days to draft an ordinance, which will be publicly posted on Aug. 17. A public hearing over Zoom is scheduled for Aug. 31. (Source: Concord Monitor)

9. Absentee Ballot Application 101: How To Do It. It’s Easy. When the news broke about primary absentee ballot applications being mailed to voters by the NHGOP with wrong addresses to return them to their municipal clerks, InDepthNH.org wanted to make sure the recent changes in the law for this year only are clearly explained. Many Granite staters who choose to vote absentee this year may be doing so for the first time and feel uncertain about how to undertake the process during a pandemic. This article will help you understand the process of voting absentee as outlined by the state. (Source: InDepthNH)

Tuesday August 11

After a Monday where no new deaths but 13 new cases and 3 new hospitalizations were reported, here is the news you need to know about the state and local response to the pandemic in New Hampshire to start your Tuesday.

1. Plymouth Becomes 7th Community To Approve Mandatory Mask Order. The Plymouth Selectboard voted to implement a mandatory mask rule at their meeting Monday evening, becoming the seventh community in the state to do so. Plymouth State University students begin arriving on campus in a week, and University officials endorse the measure as a responsible precaution. The ordinance goes into effect immediately and will end when the selectboard or a superior level of government overturns it. The mandate was amended to accommodate landscape workers, people eating at restaurants, fitness centers, and the mask policy of the School Board, whose policy in schools will supercede the town ordinance. New Hampshire remains the only New England state without a mask mandate, but towns and cities across the state are considering their own policy as cases continue to spike nationally and college towns prepare for student arrival. (Source: InDepthNH)

2. Number of Uninsured Spikes Due to Layoffs. Tens of thousands of Granite Staters lost their health insurance as a result of layoffs during the pandemic and the numbers could keep getting worse. An estimated that 96,000 people, or 11% of New Hampshire’s adult population, are now uninsured, an increase of up 3% from 2018, according to a recent report from the National Center for Coverage Innovation. In states like Texas – which already had a high rate of uninsured residents before the pandemic and has experienced one of the highest rates of COVID infection – 30% of the population is now uninsured. (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. SAU 16 Joint School Board Upholds Remote Learning Plan for Exeter Area Schools. The SAU 16 Joint School Board voted Monday night to reject a motion calling for a hybrid mix of in-person and remote learning to start the 2020-21 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. The vote effectively supports the plan for all remote learning to start the year. This plan was proposed Friday by Superintendent David Ryan for Exeter High School, Cooperative Middle School and elementary schools in Exeter, Brentwood, East Kingston, Newfields, Kensington and Stratham. However, the individual school boards in each of the towns still must vote on the plans for each elementary school. (Source: Seacoast Online) The decision to reopen with remote learning has prompted a group of Stratham Memorial School parents to start an online petition calling for the local School Board to “depart” from SAU 16′s plan to begin the school year fully remote. (Source: Seacoast Online) The news comes as a new review of state-level data by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Association found that 97,000 children have tested positive for COVID-19 in the first two weeks of July alone. While the data shows that most children do not get critically ill with the disease and the current hospitalization rate for children remains low, at 2%, what is less clear is how effectively children would spread the virus in a classroom setting, not only to friends and classmates but to teachers and school staff. The rise in child cases, according to the report, was largely fueled by states in the South and West, including Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Montana and Alaska. (Source: NPR)

4. Manchester School Officials Vote to Hold Remote Classes Through First Quarter. The Manchester “Board of School” committee voted Monday night to have students in in grades two through 12 learn remotely through the first quarter of the school year. Students in Pre-K through the first grade will be returning to school for two days a week at the superintendent's recommendation. The committee members supported a motion to allow teachers who are prepared to work remotely from home to do so with permission and allow those who would like to teach in the building to do so. However, the district will not support teachers' internet, electric or home office cost. (Source: WMUR)

5. N.H. Teachers Concerned with Air Quality in Schools. President of the New Hampshire Branch of the National Teachers Association Megan Tuttle is looking for more funding from the federal government and stronger language in the state’s guidance when it comes to addressing ventilation in schools. Tuttle said she wants the next stimulus bill from the federal government to include money to improve the HVAC systems. Meanwhile, Gov. Sununu pointed to the evaluation of HVAC systems in long-term residential care facilities that the state is in the process of conducting. “If we can show there’s connectivity there, we will,” Sununu said. “We just don’t know as of yet.” The governor said he expects to see the results in about a week, Tuttle said that is too late and said those facilities do not compare to schools. (Source: WMUR)

6. N.H. AG’s Office Investigating Faulty Absentee Ballot Applications Sent Out By N.H. GOP. The state Attorney General’s Office is now investigating a mailing of primary absentee ballot applications by the New Hampshire Republican Party that contain the wrong town return address. The ballot applications include the street addresses of the recipients’ town clerks, but the wrong town. If applications with the incorrect town had been filled out and submitted by any voters, they would not have reached town clerks because of the incorrect address—meaning the voter wouldn’t have received an absentee ballot. (Source: InDepthNH) Reminder: Ballots for the September primary election are now available from your city or town clerk. You can stop by your clerk’s office to pick one up—or you can complete an application for a ballot and mail it in. https://sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballots/request-an-absentee-ballot/ In your application, you can choose to have an absentee ballot sent to you for the September primaries, the November general election, or both. IMPORTANT: Return your completed application to your city or town clerk as soon as possible to ensure your ballot reaches you in time.

7. 11 Days To Go: Laconia Has No Clue Who’s On Sununu’s Bike Week Task Force. Gov. Chris Sununu told the press last week that he has created a task force of state and city officials, and event organizers to help make sure the nine-day rally goes off “without a hitch” and does not become a super-spreader event of COVID-19. But Charlie St. Clair, their lead organizer of Laconia Motorcycle Week, said he does not yet know who is on the task force with just 11 days to go. City Manager Scott Myers said neither he nor his police or fire chiefs have been told who is on this task force, but he did say the governor’s office gave Mayor Andrew Hosmer a call last week to say that a group would be formed. Rich DiPentima of Portsmouth, who formerly served as acting state epidemiologist and is running for a seat in the N.H. House of Representatives, said he has concerns for any mass gathering at this point. “The virus is in charge, not us. Until we realize it this is where we are,” DiPentima said. (Source: InDepthNH) Laconia officials also hope to learn lessons from last weekend’s motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Masks were not evident according to St.Clair, who made the 1,900 mile journey on his motorcycle to see friends and observe how officials handled the rally. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

8. What Should I Know Before I Leave or Arrive in N.H.? In this FAQ article, NHPR covers what you need to know about quarantine requirements and travel restrictions. (Source: NHPR)

9. N.H. National Guard Starts Delivering PPE to Polling Places. Starting this week, the New Hampshire National Guard will be delivering personal protective equipment and other election materials to polling sites across the state. The PPE includes N95 masks, surgical masks, face shields, gloves, gowns and hand sanitizer. Some of the PPE will come from the state’s existing stockpile. Federal coronavirus relief funds will pay for the rest. (Source: WMUR)

10. Strawbery Banke to Reopen on Aug. 13. Following a 14-day self-imposed quarantine after a staff member may have been exposed to the coronavirus, Strawbery Banke Museum will reopen to visitors on Thursday, August 13 at 10 am. All public areas of the museum have been deep-cleaned and sanitized; and the museum will continue to ask prospective visitors to observe the CDC COVID-19 protocols Strawbery Banke has had in place since opening to the public July 1. (Source: Seacoast Online)

11. Even a Story About Going to Mars Can’t Avoid COVID-19. Dr. Frances Rivera-Hernandez, a planetary geologist post-doc at Dartmouth College, has submitted an application to be part of the science team that will decide where the Perseverance rover will go and what it will do after it lands on Mars next February. COVID-19 will complicate the process for Perseverance because the science team can’t get together in one room and work together on Mars time, in which each day is 24 ½ hours long. The rover will work for signs of life, past and present, on the planet’s surface. (Source: Concord Monitor)

Monday August 10

After a Sunday that saw the U.S. top the 5 million mark in coronavirus cases—and 14 new cases and no new deaths in N.H.—here is the pandemic-related news you need to start your Monday.

1. COVID Tracker: Number of New Cases Isn’t Rising Any More but It’s Not Decreasing Either. In it’s weekly analysis of COVID-19 metrics in New Hampshire, the Concord Monitor reports that the two-week average of new cases has been stagnant at around 34 since the start of the month and is not dropping. While the low numbers are encouraging, the fact that to two-week average is staying steady and is not declining is a cause for concern as college students return to the state and as K-12 students prepare to return to classes in many communities. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. States On Hook For Billions Under Trump’s Unemployment Order. Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump’s plan to bypass Congress, will sign on. Trump announced an executive order Saturday that extends additional unemployment payments of $400 a week to help cushion the economic fallout of the pandemic. Congress had approved payments of $600 a week at the outset of the coronavirus outbreak, but those benefits expired Aug. 1 and Congress has been unable to agree on an extension. But under Trump’s plan, the $400 a week requires a state to commit to providing $100. Many states, including New Hampshire, are already facing budget crunches caused by the pandemic. Asked at a news conference how many governors had signed on to participate, Trump answered: “If they don’t, they don’t. That’s up to them.” Many states, including New Hampshire, struggled to adjust outdated computer systems to accommodate the $600 payment, which along with the massive influx of new claims resulted in long delays in providing benefits. Reprogramming the computers again to accommodate the new amount could result in similar glitches. (Source: Seacoast Online) N.H. Department of Employment Security Deputy Commissioner Richard Lavers also says the state would need formal guidance from the federal government before any remaining emergency funds from N.H.’s original $1.25 billion emergency CARES Act grant could be used to match federal unemployment payments. (Source: WMUR)

3. NH Absentee Voting Promoted in Car Rally. On Sunday, Democrats from Rochester, Dover, Somersworth and Rollinsford took part in a car rally, traveling through each of the three Tri-Cities to educate the public about voting by absentee ballot, this year especially, because of the coronavirus. “We want to promote getting the vote out,” said Walter King, a member of the Dover Democrats, who organized the car rally along with other local Democratic committees. “So, because we know many people will be nervous about going to the polls (due to the virus), we are supporting absentee ballot voting. And, we wanted a creative way to do that and to introduce our candidates. In the age of COVID, we cannot be going out knocking on doors as we would normally do.” Meanwhile, Portsmouth City Clerk Kelli Barnaby said she is seeing a larger than usual number of requests for absentee ballots. On Friday, she said she had already sent out 1,109 ballots. Absentee ballot applications can be obtained at all town and city clerk’s offices, or they can be printed off the New Hampshire Secretary of State website at https://sos.nh.gov. “People can complete the application and return it to their clerk, in person or by mail,” said Barnaby. “We will mail them a ballot. The ballot must be back by 5 p.m. the day of an election if mailed, or if in person the day before by 5 p.m.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. Republican Voter Registration Mailer Goes Out With Wrong Addresses. In what its party chairman termed “a printing mistake”, the New Hampshire Republican Party sent mailers out last week with incorrect info on where to send absentee voter registration forms. The GOP mailer bills itself as an “official absentee voter registration packet request” and tells recipients that “registering to vote absentee is as easy as 1-2-3.” However, the mailers included incorrect addresses for the city or town clerk voters who would receive the form. While the first two lines of the street addresses for the clerks are accurate in the mailers, all list “Durham, NH” in the final line of the address for every voter, regardless of what town they live in. Voters who do not live in Durham would have their request to register by absentee denied. Several recipients of the mailers raised concerns that the wrong addresses were an intentional move by the state Republican Party. But GOP Chairman Steve Stepanek says the party is working to send out new mailers with corrected info this week. (Source: NHPR)

5. Campaigning During a Pandemic: Democrats and Republicans Take Different Approaches. Amid a coronavirus pandemic that’s forced most Americans to socially distance and wear masks, Democrats and Republicans in New Hampshire are taking very different approaches to how they’re reaching out to supporters to get out the vote in the 2020 elections. The New Hampshire Democratic Party and the campaigns of the major Democratic candidates running statewide – such as presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen – are going the virtual route. The state party is holding all of its events online and is reaching out to supporters virtually or through phone conversations. In May, the Democrats held their annual state party convention on-line, becoming the first state party to hold an entirely virtual convention. But the Republicans starting this summer have returned to some in-person campaigning. President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and the joint efforts of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the New Hampshire GOP – as well as some county and local Republican groups – have resumed holding in-person events and fundraisers – including indoor gatherings and conducting in-person canvassing and traditional door knocks. New Hampshire based RNC spokesperson Nina McLaughlin told the Monitor that “our team wears masks and has hand sanitizer. For office events, we have touchless thermometers that we use when people enter. At our last all-staff meeting, we took everyone’s temperature as they entered the room.” She added that they mandate that all of their canvassers stand 6 to 10 feet away from voters as they conduct door knocks. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Remote Learning: High Attendance But Are Kids Paying Attention? While attendance rates for remote learning are higher than usual, some educators believe they are artificially high thanks to relaxed attendance policies. But attendance numbers obscure a bigger issue – how much harder his teachers, staff, and guidance counselors had to work to stay in touch with students during remote learning, even with the benefit of laptops and internet. Even though digital technology was critical in allowing many districts to keep in touch with their students, for some of the state’s most disadvantaged students even these expensive tools were insufficient. (Source: Granite State News Collaborative via the Concord Monitor)

7. New Safety Protocols in Place as Saint Anselm College Students Begin Returning to Campus. Saint Anselm is one of the first schools in the area to welcome students back, and new safety protocols are in place when they arrive. It will take a total of 10 days for all the students to be welcomed back in shifts of 200 at a time. By the time classes start Aug. 19, 2,000 will have returned to campus. Upon arrival, students will undergo two COVID-19 tests and must quarantine in their dorms until their results come back. (Source: WMUR)

Sunday August 9

After a Saturday where 40 new cases were reported in New Hampshire, but no new deaths, here is the news you need to know about our state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to start your Sunday.

1. COVID-19 Outbreak Connected to Windham Church, Youth Camp; At Least 16 People Are Sick. The state is investigating a potential outbreak of COVID-19 related to a church in Windham that held a youth camp event last month and says at least 16 people “with connections to the church community” have been identified. The outbreak is “associated with individuals who have attended events hosted by the Windham Crossing Life Church. In a press release, the Department of Health and Human Services said, “The public should not attend events related to the Windham Crossing Life Church over the next week while DHHS investigates these illnesses further.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. New Ipswich Can't Stop Traveling Tent Revival from Coming to Town. The town of New Ipswich has no legal authority to enforce the state’s social-distancing and quarantine policies, and as such, evangelist Torben Sondergaard’s traveling tent revival is expected to descend upon New Ipswich as planned in about a week’s time. Selectboard Chairman David Lage said, “They [the state] put out the safeguards, the recommendations, and we just try and encourage people to implement them. There is no statutory authority that has been provided to the town or the selectboard via RSA or Gov. Sununu’s executive orders.” When asked if those traveling with Sondergaard’s group would quarantine before venturing out into New Ipswich and the surrounding areas, and wear masks while in public to alleviate the community’s fears, spokesman Lars Somero said no, they probably wouldn’t. “The state has said there is no mandatory mask wearing,” he said. (Source: Keene Sentinel) Meanwhile, in the absence of a statewide mask mandate, the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce is helping local businesses institute mask policies in advance of the controversial traveling religious revival heading to New Ipswich next weekend. (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcipt)

3. Sununu Extends State of Emergency. Gov. Chris Sununu has issued his seventh extension of the state of emergency he first declared on March 13, in response to the coronavirus epidemic. "We're not out of the woods yet," he said. "We're smack dab in the middle of it." (Source: NHPR)

4. New Hampshire Hospitals Losing Millions Due to COVID-19. New Hampshire hospitals have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue due to COVID-19. Now, they may have to make cuts.Kathy Bizarro-Thunberg, the executive vice president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, said hospitals in New Hampshire collectively lost $575 million in revenue between March and July. While the number of patients coming in for appointments has gradually increased over the last couple of months, NHHA is still expecting hospitals to lose $700 million by the end of the calendar year. Through the CARES Act, New Hampshire hospitals were given $300 million. That leaves them about $300 million in the red. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. Employers Face Jobless Tax Surcharges This Fall. A sharp spike in unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic likely will require two increases in the state tax employers pay to prop up a trust fund that supports jobless benefits, state officials said. Employment Security Deputy Commissioner Richard Lavers said the good news is many employers already have paid all of what they owe the state in unemployment taxes for 2020. Most unemployment taxes are paid in the first two quarters, Lavers said. However, companies with layoffs in the third and fourth quarters will have to pay the surcharge, which takes effect in two steps, Lavers said. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

6. Pandemic Helps, Then Hurts, Psychiatric Boarding Crisis in N.H. The coronavirus pandemic has reversed New Hampshire’s recent success in reducing the number of psychiatric patients stuck in emergency rooms, according to state officials and advocates. After remaining in the single digits in the early stages of the pandemic, the waitlist total steadily steadily increased in June across all age groups, reaching as high as 50 adults and 17 children one day last month, said Ken Norton, executive director of the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We clearly are experiencing mental health issues related to COVID right now,” he said. “When there is a crisis, people tend to hold it together for a while, and the impact on the mental health side is felt later. And that later appears to be now.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. ‘Local Control’ for School Reopening Leads to a Jumble of Plans. School leaders around New Hampshire struggling with how to be in school next month are balancing the same state guidelines and feeling the same push-and-pull of parent concerns — and landing in completely different places. Over the summer, school boards have been trying to translate loose state guidelines and what they understand about COVID-19 into plans for the fall semester. “Everybody wants kids in school, but how can we do it safely?” asked Hopkinton Superintendent Steve Chamberlin. Superintendents are presenting a dizzying array of plans to their school boards this month, with differently shaded answers to the question of what is best for children, families and school staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harold Martin School Principal James Carozza said opening even one school raises many questions, , beginning with how to keep families apart during drop-off times. “It’s like building an airplane while you’re flying it,” he said with a rueful laugh. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) Meanwhile, a combination of uncertainty over the spread of the virus and lack of confidence in safety measures has led applications to N.H.’s only online charter school to quadruple. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) The scramble to finalize back-to-school plans comes at a time when cities and towns across the state are also waiting to see what action the N.H. State Supreme Court will take in September when it considers the state’s appeal of a decision by Cheshire County Superior Court Judge David Ruoff. In a case brought by the ConVal School District and three others earlier this year, Ruoff threw out the formula that has been used for the last 12 years as the basis for calculating state education funding, ruling that chronic underfunding from the state prevents every N.H. child from receiving an “adequate education” as required by the N.H. State Constitution. (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Pop UP NH Opens in Portsmouth. The long-awaited ServiceCU @ Pop Up NH outdoor venue opened Saturday in the city’s downtown. The converted Bridge Street parking lot allows city businesses and organizations to offer food, drinks and entertainment. ServiceCU @ Pop Up NH is designed to help beleaguered restaurants, theaters and the arts community struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic. All guests to the Pop Up must enter and exit by one entrance on Bridge Street. Masks are required to enter and each person will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms. The Black Trumpet restaurant, owned by chef Evan Mallett, will be one of the anchors of the lot, which will run through Oct. 31. Camp Sipabrew will be there too with various brewers offering craft beers and special collaborative brews available only at the Pop Up. (Sources: Seacoast Online and WMUR)

9. A New Hampshire Poet Laureate Lifts Her City’s Covid-19 Advisories. On Sundays, thousands of residents of Portsmouth, N.H., find a poem nestled inside the city’s Covid-19 newsletter. The poems, written by Tammi J. Truax, the city’s poet laureate, help offset the gloom of the pandemic while giving residents a chance to pause briefly and reflect on something other than the virus. “The poems are an unexpected bright light from City Hall,” Anne Weidman, a 63-year-old Portsmouth resident, said on Friday. “The poems add a human voice to the sometimes depressing lists of food resources, government-assistance links, mask-wearing protocols and health statistics. They are a Sunday feature, and it’s a day that I always make it a point to click and read the advisory.” (Source: The New York Times) You can subscribe to the newsletter here. The Associated Press also created a story on the poetry in the city’s newsletter which is available via Seacoast Online.

Saturday August 8

N.H. coronavirus cases cases, deaths, and trend for August 7, 2020. Courtesy of the New York Times. Data is from state agencies, including the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

39 new cases on Friday. No new deaths in New Hampshire, but an additional 1,354 people died from COVID-19 across the country, bringing the U.S. death toll for the pandemic up to 160,977. While two-week averages for new cases are down 18% nationwide, they are on the upswing in several states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Here is the rest of the news you need to know today about New Hampshire’s response to the pandemic.

1. Gov. Baker Pauses Mass. Reopening, Authorizes Police to Enforce COVID Rules. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday that he is "indefinitely postponing" the next step in the state's phased reopening due to an uptick in coronavirus cases. He also announced the formation of a new COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team and authorized police to enforce the state's coronavirus orders and levy fines. Baker said the second step of Phase 3 of the state's reopening plan will be put on hold and the outdoor gathering limit will decrease from 100 to 50, effective Tuesday. He said he is authorizing all state and local police to enforce the orders, and that people who host events -- even on private property -- that exceed gathering limits will be subject to fines. (Source: NECN) In a separate story, Baker cited concerns over large parties including a recent wedding reception that brought together 240 guests and 70 employees as part of his rationale for reducing the maximum number of people allowed to gather at outdoor venues. (Source: NECN). New Hampshire has already seen a small boom in wedding reception business due to previous restrictions in Massachusetts and Friday’s changes could lead to an even bigger increase.

2. Pappas Files Federal Bill to Stop Massachusetts from Taxing N.H. Residents Working Remotely. Congressman Chris Pappas is co-sponsoring legislation with Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes to prevent states, including Massachusetts, from collecting income tax on non-residents who are working at home due to the pandemic. The proposed bill takes aim at an emergency order issued by Massachusetts in March that allows the state to continue to collect an income tax on non-resident workers employed by Massachusetts-based entities, even if those workers are no longer commuting into the state due to the coronavirus pandemic. The rule change has drawn bi-partisan ire in New Hampshire. (Source: NHPR)

3. Sununu Forms Task Force on Motorcycle Week Safety. Gov. Sununu has formed a task force to ensure Laconia Motorcycle Week proceeds safely on its rescheduled dates - Aug. 22-30. Sununu said the state had learned a lot from organizing coronavirus protections for the recent NASCAR race in Loudon. He says they can apply those lessons to Bike Week through the new task force, which includes the city, event organizers and state officials. “I think we all feel confident it can go off very successfully, and we’re just going to put a team together just to make sure that everyone understands what guidelines will be imposed … to make sure it all goes off without a hitch.” (Source: NHPR) But Jennifer Anderson, deputy director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, said she wasn’t aware of any special team being formed and the city has already been taking significant precautions to ensure safety. (Sources: NHPR and Laconia Daily Sun) Meanwhile, another small state is preparing to host a motorcycle rally this weekend where thousands of bikers from states with high per capita active cases counts are being welcomed by that state’s governor as “good for business.” (Source: Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/06/motorcycle-rally-coronavirus/?hpid=hp_national1-8-12_sturgis-940pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans )

4. Sununu Vetoes 4 More Bills, Including COVID Protections for Public Workers. On Friday, Gov. Sununu vetoed the final 4 bills of the 2020 session. His 22 vetoes in 2020 are surpassed in New Hampshire history only by his 57 vetoes in the 2019 session. Because of omnibus bundling made necessary by coronavirus and remote legislating, the 22 bills vetoed in 2020 actually represent 64 original pieces of legislation whose only hope for survival will be veto override votes by the House and Senate in September. Among the bills vetoed on Friday was HB1494, which would expand protections for public employees by providing employee safety standards equal to those provided to private sector employees and provide a state death benefit for a municipal or state public works employee killed in the line of duty. Other bills vetoed by the governor included: the “red flag law”, HB687, which was heavily opposed by gun rights groups and would allow removal of firearms from people presenting an imminent danger to themselves or others; HB685, which would require insurance plans that cover maternity benefits to provide coverage for emergency or elective abortion services; and HB1375, which would allow families affected by contamination from pollution to establish a claim for medical monitoring and damages. Since none of the bills vetoed today were passed by veto-proof margins, none is likely to achieve the 2/3 margin needed in both the House and the Senate to override them. You can see a complete list of the bills the governor has vetoed here. (Sources: Personal notes, NHPR and Manchester Union Leader)

5. Strafford County Lays Off 10 Sheriff’s Deputies, Cuts 13 Jobs Due to Virus Impact. Strafford County leaders confirmed Friday the layoff of 10 deputies, and said three supervisory vacancies will not be filled, for a loss of 13 positions in the sheriff’s department. The move came for several reasons, but primarily is due to a reduced workload because of COVID-19. County Administrator Ray Bower said the deputies were primarily involved in transporting detainees from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal contract transports and taking inmates to and from court. All of those activities are severely reduced due to the coronavirus. (Source: Fosters Daily Democrat)

6. N.H. School Districts Continue to Finalize Plans for Fall Classes. As the remaining days of August slowly tick off the calendar, it’s decision time for school boards across the state when it comes to reopening plans. The superintendent of Exeter area schools announced Friday that he will recommend SAU 16 will move away from an earlier hybrid approach that was to combine classroom instruction and remote learning to for Exeter Area Schools to full remote learning with possibly some in-person features. (Source: Seacoast Online) Meanwhile, all six individual schools within the SAU 21 district have independently adopted a return to school plan involving enriched virtual learning with the possibility of an abbreviated day when students return to classes. (Source: Seacoast Online) On Friday the Concord School Board voted to support a plan that makes learning fully remote when school starts in the fall. The plan includes virtual learning for students and weekly administrator check-in meetings to evaluate the pandemic situation and to decide whether a return to in-person learning is possible. The board voted unanimously in favor of the remote model, opting not to choose the hybrid model that had been recommended by interim superintendent Kathleen Murphy. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Rochester School Opening Aug. 11 Will Be First in N.H. to Bring Kids Back to Class. When students return to Maple Street Magnet School Tuesday, Aug. 11, state Department of Education officials say it will be the first public school in New Hampshire to resume in-person instruction since COVID-19 closures began in March. Educators, staff and administrators have been busy this week adding various safety measures and reviewing pandemic protocols inside the Rochester K-5 elementary school. The School Board voted July 30 to begin the 2020-21 school year with full-time in-person instruction for the 12-school, 4,200-student district. Only Maple Street is opening Aug. 11; the other 11 schools are slated to open Sept. 3. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. NH Teacher of the Year: ‘Teachers Are Scared and Here’s Why’. In a guest opinion column featured in the Concord Monitor, 2018 NH Teacher of the Year Heidi Crumrine says, “When teachers tell you that they are scared, you should listen.” She explains that while teachers understand they sometimes will need to buy school supplies for their students and work in a profession they know it underfunded, COVID-19 has revealed the systemic and all-encompassing ways that teachers have been covering for our entire society for decades. “We cannot blame the teachers, the administrators, or the school boards, Crumrine writes. “They have been placed in an impossible situation by the deplorable lack of leadership at the state and federal level. When we worry about how parents will be able to work if schools don’t open, or how children with special needs will receive services, or how our hungriest children will still receive their food, or how to protect children living in abusive homes, we shouldn’t be blaming the people who have covered for these situations all along. Our schools have become a panacea for fixing all of the problems of society, and now we have a problem that our schools just can’t fix. That’s not the teacher’s fault; it’s everyone’s fault.” (Source: Concord Monitor) On Tuesday speaking in front of the Gilford School Board, high school French teacher Louise Jagusch said the situation teachers find themselves in is like a version of the Shirley Jackson short story, “The Lottery,” in which a citizen is selected by chance to be stoned to death. (Source: Laconia Daily Sun)

9. N.H. High School Sports Will Be Allowed To Practice, Compete In September. The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Thursday that high school fall sports can begin practicing on Sept. 8. Competitions will be allowed to begin later. Bass fishing and golf can start competition on Sept. 10, while cross country, field hockey, soccer and volleyball can start their seasons Sept. 18. Football will be allowed to begin Sept. 25. (Source: NHPR)

Friday August 7

After a Thursday where state officials reported 1 new death and 25 new cases, here is the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Official: Some Parts of NH ‘On Track for Containment’ of COVID-19. Some areas of New Hampshire are “on track for containment” of COVID-19, particularly in the North and West, Trish Tilley told the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force on Thursday. Tilley, the deputy director of the state Division of Public Health, said the state is seeing a bump up in overall numbers from a few weeks ago but it is not a surge. The areas where the state is seeing a bump up in new cases are in the south. The largest age cohort getting sick are residents in their 20s, she said. The Harvard Global Health COVID-19 Risk and Suppression Chart for New Hampshire this week shows that Coos, with no cases, and Grafton, Cheshire, and Merrimack counties are on track for containment of the virus, she said. (Source: InDepthNH) Locally, there is also good news as the latest DHHS COVID-19 Daily Summary shows active cases in Portsmouth down to 6 from 13 only a few days ago. (Source: NH DHHS COVID-19 Dashboard)

2. NH Hospitals Taking Over Community-Based Virus Testing. New Hampshire is ramping down its fixed COVID-19 testing sites and ramping up testing at hospitals, pharmacies and urgent care centers, health officials said Thursday. 56 testing sites are planning to open across the state. Residents who need a COVID-19 test can make an appointment in their area by going to the state's COVID-19 website and clicking on the ‘Get Tested’ button. Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said the fixed testing sites, which have been staffed by members of the National Guard, won't close immediately. They will shut down as the other testing sites come online. (Source: WMUR)

3. Newmarket Town Council Passes Mask Mandate. Following Durham’s lead, the Town Council passed an emergency ordinance Wednesday requiring face-coverings for members of the public and employees entering businesses. Newmarket’s emergency mandate lasts 60 days and can penalize individuals with a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third and subsequent offenses. Town Manager Steve Fournier said, “We have a large population of UNH students living here so the Town Council thought it would make sense to have something consistent (for a mask requirement) between the two communities.” (Source: Seacoast Online) A mask ordinance was also approved in Keene on Thursday.

4. Plan Recommends Manchester Schools Open with All-Remote Learning, Possible Hybrid Model Later. Students in grades 2-12 will begin the school year learning remotely but might be able to move to an optional hybrid model after the first quarter, under a proposal school administrators will present next week. Under the proposal, if conditions allow the district to return to a hybrid model with in-person instruction two days a week, students will have the option of returning to school or continuing remote learning. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

5. NH Officials Pitch Rapid Test to Help Support Return to Schools. New Hampshire health officials said Thursday they're going to promote new recommendations for rapid COVID-19 tests to help get some symptomatic children and adults back to school sooner this year. While acknowledging the availability of rapid tests capable of delivering results in 15 minutes is unclear at this moment, N.H. State Epidemiologist Benjamin Chan says the newer tests, unlike older rapid tests, are 96-97% accurate. (Source: WMUR)

6. School Nurses to Be On Front Lines As Schools Reopen. This week, the New Hampshire School Nurses' Association finalized its school reopening guidance for nurses, in response to what it says are confusing guidelines from the state. Paula MacKinnon, president of the New Hampshire School Nurses' Association, said the document – submitted for final review to the state health department – clarifies how schools should deal with both suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19. The document recommends that school nurses get baseline health information from parents and from students’ primary care providers, to distinguish between symptoms of COVID-10 and chronic conditions like asthma, anxiety, or allergies. And it recommends that, barring any of these chronic conditions, students who come to the school nurse with any symptoms of COVID-19 be sent home immediately. (Source: NHPR)

7. What You Need To Know About School Reopening In N.H. Despite months of late-night meetings, thousands of surveys, and investment in everything from spray cleaners to medical consultants, many school districts admit: There is no single right answer for how to reopen schools during a pandemic. NHPR has summarized what parents need to know about how New Hampshire’s schools are reopening in this article in an easy-to-follow FAQ format. (Source: NHPR)

8. Key Restrictions Loosening for Restaurants and Day Care Centers. The maximum number of people allowed at restaurant tables in New Hampshire will soon rise from 10 to six, according to D.J. Bettencourt, chair of the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force. Bettencourt told task force members Thursday that the limit per table will still be six adults. But the change is being made at the request of the industry to better accommodate large families with children. Daycare centers have also asked to increase class sizes from 10 and Bettencourt said Sununu is going to allow that to be expanded, but the new number has not yet been established. Bettencourt also said mobile massages will also be allowed soon. (Source: InDepthNH)

9. Parents Say N.H. Lacks Child Care Options To Help Them Return to Work. As parts of New Hampshire’s economy begin returning to something like business as usual, one key piece of the puzzle has been child care. The state says there are plenty of open child care spots available across New Hampshire -- in all parts of the state, and for all age groups. But the picture is a little different when you look up close. Parents say they can’t go back to work because they can’t find reliable care, and child care providers say they’re turning families away every day. “There are not enough child care spots in the state to get the workforce back on its feet,” said Kim McKenny, director of Easterseals Child Development and Family Resource Center in Manchester. “We’re turning at least one family away a day. If that’s just us at this one location, what’s everybody else doing?” (Source: NHPR)

10. Nearly $16 Million Of Federal Relief Money To Go To Rural Broadband Projects. At a press conference Thursday, Governor Sununu announced that $16 million of federal CARES Act money will go towards rural broadband projects throughout the state. Some contracts are still pending between towns and vendors, and those recipients will be announced once the contracts are finalized. Sununu says that in total, these projects will improve connectivity for nearly 5,500 properties across the state. Because of the federal deadline for CARES Act money to be used, these projects must be completed before the end of the year. (Source: NHPR)

11. Portsmouth Cuts the Ribbon for PopUp NH Venue at Bridge Street Lot. The ribbon was cut Thursday for PopUp NH, which is turning the Bridge Street parking lot into an outdoor food, beer, and performance art venue for city businesses struggling to survive the pandemic. PopUp NH will have strict physical-distancing and health precautions to limit the number and interaction of attendees. The first event is a fashion show Saturday, with food available from Black Trumpet and the beer collaborative. The “Camp Sipabrew” collaboration between Liars Bench and Stoneface will feature Portsmouth breweries and collaborative beers available only at PopUp NH. (Source: Seacoast Online)

12. Portsmouth Officials Seek Poll Workers to Offset Potential Shortage. Vulnerability to COVID-19 has led many long-time Portsmouth poll workers to opt out of volunteering at the polls this year. Unable to draw on the traditional population of senior volunteers for 4-8 hour shifts, local election officials are putting out a call for new volunteers, who can be as young as age 17. All poll workers will be paid, meals will be available, and masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer will be provided. A short mandatory training session is also required. Steps will be taken at the polls to reduce the risk of exposure, including installation of plexiglass barriers, distancing requirements in lines and between booths, rigorous cleansing procedures in voting booths after each use, and caps on the maximum number of people allowed in the polling area at one time. The polling place you will be assigned will correspond to the ward in which you reside. For example, if you apply to work at the polls and you live in Ward 5, you will be assigned to the polls at Little Harbour School. However, workers assigned to duties outside the polling place itself can be from any ward. You can see which ward you live in by looking up your street on this list. To apply, email the Portsmouth City Clerk’s office at cityclerk@cityofportsmouth.com and include your contact information. Your ward moderator will follow up with you.

Thursday August 6

After a Wednesday that saw 27 new cases but no new deaths in New Hampshire, here is the news you need to know about the state and local response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. N.H. Challenges Massachusetts Income Tax Collection on Remote Workers During Pandemic. The New Hampshire Attorney General is reviewing whether the Massachusetts Department of Revenue is violating either state or federal law as it seeks to collect income taxes from residents of other states during the pandemic. In March, Massachusetts issued an emergency order clarifying that the state would continue to collect income taxes from residents of other states who work for Massachusetts-based companies, even if those employees were now working from home due to the pandemic. Gov. Sununu questioned the legality of Massachusetts’s tax collections on New Hampshire residents during the pandemic, and ordered a full review. Top Democrats on the New Hampshire Senate also expressed concern about the policy. “Across the board, everyone’s finances have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Sen. Lou D’Allesandro and Sen. Dan Feltes in a letter urging Massachusetts to rescind its rule. “However, workers who have accepted employment in Massachusetts under one set of tax rules should not be forced to accept such a significant change to their paychecks, particularly at such an uncertain and unsteady economic period,” they said. (Source: NHPR)

2. End of Nursing Home Stipends Could Cause Mass Staff Shortage. Weekly stipends for health care workers in long-term care facilities expired July 31, raising concerns the move could trigger widespread staffing shortages. Gov. Sununu said he will not extend the program because there has not been enough federal support for the state’s budget, according to a statement from his office. The state spent nearly $60 million on the program and, as of late June, provided stipends to 23,000 frontline workers including nurses, housekeeping staff and kitchen staff. Brendan Williams, the president of the New Hampshire Health Care Association said facilities can typically afford to pay LNAs about $12 an hour, whereas Target recently increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour, making it difficult to stay competitive as employers. When the CARES Act gave Americans without jobs an additional $600 a week, nursing homes found themselves also competing with unemployment benefits, as some health care workers could make more by not working at all. For some homes, the stipend has meant the difference between continuing service and closing their doors. Others have been forced to close during the pandemic due to staffing shortages. Williams predicts many more will close without intervention from the state. (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. Decline in Nursing Home Outbreaks Prompts Discussion of Relaxing Restrictions. A significant drop in COVID-19 cases at New Hampshire's long-term care facilities has some of them asking for more flexibility, and they might soon get it. State health officials said the number of COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire's long-term care facilities is going down quickly. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said, "We currently have just two outbreaks in long-term care that are ongoing. So really, that has declined substantially as a risk factor for COVID-19 in New Hampshire." State health officials hope to provide more information in about a week. "We are talking now about moving long-term care facilities possibly into Phase 2 of CMS guidance to also relax restrictions for long-term care facilities," said Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist. Phase 2 includes larger group outings, which could allow for better quality of life for residents before the colder months arrive.” (Source: WMUR)

4. Sununu Approves $7.5M for 3 Private Bus Companies. Three private bus companies will receive $7.5 million in funds to resume service next month after Gov. Chris Sununu approved the money the companies say they need to resume service, mainly between New Hampshire and Boston. C&J Bus Service in Portsmouth would receive $3.5 million, Concord Coach Lines would receive $2 million and Dartmouth Coach in Lebanon would receive $2 million. Concord Coach and Dartmouth Coach will resume bus service between New Hampshire and Boston Aug. 16, while C & J Bus Service will resume service between New Hampshire and Boston Aug. 23. (Source: InDepthNH)

5. Barrington School Board Votes for In-Person Classes, Despite Exposure at Summer Program. The Barrington school district has voted to welcome all students back into the classroom. This came after their summer school program was shut down early because a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Although remote learning will also be an option, the plan is for K-8 students and their teachers to return full-time after a few staggered days in September to get them used to distancing, masks, barriers and a new HVAC safety system. The co-president of the Barrington Educators Association, Amy Tammik, said most of its members do not feel comfortable returning to school buildings. “Nobody wants to be responsible for bringing home that virus or giving it to one of our kids and having to live with that,” Tammik said. The teachers union said it will seek further negotiation before school doors re-open. Students can also choose remote learning. (Source: WMUR)

6. State University System Trustees Approve Fall Campus Re-Opening Plans. The Board of Trustees of the University System of New Hampshire approved reopening plans for UNH, Keene State and Plymouth State on Tuesday. Those plans include on-campus and in-person instruction for students. The university system is also offering online options for students who do not want to return to campus. Todd Black, one of the trustees, said he was confident in the schools’ plans for testing, contact tracing and remote learning capabilities. But Black and other trustees expressed concerns about how student behavior and compliance with social distancing and mask wearing will play out. Donald Birx, president of Plymouth State University, said, “Our plan works as long as people are really careful about their behavior.” (Source: NHPR)

7. Exeter Inn Closes at Least Until 2021, Will House Philips Exeter Students. Couples planning on getting married at the historical Exeter Inn are scrambling to make alternate arrangements after receiving emails that the inn was terminating their contract. The decision to terminate all event contracts was part of an announcement suspending hotel and restaurant operations until at least 2021, while housing Phillips Exeter Academy students in the fall. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. Reminder: Absentee Ballots Now Available for September Primary Election—Get Yours Now! In Portsmouth, ballots for the September 8 Primary Election are now available for pick-up in the City Clerk’s office. You may either walk in and request your ballot or download, complete, and mail-in an absentee ballot application to receive your ballot in the mail. (Here is a link to the application form.) Please note that if you pick up your ballot in-person, you won’t be able to vote at City Hall because the Clerk’s Office is unable to accommodate COVID-19 requirements at this time. Completed ballots must be mailed or dropped off in time to be received at the Clerk’s Office any time before 5 p.m. the day before the election. A qualified delivery agent (a spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter-in- law, son-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, or nursing/residential home administrator designated by you) can also drop off your ballot. Try to complete the process as early as possible. But if you leave it to the last minute and you’re concerned about the Clerk receiving it in time, your delivery agent may bring your completed ballot to your polling place and hand it to the Ward Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day. Because of a temporary changes in New Hampshire election laws, also note that you may: a) use a single application form to request absentee ballots for BOTH the September Primary and the November General Elections and 2) COVID-19 can be selected as your reason for voting absentee. You can track the progress of your absentee ballot application and whether your ballot has been received here. (Source: Portsmouth City Clerk’s Office) Traditional in-person voting will also be available on Election Day with added safety measures at polling places to protect the health of voters and poll workers.

ONE MORE THING: Friday morning, I’ll be interviewed at 8 a.m. on the WSCA Environmental Hour by host Lisa Coté. We’ll be discussing the pandemic, its impact on the economy and the progress the state is making—and still needs to make—on environmental legislation. Listen on-air or stream at wscafm.org.

Wednesday August 5

One new death. 33 new cases. Here is the other news you need to know to start your Wednesday about the state and local response to the pandemic.

1. Dr. Chan: NH’s Increase in Virus Cases Not a Surge. New Hampshire experienced a small increase in the number of coronavirus infections over the last one to two weeks, but it’s not believed to be a surge, the state epidemiologist said Tuesday. Dr. Benjamin Chan said on average, the state has reported about 30 new infections per day. He said going back three to five weeks, it was about 20 to 25 infections per day. “We are going to see the numbers continue to fluctuate up and down, that’s expected. We do not currently believe we are seeing another surge of COVID-19 in our state,” Chan said at a news conference. He said the percent positivity rate of tests and hospitalizations remain stable and low. Chan added, “We believe that lower levels of community transmission continue to occur in many parts of the state, and for that reason, we need everybody to continue to protect themselves and their families, and help to prevent further spread of COVID-19 within the communities.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

2. NH Coronavirus Testing Sites Closed Wednesday Due to Isaias. New Hampshire state officials announced Tuesday that coronavirus testing sites would be closed for the next couple of days "for the safety of staff and patients." During a Tuesday news conference, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette said the state-run testing facilities were closed at noon Tuesday and would remain closed through Wednesday. Anyone needing immediate attention was urged to contact their doctor, Shibinette said. (Source: NECN)

3. Sununu Says State Will Help Schools Buy Personal Protective Equipment. Many New Hampshire school districts are preparing to bring students back for in-person classes at least part of the time. To do that safely, school districts are stocking up on things such as masks and gloves, and even items such as gowns and face shields for school nurses. Gov. Sununu said the state will lean on its stockpile of equipment to help schools that are struggling to find supplies. Sununu said any districts that have trouble finding personal protective equipment should reach out for help. (Source: WMUR) Worth noting is that an offer to help find supplies of available PPE is not the same as an offer to help pay for PPE. With school districts facing additional costs related to school reopening along with the looming specter of draconian budget cuts as tax revenues shrink because of the pandemic, this offer of “help” from the governor comes at a time when school districts are scrambling to process school reopening “guidance” from the governor that shifted accountability—and the cost—for a wide range of critical decisions from mask requirements to school bus capacity from the state to local communities. Also worth noting is that health care workers in states that have experienced surges have been sounding the alarm about dwindling PPE supplies and the need to keep reusing the supplies they have—which increases their vulnerability to infection. But the Trump administration, which has largely left it up to the 50 states to compete for PPE, says these claims are overblown. “I’m not going to tell you we’re able to meet all demand, but there’s significantly less unfulfilled orders today than in April,” said Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, whom President Trump put in charge of coronavirus-related supplies. (Source: Washington Post)

4. Newmarket Town Council to Vote on Mask Mandate. Following Durham’s lead, the Newmarket Town Council will vote on an emergency ordinance tonight requiring face masks be worn in town and possible fines for violators. The emergency mandate would last 60 days and could be extended by a vote of the Town Council. It would penalize individuals with a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second and $500 for a third and subsequent offenses, with the possibility of being summonsed to Exeter District Court. The mandate would apply to all business employees when interacting with the public and whenever they are within six feet of coworkers. It would also require all members of the public entering any Newmarket business, work site or government building to wear masks, including customers picking up takeout inside a restaurant. (Source: Seacoast Online) Meanwhile, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen began discussions Tuesday night about a potential mask mandate ordinance for the state’s largest city that is currently being developed by Manchester Health Department Director Anna Thomas. (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

5. Portsmouth Moves Closer to Mask Mandate. On Monday, the Portsmouth City Council took another step towards enacting a mask mandate with teeth, unanimously passing the first reading of a proposed ordinance and moving it to a public hearing. The draft ordinance, proposed by Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine, would mandate face coverings be worn inside public places and outdoors when a distance of 6 feet between people cannot be achieved. According to City Attorney Robert Sullivan, a first offense would receive a citation for $25 if paid within seven days, and then $50 thereafter. The penalty increases with each subsequent offense or failure to pay, up to $500 per offense, said Sullivan. (Source: Seacoast Online)

6. Sununu’s Use of Federal Emergency Funds to Boost Scholarships to Private and Religious Schools Draws Criticism. When Gov. Chris Sununu announced a $1.5 million boost to New Hampshire’s education scholarship organizations last week, he championed it as a win for families – and a means to help students of color. The money, which came from New Hampshire’s $1.2 billion allotment of federal aid money will help create 800 new scholarships for families to use toward secondary education at religious and private schools. But Democrats are objecting to the move, arguing that it benefits private schools at the expense of public schools struggling to during the pandemic. An analysis by Reaching Higher NH, a Concord think tank, found that the pandemic assistance given to the scholarship funds amounted to around $1,875 per student recipient, compared to an average of $213 per student in federal aid that public schools have received. “Instead of ensuring that our public traditional and charter schools have the resources necessary to provide safe learning environments for all students, the governor is diverting taxpayer dollars to benefit private and religious schools,” said Concord Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, who chairs the House Finance Committee. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Rochester Superintendent Defends In-Person School Decision. Superintendent Kyle Repucci is assuring the School Board-approved plan to reopen the city’s school buildings for full-time in-person learning to start the new school year amid the coronavirus pandemic was made with “safety and health” as the top priority. Repucci responded after teachers, along with some parents and community members via an online petition, urged the district to reconsider its decision to reopen, which was approved during a July 30 School Board meeting. “Our ultimate responsibility is to provide students with a meaningful, high-quality education, which is a mission we’re confident we’ll be able to deliver safely and effectively this fall,” Repucci said in a statement provided to Foster’s Daily Democrat. “Due to existing constraints as a result of collective bargaining, we’re limited to pursuing one model or another – remote or in-person – rather than a hybrid model that some districts are employing. The in-person model will help us deliver the education our students deserve in a safe way, while students who would rather not attend in person have the option to continue their education through the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School.” (Source: Fosters Daily Democrat)

8. Falling NH Bankruptcy Rates Likely the Calm Before the Storm. Despite several high-profile national retail failures, bankruptcy filings in New Hampshire fell to another historic low in July. But attorneys predict that the continued decrease in bankruptcy filings is only the calm before expected storm – unless that too is calmed by another massive federal infusion of aid, which is now being debated in Congress. The number of filings in July was 53% less than the number reported in July 2019 and a far cry from the 473 filed in July 2010, at the height of the last recession. It’s the lowest number reported in any July since 1988. Peter Tamposi, a bankruptcy attorney in Nashua, says the federal Paycheck Protection program, enhanced unemployment benefits, and the patience of landlords and earlier eviction moratoriums have helped, but added “I do not see a rosy future for many folks.” (Source: NH Business Review)

9. NH Families May Not Know They Qualify for Additional Pandemic Food Benefits. Thousands of Granite State children may be eligible for food benefits, even if their families are not already receiving Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program, or SNAP, assistance. But advocates are trying to get the word out about the pandemic related program over fears families may not be applying because they don’t think they are eligible. “[This] program is a critical resource for families in need during this public health crisis, especially at a time when the eviction moratorium and enhanced unemployment benefits have ended,” said Raymond Burke, co-director of benefits projects at New Hampshire Legal Assistance. While families that receive benefits from the SNAP program will automatically receive funds on their EBT cards, those who do not benefit from the program, but are eligible for free and reduced price school lunches, can apply for benefits by August 24. (Source: Granite State NH Business Review)

Tuesday August 4

The Portsmouth City Council debates a mandatory mask ordinance on Zoom.

After a Monday where 26 new cases but no new deaths were reported, here is the coronavirus-related news in New Hampshire that you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. COVID Tracker: Number of New Cases is Rising Again After Falling for Months. In its weekly summary of 4 key coronavirus metrics in New Hampshire, the Concord Monitor reports that as the coronavirus is surging in much of the country and the world, there are some worrisome signs in New Hampshire. The two-week daily average of new cases bottomed out in mid-July at 25 but since then has slowly edged back up, erasing all of July’s gains. The increase is not huge and could reflect other factors such as changes in testing patterns, but any rise is worrisome because COVID-19 can quickly get out of control. The good news is that hospitalizations and deaths have not increased so far. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. Durham Enacts Face Mask Mandate with $100-$500 Fines. On Monday night, Durham Town Council members unanimously passed an emergency ordinance to require face masks and coverings in town to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ordinance affects employees of all businesses, pedestrians on sidewalks and other areas where 6 feet of physical distancing can’t be maintained, and patrons inside restaurants and bars who aren’t seated at a table. Those cited for violating the ordinance three times or more would be subject to fines as high as $500. But Town Manager Todd Selig said that the goal of the ordinance and its enforcement by local law enforcement is compliance and to teach residents about the importance of protecting themselves and others, not to fine and distribute a summons. Durham Police Chief Rene Kelley said that he and his department would be carrying around extra face masks for residents and visitors to use if they don’t have one readily available for use. “If they happen to come across someone not wearing a mask.... (they’ll) have a pleasant conversation, offer them a mask complements of Durham PD, hopefully they’ll heed our request and that will be the end of it,” he said. (Source: Fosters)

3. Portsmouth Mask Ordinance Moves One Step Closer. Members of the Portsmouth City Council unanimously agreed Monday night to approve the first reading of a mandatory mask ordinance and to hold a special meeting and public hearing on the second reading the proposed ordinance at 7 p.m. on August 18. During the August 18 session, proposed amendments to the ordinance will be presented and the public will have the opportunity to comment.
   
   Monday’s vote to move the process forward followed a discussion where councilors heard an update from Portsmouth Health officer Kim McNamara. McNamara told the council that she didn’t know the precise reason why active COVID-19 cases have spiked as high as high as 13 in Portsmouth in recent days, but she cited community transmission as the cause for several of them. She also told the council that cases are increasing in the Northeast and presented information on both the effectiveness of masks as a preventive health measure and the emerging effectiveness of mask mandates in achieving higher compliance when compared to resolutions and voluntary appeals.
   
   Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine pointed out that with Durham positioned to enact a mandatory mask ordinance, it’s important for Portsmouth—a popular gathering spot for UNH students—to also act to protect its residents and businesses. Councilor Paige Trace suggested amending the ordinance to specify the circumstances that would cause it to expire and to go off the books. Concerns were also raised over enforcement and how police officers and others charged with ensuring compliance would know if a child was under age 6 or if a person not wearing a mask had a disability or allergy. Councilor Deaglan McEachern said he feels “enforcement is an educational opportunity” and that other states and communities are using mandates to drive higher compliance rather than as a tool to punish. Councilor John Tabor said he thinks a mask ordinance is a must for public safety. “We can’t look into a crowd to see who needs to wear a mask and we probably can’t wait for a governor who is the last holdout in all five New England states when it comes to imposing a mask ordinance,” said Tabor. “So if we want to lock in our progress and keep the economy open, I think this is a must.”
   
   Mayor Rick Becksted, drawing on his experience with building code enforcement, raised concerns over enforcement of a mask mandate, arguing that any ordinance would have to be “simplistic” enough for police officers to enforce while comprehensive enough to precisely address different circumstances. Although he voted to move the ordinance to a second reading, Becksted said he prefers the approach of the current City face mask resolution now in place. “Going outside of our boundaries and forcing this could be somewhat disastrous for us,” he said. Becksted also said he was concerned about police overtime and other expenses that he believes will be required for enforcement.
   
   You can view a recording of the meeting here. The debate on the mask ordinance starts at 3:30:30. (Source: Personal notes)

4. Fauci Discusses Reopening Schools, Mask Mandate with NH Audience. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Monday warned Monday against reopening schools in coronavirus hotspots. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, spoke via video conference to physicians and medical students at New Hampshire’s Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He said while the nation’s “default principle” should be that children return to school, “to say that every child has to go back to school is not really realizing the fact that we have such a diversity of viral activity.” Fauci said, “There may be some areas where the level of virus is so high that it would not be prudent to bring the children back to school.” Fauci was also asked about how to accelerate public acceptance of face coverings to prevent the spread of the virus. He cited two problems: Young people who don’t take the virus seriously, and those who have politicized the wearing of masks. “Wearing a mask if you don’t take this seriously is a tough one to sell, and it becomes even more tough when there’s this political symbolism of, if you wear a mask, you’re on this side of the political spectrum and if you don’t wear a mask, you’re on that side,” he said. “Which is completely crazy because this is a disease and virus and public health issue, and not a political issue.” (Source: Associated Press)

5. Teachers, Parents Push Back on Rochester School Reopening. Teachers, parents and community members are urging the Rochester School Department to reconsider its plans to fully reopen its 12 schools to in-person learning, calling instead for a more gradual approach that includes online learning. District employees have sent letters and over 1,000 community members had signed an online petition as of noon Monday because they feel a hybrid or full-remote model would be safer amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Rochester is currently scheduled to become one of the first districts in the state to reopen when Maple Street Magnet School teachers return Wednesday and the school’s students return to the building Monday, Aug. 11. The rest of the district’s schools are scheduled to resume classes Sept. 3. “We were praised for being the first to close down our schools back when the pandemic hit, but we don’t need to be first to have people get sick and have an outbreak,” Carrie Feyler, an elementary school technology teacher and the president of the Rochester Federation of Teachers and Paraprofessionals. “We don’t need to be the first to show what happens.” (Source: Fosters)

6. Dover Schools Pick Mostly Remote Learning to Start School Year. The Dover School Board voted unanimously Monday night to approve a “primarily virtual model” for the upcoming school year. Board Chair Amanda Russell said the model would allow for “a form of in-person instruction for the students who need it the most.” That would likely include some special needs students, and in some cases, if possible, students taking certain Career Technical Center courses, she and other board members said during Monday’s special board meeting. The “primarily virtual model” chosen means most Dover students will learn remotely to start the school year as the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. This model will be evaluated every three weeks, Russell said. (Source: Fosters)

7. UNH Professors Worry if University Can Safely Reopen. With in-person fall instruction scheduled to begin in Durham Monday, Aug. 31, UNH educators are gearing up for an academic semester altered by coronavirus. Despite intense planning from school administrators and drawing on their remote teaching experiences from the end of the spring semester, educators like UNH professor Bobbie Brown are skeptical of a what a coronavirus-centric return to Durham could do to learning retention. Brown says she is also riddled with thoughts of students and community members who might absentmindedly jeopardize public health. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep worrying and (I’m) concerned that impulsive behavior or intentional nonconformance could ultimately cause ... students, faculty, or staff to become ill,” she said. UNH’s fall semester target is to be in a “restricted mode of operation. As it stands, the current mode of operation status is limited and teetering just above remote operations, according to the school’s coronavirus webpage. (Source: Seacoast Online )

8. How Much Protective Gear Is Your Polling Place Getting For The Fall Elections? More than 330,000 surgical masks, 8,200 jugs of sanitizing wipes, 5,300 face shields and 3,200 sneeze guards are on their way to local pollworkers across New Hampshire in the coming weeks, according to a new memo from the Secretary of State's office. The Secretary of State's office has devoted some of the roughly $3.1 million in emergency election funding New Hampshire received from the federal government toward protective gear for voters and pollworkers during Election Day balloting. Details of the state's plans to distribute polling place protective gear were outlined in a memo sent to local election officials over the weekend. A detailed breakdown of how much each community is in line to receive is available here. (Source: NHPR)

Monday August 3

After a Sunday where New Hampshire state officials announced 21 new cases and 1 new death, here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to start your Monday.

1. Mandatory Mask Ordinance on Agenda for Tonight’s Portsmouth City Council Meeting. City councilors will consider a draft ordinance tonight that would require face coverings to be worn in indoor places accessible to the public as well as in outdoor public places when 6 feet of distancing can’t be maintained. The penalty would be a civil citation of $25 for the first offense. Children age 6 and under, people with a condition where mask-wearing could pose a risk to their health, and restaurant diners when eating or drinking would be exempt. (Source: City of Portsmouth see page 63 of the Council Packet) The Council meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Zoom. To attend, register here. At a new conference last Thursday, Gov. Sununu recommended that people wear masks, but said it should be an individual choice and added that he didn’t see a need for a mandatory requirement at this time. (Source: Concord Monitor) In the absence of a statewide mandate, Portsmouth is one of several New Hampshire communities considering local mask ordinances this week, including Durham, Hanover, and Plymouth. (Source: WMUR) The local push to consider mask ordinances comes as White House coronovirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told CNN on Sunday that the US has entered a "new phase" of the coronavirus pandemic, with cases rising in both urban and rural areas. "It's extraordinarily widespread," said Birx. So far, more than 4.6 million Americans have been infected and at least 154,859 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University data. And according to a new composite forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country's death toll is now projected to reach at least 173,000 by August 22. (Source: CNN)

2. Fans Return to NH Motor Speedway. Capacity restrictions to prevent crowding, temperature checks, paperless tickets, and a requirement to wear masks whenever fans were away from their assigned seats were just some of the precautions in place Sunday as NASCAR racing resumed at NHMS in Loudon. Signs throughout the facility reminded people to stay six feet apart, wash their hands and use hand sanitizer. The concession and souvenir stands had plexiglass dividers in front of the cashiers and accepted only payments made with a card. Although many fans were wearing masks and keeping socially distant as they waited for the NHMS gates to open at 1 p.m. on Sunday, there were also many who were not wearing masks or keeping their distance. And the television broadcast showed fans out of their assigned seats and standing shoulder to shoulder at the fence for the green flag signaling the start of the race at 3 p.m. “I’m not worried about it. I’m more interested in having fun than anything else,” said Jalina Picard, who drove to Loudon with a friend from Warwick, R.I., and was not wearing a mask as she waited for the gates to open. “If you’re worried about it you can wear a mask. If not, you don’t have to worry about it. I know I have to wear a mask inside, but whatever, I’ll follow the rules.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. NH Housing Assistance Program Slow to Give Tenants Aid. Four weeks after its launch, New Hampshire’s Housing Relief Program is still working its way through hundreds of applications and has given out relatively little money. The program is intended to assist tenants who are no longer protected by an eviction moratorium that expired on July 1. As of July 30, 1,385 people had submitted applications for housing relief and only 139 applications had been approved. Of the $35 million set aside in the program, only $493,304 has been distributed so far. State officials say state Community Action Programs administering the grants have been overwhelmed by the number of applications, while tenants have struggled to organize required documentation. (Source: Concord Monitor)

4. Cuts and Budget Shortfalls Loom in NH As Congress Debates Including Relief for States and Municipalities. New Hampshire’s estimated budget shortfall is $145 million for the recently completed 2020 fiscal year and is projected to be about twice that or more in the current 2021 fiscal year. Cities and towns are also seeing reduced revenue due to the pandemic although that could total into the tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. While there have been discussions in Washington to fix a provision in the CARES Act that doesn’t allow states and local governments to use emergency relief money to fill budget shortfalls, a separate effort to appropriate new emergency funds for state and local governments as part of a new stimulus package has stalled. A Democratic House proposal includes relief for states, cities, and towns. But it is absent from the Republican Senate proposal. If Congress fails to reach an agreement on state and local aid, it raises the possibility that draconian cuts will be needed in the 2021 fiscal year state budget to address an estimated revenue shortfall between $350 million and $500 million for the biennium. (Source: InDepthNH) As of this writing, negotiators for the House, the Senate, and the Trump administration have agreed on making another round of direct payments to taxpayers and continuing the Paycheck Protection Program. But discussions have stalled over extending federal unemployment benefits, state and local funding, liability protections for businesses, and emergency funding for the Postal Service. (Source: CNN)

5. Fall Classes at Dartmouth to Be Delivered Mostly Online. Students returning to the Dartmouth campus in Hanover hoping to take a mix of classes may find their options limited. According to the College’s academic timetable, of 997 classes are being offered this fall, 645 are being offered remotely with synchronous components, 74 are remote with optional on-campus components, 41 are remote and entirely asynchronous, and 23 are on campus. An additional 207 are individualized study courses, and seven courses do not have a delivery method listed on the timetable. Professors and administrators are grappling with the problem of small classrooms and social distancing requirements. There are just 36 spaces on the Dartmouth campus that can hold more than 13 students at a time while complying with social distancing requirements. (Source: The Dartmouth) Meanwhile, students will return to strict 14-day quarantine regulations that “exceed those prescribed by the state of New Hampshire,” including mandatory testing for COVID-19, whether they are living on or off campus. (Source: The Dartmouth)

6. Trouble on the Trails: Forest Service Grapples with Crowds, Trash and Human Waste. The coronavirus pandemic has drawn increasing crowds to the great outdoors - including many popular hiking trails, swimming holes and recreation areas in the White Mountains. But the burst in popularity has created new problems for the folks who manage New Hampshire's national forest. Since the early March and April surge of visitors seeking sanctuary during the pandemic has only grown. The Forest Service expected this. Additional porta-potties and dumpsters have been set up in high use areas. What they didn’t expect was the more recent shift in public behavior. "We're seeing human waste along trails,” says Tiffany Benna, who oversees recreation for the U.S. Forest Service. “We're seeing graffiti which we haven't really seen, on boulders and rocks along the trails, not just on our signs. And we're also seeing a lot of people, like 100 volunteers, you know, go into the forest and pull out, you know, 300 pounds of trash.” (Source: NHPR)

7. Seacoast Farmers Markets Adapt to Pandemic. Hand-sanitizing stations, masks and gloves might sound like a hospital setting but it was all part of the farmers market in Portsmouth Saturday. Lines were socially distanced, six feet apart. When they got to the booth of their choice, patrons would point at what they wanted, because they were not allowed to handle the items. This is what a farmer’s market looks like during a pandemic. COVID-19 has changed the way we do everything and even healthy open-air activities like this are subject to strict regulations and everyone is being cautious. (Source: Seacoast Online)

Sunday August 2

35 new cases and 1 new death on Saturday. Here is what else you need to know about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire to start your Sunday.

1. NASCAR Returns to Loudon. Today’s race, which will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network beginning at 2:30 p.m., will be New England’s first fan-attended sporting event at a major level since the coronavirus pandemic began. Scott Cooper, Vice President of Communications for Speedway Motorsports, which owns the track, said between 12,000 and 14,000 people are expected, which is about what they can handle because of social distancing requirements for seating. Local businesses are reporting smaller crowds are having a negative impact on business. Loudon resident John Cronin, who has owned The Eggshell for 32 years, said there hasn’t been much enthusiasm around town leading up to the weekend. Cronin said visitor traffic usually keeps the restaurant busy from the Sunday before race weekend through the Monday after, but “As we look at the restaurant right now, they’re all regular customers,” Cronin said. “There’s not one person here that I don’t know. We’re not seeing any traffic from the race at all. Usually the road is slamming.” The experience will be different at the speedway, too. Fans will have their temperatures taken before their digital tickets are scanned and must wear face coverings while anywhere on the grounds except their seats. They also will be socially distanced in the stands, with designated open seats around each group. (Source: Manchester Union Leader)

2. Portsmouth City Council to Consider Mask Ordinance. The first reading of a proposed ordinance to mandate the wearing of face coverings will take place at Monday’s Portsmouth City Council meeting. The draft ordinance would require face coverings to by worn in indoor places accessible to the public as well as in outdoor public places when 6 feet of distancing can’t be maintained. The penalty would be a civil citation of $25 for the first offense. Children age 6 and under, people with a condition where mask-wearing could pose a risk to their health, and restaurant diners when eating or drinking would be exempt. (See page 63 of the Council Packet). (Source: City of Portsmouth) Also on the agenda for Monday, the Council will consider a request from the Prescott Park Arts Festival (PPAF) for the City to waive its annual consideration fee for FY20. The Festival was forced to cancel its 2020 events because of the pandemic. In a similar request, The Gundalow Company will ask for a reduction in its annual consideration fee because of the effects of the pandemic on its scheduled programming. The Prescott Park License Agreement between both groups and the City authorizes the City Manager to negotiate a lower amount in the event of unforeseen circumstances. The Council meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Zoom. To attend, register here.

3. Durham Council to Vote on Mask Ordinance. On Monday, the Durham Town Council is set to vote on an emergency ordinance that would require people to wear masks inside Durham businesses and, in some cases, on sidewalks. The proposed ordinance states masks, defined as “cloth face coverings” must be worn over a person’s mouth and nose. If it is approved, people who refuse to comply with the ordinance – which is intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – could face a $100 fine for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $500 for the third or subsequent offenses. Children age 9 and younger will not be required to wear masks under the ordinance, nor will people who “can show a medical professional has advised that wearing a face covering may pose a risk to said person for health-related reasons.” Town Administrator Todd Selig stressed Friday that “our goal is compliance, it is not to fine people.” “We are all facing a public health threat and quite simply this is the best way to protect the community,” Selig said. (Source: Fosters)

4. Reduced Access to Beaches Increases Tension Between Tourists and Seacoast Communities. To assist with social distancing efforts needed to keep the coronavirus pandemic in check, towns like Rye, Hampton and Seabrook, as well as the state of New Hampshire, have reduced parking along the state’s small coastline by 50% or more to limit the number of people on the beaches. Fines for parking violations have also increased in Seabrook from $50 to $200. Police and emergency responders are bearing the brunt of the complaints as they enforce the new beach rules. Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh said the town wrote guidelines based on those set by the governor’s reopening task force. “The state park employees are taking a lot of grief,” said Walsh. “I think 90% of the people are being good and polite, but the other 10% are verbally abusing the employees. It’s not their fault or their decision.” Both Rye and New Castle have an aging population and Bill Stewart, New Castle’s selectman chair, said they took that into consideration when deciding what to do. Currently the entrances to Great Island Common and to Fort Stark are blocked to vehicular traffic. People can walk or bike in but no parking is allowed. Portsmouth resident Robert Swan questions why parking is still blocked along route 1A in Rye. “My wife and I have been parking on 1A and walking on the beach for 20 years, 30-minute walks that we can’t do now because there is no place to park,” said Swan. (Source: Seacoast Online)

5. Concerns for Concord’s Arts Scene as Pandemic Continues. Not long ago, Concord had an unflattering nickname in the arts community: a city in a coma. But in recent years, the Capitol Center for the Arts, the eclectic mix of films shown at Red River Theater, and the Bank of New Hampshire Stage have changed that perception. The pandemic has put all of that progress at risk. “Those cultural organizations are hanging by a thread,” said Tim Sink, president of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. When business leaders like Sink see the shuttered marquees during COVID-19, they see more than just canceled shows; they see a halt to citywide growth. Concord Mayor Jim Bouley has appealed to New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan to emphasize adding an emergency funding stream to arts programs in the next round of Congressional stimulus. Heads of the organizations themselves are echoing that call to the state’s federal delegation. And the organizations have jumped in line for a piece of a statewide $60 million assistance fund for all non-profits, though none are expecting a silver bullet. “We are going to need additional assistance to get through this year,” said Nicki Clarke, executive director at Capitol Center for the Arts. “There’s just no other way about it.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Kids Stressed Out by COVID? Ways for Parents to Help. While some children are doing fine managing the situation, plenty of others need an extra layer of support, said Bethann Clauss, clinical director for Maps Counseling Services, which has offices in Keene and Peterborough. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and teenagers are among the groups most affected by the stress of a crisis. Children need some core pillars to create stability and consistency as they develop, and right now they don’t have those, Clauss said. Those pillars include knowing they are unique and valuable to someone, are capable of overcoming challenges, are safe and being protected, and that the world makes sense, she said. “All the rules of engagement for life have gone wild. There is not a lot of clear predictability or framework for kids to rely on,” she said. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

7. 87th Annual League of N.H. Craftsmen's Fair Goes Virtual. From now through Aug. 9, 145 of the most talented local craftsmen are selling and showing off their work online. The nation's oldest craft fair is usually held at the Mount Sunapee Resort. But as with many large gatherings, the pandemic has forced the fair to go virtual. “The cool thing is that we now reach beyond the 20,000 people who come to the fair annually. We can go nationwide and worldwide,” said Miriam Carter, executive director of the League of N.H. Craftsmen. To shop, browse, or to get more information on the fair, go to nhcrafts.org. (Source: WMUR)

Saturday August 1

New cases rose to 15 in Portsmouth on Friday.

After a Friday where state officials announced 42 new cases but no new deaths—and where active cases climbed up to 15 in Portsmouth—here is the news you need to know about the state and local response to the coronavirus pandemic to start your Saturday.

1. Lonza Starts Small Scale Production of Coronavirus Vaccine. Lonza Biologics has begun what it describes as “small-scale” production of the COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna while the drug is in its phase 3 clinical trial. Lonza spokesperson Glenn Myers confirmed “we have started small-scale manufacturing,” but he couldn’t divulge how much volume the company at Pease International Tradeport was producing at this point. Of the some 1,000 employees at the Pease plant, according to Myers, 50 employees are dedicated full-time to the production initiative of the vaccine that Moderna has labeled mRNA-1273. Moderna said it is on track to be able to deliver approximately 500 million doses per year, and possibly up to 1 billion doses per year beginning in 2021. (Source: Seacoast Online) White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he is “not particularly concerned” about the safety of the Moderna vaccine, which uses a new scientific technique to provoke an immune response to the virus. (Source: CNBC) In a separate report, Fauci said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the coronavirus vaccine being developed by Moderna and his agency will be successful. Testifying Friday in front of a congressional subcommittee, Fauci went on to say he doesn't think it’s a dream to say that a coronavirus vaccine could be ready by the end of the year or early 2021. (Source: CNN)

2. Hassan Urges Sununu to Issue Mask Order. U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is urging Gov. Chris Sununu to issue an order requiring people in New Hampshire to wear face masks, as every other state in New England has now done. Sununu has resisted issuing such a mandate, saying that Granite Staters are mostly doing it on their own and that it would be difficult to enforce. (Source: NHPR) On Friday, Sununu vetoed bills that would automatically register new voters applying for driver’s licenses or photo IDs and that would set up an independent redistricting panel to reduce the risk of gerrymandering that favors one political party or the other. (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Nursing Home Workers to Lose $300/Week Stipend Starting Today. Nursing home and home-care workers will lose their $300 emergency stipend starting Saturday, a move that may prompt some already stressed nursing homes to close, a trade association warned. As of Friday afternoon, Gov. Sununu had not extended an emergency order that had created the stipend for workers at long-term care and home-care companies. “It’s a very scary time for our staff, and these stipends have been a critical tool for our heroes doing battle on this pandemic’s frontline. As he has before, we’re praying the governor hears our call to extend this program again,” said Brendan Williams, president of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, a trade group for nursing homes. (Source: Manchester Union Leader) While less than a third of New Hampshire’s total coronavirus cases have occurred among residents of long-term care facilities, 82.2% of the state’s 415 deaths have occurred in this population. (Source: DHHS COVID-19 Summary Dashboard) The stipend was provided as a tool to retain nursing home workers, who are generally poorly paid because of low state Medicaid reimbursement rates, and were concerned about contracting the virus themselves and spreading it to their families. As of Tuesday, the date of the most recent DHHS summary of nursing home outbreaks, 4 facilities were still dealing with active outbreaks and 28 others have experienced outbreaks over the course of the pandemic that have been contained and closed. The hardest hit nursing home during the crisis so far is the Hillsborough County Nursing Home. Although the state now reports the outbreak there as “closed”, 154 residents were infected along with 55 staff members and 39 residents died. (Source: DHHS Summary Report July 28, 2020)

4. DHHS Investigating Potential COVID-19 Exposures at Raymond Restaurant. The state Department of Health and Human Services is investigating potential community exposures related to a person with confirmed COVID-19 at Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery in Raymond. DHHS is urging anyone who visited the restaurant and sat at the bar on the following dates to contact NH DHHS at (603) 271-4496 for further guidance: Friday July 24, 2020, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Saturday July 25, 2020, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; and Sunday July 26, 2020, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. While DHHS has conducted a contact tracing investigation, the concern is there may be additional people who were exposed to the virus that haven’t been identified. At a press conference Thursday, DHHS officials said the names of businesses where workers have tested positive will only be made public if the state believes there could be a risk to the public. Gov. Chris Sununu said that was to protect the privacy of the individual. However, businesses are not required to notify the state if a worker tests positive for COVID-19. (Source: InDepthNH)

5. Protesters Urge Portsmouth School Officials Not to Cancel Fall Sports Season. A group of Portsmouth High School student-athletes and parents, all wearing face coverings, gathered outside City Hall Friday morning to voice their plea to not cancel the upcoming fall sports season due to concerns over COVID-19. The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Thursday the start of the fall sports season would be delayed to Sept. 8, but it is up to each local school district to decide whether to field teams for a traditional fall season competing against other schools. “We just want our kids to have the opportunity to play,” said Jay Comstock, whose son, Caleb, is a rising junior and plays football at PHS. “I think if we do it the smart way and the careful way, we can let these kids still have their seasons and enjoy life. (Source: Seacoast Online)

6. Teachers Weigh Career vs. Health Risks. School districts are facing a lot of unknowns. One of the biggest questions is whether teachers with health concerns have to return to school or if they can work remotely. NHPR’s Sarah Gibson caught up with three teachers in the midst of figuring out how their districts will accommodate them, and whether that will be enough. All three have either underlying health conditions or a family member who would be especially vulnerable to the virus. Trevor Duval, a high school teacher in Hollis, is terrified of bringing the coronavirus home to his wife, who has kidney disease and is fighting cancer. Protections under disability law and coronavirus legislation don’t do much for a teacher who’s healthy but whose spouse is sick. So Duval’s options are limited. “I can apply for family medical leave,” he says. “But then I’m getting reduced pay. We are a single income family, so that’s not a great option. I can request a leave of absence for a year. Or I could resign, which means I have no income and no health insurance.” (Source: NHPR)

7. Vast Majority of UNH Employees Seeking Disability Accommodations to Work at Home Were Denied. Nearly 450 employees in the University System of New Hampshire applied for special accommodations through the Americans with Disabilities Act for the upcoming fall semester, including working from home, due to COVID-19. But the vast majority of those requests were rejected. Instead, professors and other staff were offered a “flexible work arrangement,” a designation that left some confused and concerned. In all, The University System approved fewer than one out of five applications for the fall semester. “It is important to emphasize that UNH is a residential university and our commitment is to provide our students with in-person, face-to-face learning,” UNH Provost Wayne Jones said in a statement to staff Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, a group of students supporting the workers have sent an open letter to the president and provost of the university demanding that it not force workers to risk their safety to return to work “for the sake of student preferences for an in-person instruction”. “Workers deserve access to accommodations for remote work that will keep them and their families safe,” the letter read. “We are concerned for our faculty, staff, and teaching assistants.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Statewide Teachers Union Wants Death Benefits Expanded During Pandemic. The NH chapter of the National Education Association has called for an expansion of death benefits for educators heading back into the classroom this fall. Currently, those benefits only apply to acts of violence. This move would classify teachers as front-line workers. “If we’re going to be in the classrooms, working with children and the public coming in and out every day, we should be considered front-line workers and given the same consideration when it comes to workers' compensation,” said NH-NEA President Megan Tuttle. “If a teacher, educator were to pass away, that would be horrific.” The legislature passed a line-of-duty death benefit for teachers in 2018, but that only applies to lives lost in acts of violence such as school shootings. (Source: WMUR)

9. School Districts Ponder Outdoor Classes to Help with Social Distancing and Ventilation. School administrators in Concord recently put out their back-to-school plan which includes outdoor classrooms. They said it is just one of the options they are considering to keep students safe. The plan will be voted on by the board Monday night. “We are renting tents for every building, they are 20 ft. by 30 ft., that is 600 square-feet, we can get several small groups of youngsters in those tents,” Interim Concord Superintendent Kathleen Murphy said. (Source: WMUR)

10. DHHS Says Some Teachers May Skip Post-Travel Quarantine This Fall. New Hampshire teachers who squeeze in last-minute vacations or other trips just before school starts this fall would be able to bypass 14 day quarantine restrictions under public health guidance discussed Friday. “We have heard that this is potentially prohibitory for starting of schools because many teachers and staff may be traveling outside of New England to, for example, bring their own children to college,” state epidemiologist Dr. Ben Chan said during a weekly call with school nurses. In light of those concerns, the state is recommending that for the start of the school year, teachers who have traveled be allowed to work if they traveled by private car, had no close contact with anyone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 and wear a face covering at work for at least 14 days. On the same call, Chan also said siblings of school children being tested for the virus would not be forced to quarantine. (Source: Associated Press)

11. Hampton Beach Fireworks Cancelled for Summer. Piping plover nests are no longer preventing the Hampton Beach Village District from holding fireworks, but officials will still postpone the shows out of concern for social distancing during the pandemic. Town and New Hampshire State Parks officials decided the fireworks, normally held each Wednesday night, would draw crowds too large to prevent effective social distancing. (Source: Seacoast Online)

Previous Updates: Apr. 15-July 31)