N.H. Daily Coronavirus Update—April 2021

Friday, April 30

On Thursday, New Hampshire public health officials acknowledged that as new cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward, the pace of vaccinations is also slowing. Five additional deaths were announced along with 298 new cases. That brings the the total number of active cases to 2,610. There were also 87 people hospitalized with the virus. Officials also reported that the number of “breakthrough cases”—people sickened by the virus more than 14 days after receiving their final dose—is now up to 88 people. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. As Demand for Vaccinations in NH Slows, Officials Urge Hesitant and Younger Residents to Get Dosed. New Hampshire public health officials announced Thursday that the state has administered more than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and that 446,000 residents are now fully vaccinated. They also continued to encourage younger residents to consider getting a vaccination. “We have seen even young people get hospitalized or have weeks or months of breathing problems that impacted their ability to play sports, or exercise or live a normal daily life,” said Dr. Beth Daly, chief infectious disease specialist for New Hampshire. She added that getting vaccinated will help keep people at work or in school, and prevent them from having to quarantine. This Sunday, the state is offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson-made vaccine at mass-vaccination clinics in Concord, Nashua and Newington. Appointments are still available, and can be reserved at vaccines.nh.gov or by calling 2-1-1. (Source: NHPR) With at least 60 percent of the state’s eligible population having already chosen to get a COVID-19 vaccine, officials report demand for the shots is going down across the country, but has fallen off to a lesser extent in New Hampshire. "We definitely see a decline in our 16 and over populations that we've targeted," said Scott Schuler, incident commander of the Seacoast COVID-19 Complex. (Source: WMUR) Also impacting the pace of vaccinations are older people hesitant to get the vaccine. Dr. Daly acknowledged that some people still have questions about the safety of the vaccines and the process for approving them. "While these vaccines were approved quickly, there were no shortcuts taken, they're made using the same scientific principals as other vaccines and they underwent rigorous scrutiny by scientists and medical experts," Daly said. She also confirmed that because the vaccines aren't made with live viruses, it's impossible to get COVID-19 from them, and they won't make you test positive for COVID-19. Daly said anyone who has had COVID-19 should still get vaccinated because all of the vaccines will boost a person's immunity and help avoid new infections by variants of the virus. (Source: WMUR)

2. Sununu Requiring All State Employees To Be Back Working On-Site By May 10, Masks Optional. State employees still working from home because of concerns over COVID-19 must return to work at their agencies starting Monday, May 10, Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday. The lifting of the state’s mask requirement means state workers will not be required to wear face coverings on the job, but Sununu said any employee who “feels more comfortable” wearing a mask may do so. “We have allowed them three weeks or so notice for the remaining employees to start transitioning back into the agencies.” Sununu said there’s no substitute for “face-to-face” contact with an employee while conducting business with state government. (Source: Union Leader) Worth noting is governor did not address the level of comfort state employees may have in interacting with members of the public who aren’t wearing masks and may not have been vaccinated.

3. Sununu: Vaccines for 12-15 Year Olds Could Be Available Within a Month, No Vaccine Mandates Planned. Demand for vaccines might soon increase because health officials and Gov. Sununu believe the Pfizer vaccine will be approved for 12- to 15-year-olds sometime next month. At his weekly press briefing, Sununu said the vaccines will be distributed through some of the mass vaccination sites, schools and primary care providers. "If you assume 50-60% uptake, I mean that's pretty aggressive for kids in terms of the uptake," Sununu said. "That's about 30,000 vaccinations we may have to give out." (Source: WMUR) During his remarks, the governor repeatedly mentioned a target vaccination level of 60% to 70%. Given that 60% of residents have already received their first dose, that sets a low bar for additional vaccinations. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been the face of the federal pandemic response has repeatedly said a 70% to 85% level will likely be required to achieve herd immunity. In his remarks to the press, Sununu also said he is very hesitant about the government requiring vaccinations. He called that “walking in murky waters.” Private businesses can do what they want but he said he does not feel it is the proper role of the government to require vaccines. “I just don’t think we need to go there,” he said. (Source: InDepthNH)

4. State Releases Guidance Document for Lifting COVID-19 Rules on Businesses. Beginning May 7, the state will lift all restrictions on businesses and organizations aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, and will instead encourage facilities to follow a slate of recommendations. The new Universal Best Practices guidance released Thursday lifts all restrictions on capacity and social distancing at facilities, including performing arts venues and amusement parks, as well as rules requiring restaurants to space tables at least six feet apart. Instead, the state is encouraging businesses to take steps to space customers, whenever possible, and keep in place other protective measures including plastic barriers and one-way directional signs. Businesses and organizations are allowed to continue requiring masks, if they choose, as well as any other COVID-19-related measures they may already have in place. The new guidance document will replace the more than 30 industry-specific regulations released in 2020 that included rules for the operation of everything from massage parlors to movie theaters. (Source: NHPR)

5. State Looks to Partner With Employers to Close Vaccine Equity Gaps. New Hampshire is hoping to partner with companies across the state to get more vaccines to frontline, low-wage workers and people of color, according to state health officials. Kirsten Durzy, who is spearheading the state’s vaccine equity strategy with the Department of Health and Human Services, said public health workers in some parts of the state have already organized clinics focused on specific industries like seasonal or restaurant workers. But the state wants to make a wider push to reach more people who might’ve had trouble scheduling time off from work to get a vaccine or might not have an established relationship with a medical provider — by bringing vaccine clinics directly to worksites, rather than asking workers to travel to clinics elsewhere. The state is starting to identify a list of companies that might be well suited to hosting these kinds of clinics, but Durzy said any company is welcome to reach out if they think their employees would benefit from some help getting access to the vaccine. These efforts come as data shows persistent racial disparities in who’s receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in New Hampshire, and lagging progress on the state’s goal of using 10 percent of its vaccine supply to reach marginalized communities. “We have to be open and honest about the fact that we still have really significant gaps,” said Durzy, who works within the New Hampshire Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. “We’re working to close those gaps, but what we really need is people to help.” (Source: NHPR)

6. Two Mainers In Their 20s Die With COVID. The Maine CDC reported four additional deaths Thursday among Mainers with COVID, bringing the state's total to 782 deaths since the pandemic began. Two of the people who have died within the past week with COVID have been in their 20s, Shah said. Before last week, there had been only one Mainer in their 20s to die with COVID, he said. "It is a stark and sad reminder that COVID is circulating much more widely among younger populations. It is leading to hospitalizations among younger populations," he said. "And, as the last week or two weeks of data has shown, it is causing deaths among younger populations as well." Shah offered his condolences and a reminder that younger people are not immune to this virus, which he said is spreading rapidly among younger people in Maine. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. Mask Off: Outdoor Mask Mandate Ends in Mass. Friday. People can now take off their masks outdoors in Massachusetts, provided they can maintain social distance, in the first of a series of reopening measures aimed at stimulating the state's economy. Earlier this week, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that his administration would lift the state's outdoor mask mandate, effective Friday, and relax other COVID-related business restrictions beginning May 10. All business restrictions are slated to lift and industries to reopen by Aug. 1 Face masks will now only be required outside in public when it’s not possible to socially distance —when required for other reasons, including at outdoor events. Face coverings will still be required at all times in indoor public places, including stores. Face coverings will also continue to be required at all times at events, whether held indoors or outdoors and whether held in a public space or private home, except when eating or drinking. (Source: NECN)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 29, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Thursday, April 29

Source: CDC data via The New York Times

On Wednesday, New Hampshire public health officials announced two additional deaths and 243 new COVID-19 cases. Active cases statewide were reported at 2,563 and 84 patients are currently hospitalized. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. Biden Offers Vision Of Stronger America ‘Rising’ From Pandemic. President Joe Biden painted a nation on the mend, recovering from the pandemic but still in need of a boost from the federal government. In his first address to Congress on Wednesday, he sought to shift focus beyond the coronavirus pandemic nearly 100 days into his administration. Biden said he was there to speak to Congress not just about "crisis" but also about "opportunity," pitching $4 trillion of ambitious investments in the economy and social safety net programs that he argued were necessary to compete on the global stage and said would reduce deficits in the long run. “We're in a great inflection point in history. We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better,” he said. During the address, Biden announced his American Families Plan, a roughly $1.8 trillion package that includes universal preschool, two years of free community college and expanded access to child care. It is the second phase of Biden's two-part push to boost the economy, following the $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs package, which he announced last month. (Source: NBC News)

2. As COVID-19 Cases Trend Down, Younger People Make Up Greater Proportion of Hospitalizations. Average cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are dropping in New Hampshire as more than half of the state's population has received at least one dose of a vaccine. As different age groups reach full vaccination, there has been a shift in the demographics of active cases. The youngest age groups now have the most new cases and are making up a growing proportion of those hospitalized. With 32% of those ages 50-59 now vaccinated, the rate of new cases in that age group has dropped 70%. That compares to a 46% drop in those ages 20-29, a group that is just 9% fully vaccinated. As overall hospitalizations trend down, hospitals are seeing lower average ages among COVID-19 patients. Martha Wassell, an infectious disease specialist at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, said they're having better overall outcomes. "They are not coming in as sick," she said. "They're able to recover and go home and be well again. That's a hopeful trend and definitely related to the vaccination." (Source: WMUR) While younger people may be experiencing more active cases and hospitalizations, cases continue to trend downward at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. As of Wednesday, UNH was reported 40 active cases among students and other members of the university community. During the peak of a January surge soon after students returned to classes in January, UNH reported as many as 500 members of the university community were infected on certain days. (Source: UHN COVID-19 Lab Testing Dashboard)

3. Most Health Insurers Reinstitute Cost Sharing as Pandemic Enters Second Year. Health insurance coverage is changing when it comes to fees some Granite Staters may see while seeking care. While federal emergency orders have directed insurers to waive fees fees for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations during the pandemic, waiving out-of-pocket fees for drugs and hospitalization required to treat patients infected by the virus has been voluntary. While some insurers waived treatment fees as a gesture of goodwill during the crisis, as the worst starts to recede, cost sharing is coming back. Currently, Harvard Pilgrim is the only New Hampshire insurer which has extended its waiver of fees for all treatment or hospitalization costs due to COVID-19. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s fee waiver expired at the end of January. According to the website for Ambetter from New Hampshire Healthy Families, its waiver expired last week. The good news is that a special enrollment period is open now until Aug. 15 at healthcare.gov for those without insurance coverage. People who are currently insured can also use the website switch to a plan that is less expensive or better meets their needs. (Source: WMUR)

4. Fish and Game Workers Told Masks Not Mandatory At Work As Of May 7. As of May 7, employees of the state Department of Fish and Game are no longer required to wear face masks at work and they will be expected to return full-time to their duty stations, according to an email from Executive Director Scott Mason to employees that was obtained by InDepthNH.org. Gov. Chris Sununu didn’t respond to questions about the policy, including whether it would be limited to Fish and Game or all state employees. Mason said in the email that the office will be open to the public on May 7. “The Governor has asked each Department to return to full levels of service as soon as possible. That means we will be lifting the COVID work from home rules on May 7, and it is expected that you will return to your normal duty stations,” Mason wrote. Mason said employees are welcome to continue wearing a mask at work. (Source: InDepthNH)

5. Portsmouth’s Arts Leaders Say Masks Will Still Be Required. Members of the city’s arts community seem to have reached a consensus that mask wearing should continue through the end of summer. Jason Goodrich, a member of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre's Board of Trustees, said, “We had a pretty vigorous discussion, the board, the artistic directors leading the Rep right now, (and) we will continue with our mask mandate.” “Regardless of what happens with the city, if you want to see a show at the Rep, you will be wearing a mask and that’s going to be through the end of summer,” he said. “Right now, given the input from our staff, given the input from our patrons, that’s what people need to feel comfortable to continue to go about producing theater, enjoying theater,” Goodrich said. “If there’s some people who don’t want to comply, we’re happy not to take their business right now.” His comments came Monday during a meeting of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Arts and Non-profits. Mayor Rick Becksted joined the Zoom meeting and said the city’s mask ordinance will remain in effect until June 30. (Source: Seacoast Online)

6. Here's Where New England States Stand on Masks After CDC Released New Guidelines. New England states have lifted or made changes to their mask mandates and announced further reopening measures as the federal government this week issued new guidance on face coverings. The moves come as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled new guidance on outdoor mask-wearing for unvaccinated people Tuesday and as more residents get vaccinated against COVID-19. Learn more about where each New England state stands on mask-wearing here. (Source: NECN)

7. Keene Considers Dropping Outdoor Provision of Mask Rule. The city councilor who originally pitched Keene's mask mandate is seeking to update the ordinance. In a Wednesday letter to the council and Mayor George Hansel, Councilor Randy Filiault requested councilors consider cutting the part of the ordinance that requires masks in outdoor spaces where business is being conducted. He has asked that the matter be brought to the table during the council's next meeting, which will take place May 6, when the item will likely be sent to a committee for further review. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

8. Children Ineligible for Vaccine Should Continue Wearing Masks, Health Experts Say. With outdoor mask mandates being relaxed for fully-vaccinated Americans, parents are wondering where that leaves children, who are not eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. "Certainly, we have not yet heard of the application of this new recommendation to unvaccinated children," said Dr. Rick Malley with Boston Children's Hospital. Malley says as we work through the nuances of these adjustments to outdoor masking, we need to use common sense. "One has to recognize putting a mask when you're walking alone in the woods, for example, never made a lot of sense, said Malley. "It was just really to simplify the recommendations." But Malley stresses that doesn't mean we can just throw away our masks – it needs to be situational. "Making sure that children understand that while they can be outdoors with family members who've been vaccinated, that doesn't mean that they can gather along in a large group of their friends unprotected," Malley said. Both federal and state guidelines still call for wearing a mask when you're in larger groups where you can't practice social distancing, whether vaccinated or not. (Source: NECN)

9. Pace of New COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Slows in Mass., Sparking Concerns. Massachusetts residents have gone from fighting to get appointments for the coronavirus vaccine to a surplus of available shots. At UMass Memorial Health Care's vaccination site in Worcester, workers went from administering 600 shots a day last week to struggling to fill 500 appointments this week. "It's very concerning to all of us. We're not filling like we were just days ago. It's been a dramatic change," Candy Szymanski, the clinical supervisor at the site said. She and her colleagues do not know if the trend can be attributed to vaccine hesitancy, access or just complacency, but they are worried knowing Massachusetts needs to vaccinate more people in order to achieve herd immunity. "With the Johnson and Johnson pause, I think a number of people are saying 'Hang on a minute,'" Dr. Robert Klugman of UMass Memorial Medical Center said. "But in the meantime, we're all dressed and ready to go." (Source: NECN)

10. As State Waives Repayments of Unemployment Overpayments for 8,000 As Lawsuit Claims NH Lags Behind in Appeals of Repayment Cases. Eight thousand New Hampshire residents received overpayments in jobless benefits through no fault of their own and won’t have to repay them, a state official said Wednesday. The overpayments, which included dollars from both the state unemployment compensation fund and federal CARES Act money, amount to $25 million, said Richard Lavers, the deputy commissioner of the state Department of Employment Security. “These people do not have to repay the benefits because they were not at fault in causing the overpayment and did not misrepresent anything to us,” Lavers wrote in an email to the New Hampshire Union Leader. But Rye resident Claude Pottier is challenging demands from Employment Security that he refund $5,000 in overpaid benefits. Pottier’s lawyers say New Hampshire is not meeting federal mandates to render timely decisions on appeals involving jobless benefits. They plan to file an injunction today in Merrimack County Superior Court. (Source: Union Leader)

11. New Data Shows Thousands of NH Businesses Received Job-Saving PPP Loans. New data released on Wednesday revealed how nearly 25,000 businesses and non-profits in New Hampshire were able stay afloat in some of the darkest times of the pandemic because of PayCheck Protection Program loans. The Boys and Girls Club of Central New Hampshire received more than $700,000 last year. Officials said at the time it was a true emergency, and those funds helped bridge a gap. One-third of businesses across all industries needed help, including many nonprofits. “In New Hampshire, we had loans as small as $1,000 to a sole proprietor and as high as just under $10 million,” said Brian Gottlob, of the Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau. A 60% portion of proceeds from the loans needed to be used for payroll and to rehire furloughed or laid-off workers. All loans were forgiven if certain criteria were met. Construction businesses in the state received the most funding. (Source: WMUR)

12. Vaccines and Summer Weather Bring ‘Revenge Travel’. Trending on the internet lately is the newly coined buzzword "revenge travel." Revenge on whom, exactly? COVID-19 and the lost year of 2020, of course. Honeymoons and family trips postponed, adventurous excursions canceled. Funerals and births a plane ride away left unattended. People want revenge. And it looks like they might get it. “People feel like their travel wings were clipped," said Cyndi Zesk, vice president of travel services at AAA Northeast. "Now it's like, 'I have the right to roam again, so I'm going to make it matter.'" Holly Shulman, for example, of Concord, New Hampshire, has a trip planned every month for the next year, with destinations including Iceland, Japan, Portugal, San Francisco and Cape Cod. She and her husband were big travelers pre-COVID, she said, but this time, they'll bring a newborn baby along. "Revenge travelers" are coming out in troves around New England, though many of them say it isn't as much about revenge as it is release. Dillon Guyer, who runs an online travel agency called Guyer Travel servicing the Seacoast New Hampshire area, is headed to the Maldives in May, and has several other trips in the pipeline, including a Grand Classica cruise booked for July. As of now, it's the first ocean cruise sailing out of the U.S. since the pandemic began, he said. He noted his Maldives trip would typically sell as an $8,000-per-person package, and right now it's less than $2,000 per person. "It has resulted in an overall boom of people booking, ever since the beginning of the new year," Guyer said. "March 2021 was almost identical in sales to March 2018 pre-pandemic." (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 28, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Wednesday, April 28

On Tuesday, New Hampshire public health officials announced 273 new positive test results for COVID-19 and no additional deaths. The state reported 2,611 active cases statewide and 86 hospitalizations. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. CDC: If You're Vaccinated, You Don't Need To Mask Outdoors (Unless You're In A Crowd). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask when they're outdoors unless they're in a crowd, such as attending a live performance, sporting event or parade. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot. As part of the new guidance, the agency spelled out settings in which it's OK for fully vaccinated people to be unmasked, including:

   — Walking, running, hiking or biking outdoors alone or with members of your household;
   — Attending a small outdoor gathering with fully vaccinated family and friends;
   — Attending a small outdoor gathering with a mixture of fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people;
   — Dining at an outdoor restaurant with friends from multiple households.
   "We continue to recommend masking in crowded outdoor settings and venues such as packed stadiums and concerts where there is decreased ability to maintain physical distance and where many unvaccinated people may also be present," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. "We will continue to recommend this until widespread vaccination is achieved." (Source: NHPR) In response, officials in Maine and Massachusetts lifted their outdoor mask mandates. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday his administration is lifting the state's outdoor mask mandate effective Friday and relaxing other COVID-related business restrictions beginning May 10. Meanwhile, Maine Gov. Janet Mills lifted her state’s requirement that people wear face coverings outside, effective immediately. (Source: NECN) In New Hampshire, Dr. Beth Daly, Director of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Diseases, said cases are increasing among younger populations and decreasing among those 70 and older, largely because the younger population – ages 16 to 29 – only recently became eligible for vaccinations. Many are still waiting for their first dose, she said. Nearly 80 percent of people age 70 and above are fully vaccinated. Daly said the data does not indicate COVID-19 variants, which are behind spikes in cases elsewhere, are playing a significant role in the state’s case count. The state uses random sampling to test for variants. Of the more than 3,000 random tests, about 400 have tested positive for a variant, Daly said. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin)

2. NH Groups Raise Money for India COVID Relief. India is seeing around 350,000 cases of COVID-19 every day and thousands of deaths. There is a shortage of hospital beds, ventilators and oxygen machines. The India Association of New Hampshire and State Representative Latha Mangipudi from Nashua are raising awareness of the crisis. They are also raising money to help purchase oxygen concentrators for surge hospitals. Roughly 50% of New Hampshire's Indian American population lives in Nashua. One oxygen concentrator costs more than $500. “It’s skyrocketing, within a month it has gone from 10,000 cases to 350,000 cases, those are officials figures and they are saying in another month it could be 500,000-800,000 cases and twice as many deaths as we have now,” said Tej Dhakar, the secretary of the India Association of New Hampshire. (Source: WMUR) India expects to secure the biggest chunk of the 60 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses that the United States announced it will share globally. 10 million doses may be on their way as soon as Monday. But with a population of almost 1.4 billion, even if all of the available Astra Zeneca doses were sent to India, the supply would only be enough to inoculate 4% of the population. (Source: Reuters) Donations to the India Association of New Hampshire's mission can be made at their website at https://www.ianh.org/.

3. No State Mandate, But Some Mask Directives Remain Across New Hampshire. While Gov. Sununu allowed New Hampshire’s mask mandate to expire, other COVID-19 mandates remain in force under the state’s “Safer at Home” guidance, which requires, for example, that employees who deal closely with the public wear a mask. Those requirements are set to be lifted on May 7 in favor of a set of suggested best practices. But about a dozen towns and cities, including Portsmouth, Nashua, Plymouth, Concord and Manchester have their own mask mandates, and many businesses are expected to continue such requirements despite the lack of an overarching state mandate. Donna Goodrich, president of Top Furniture in Gorham, has changed her signage to reflect that even though the state mandate has ended, her store continues to require masks. “This is a non-negotiable item,” she said. “To be honest, in a year, we probably have had five customers who refused to wear one or were obstinate about it.” She’s ready with an answer should a customer question why the store continues to require masks absent a state mandate. “My answer is we are a private business and I have health-compromised staff and family members they take care of,” Goodrich said. “The CDC is my benchmark.” Major chain stores such as Chipotle, CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, Dunkin’, Home Depot, Kohl’s, and many others continue to outline mask requirements on their websites. (Source: NH Business Review)

4. Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Available Sunday at 3 State Vaccination Sites. Three of New Hampshire's fixed vaccination sites will be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this weekend.The appointments are available through the state's vaccination scheduling system and can be scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 2 at the Concord, Nashua and Newington sites. Appointments are required, and walk-ins will not be able to receive the vaccine. There are 4,500 appointments available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recently lifted the 11-day pause on administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after a panel analyzed the risks of developing rare blood clots after receiving the vaccine. The clots occurred in 15 cases, all women, of the nearly 8 million Johnson & Johnson shots administered in the U.S. New Hampshire health officials said anyone set to receive the vaccine will be told about the rare risk of blood clots. (Source: WMUR) The Johnson and Johnson Janssen vaccine is only available to individuals 18 years of age and older. Sixteen and 17-year-olds are not eligible to be vaccinated at these Johnson & Johnson clinics.

5. Massachusetts State Universities Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations for Students. Every school that is part of the Massachusetts state university system will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they attend in-person classes next fall. The presidents of the nine Massachusetts State Universities have unanimously decided to require undergraduate and graduate students who are attending in-person classes, conducting research on campus, living in residence halls, or participating in campus life activities to become fully inoculated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of the 2021 academic year. The presidents expect that all employees will also be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the fall semester. (Source: WCVB)

6. State Ban on Vaccine Mandates, Passports Proposed. Conservative lawmakers are pushing to prevent state agencies or state contractors from requiring their employees or customers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Rep. Timothy Baxter, R-Seabrook, offered the proposal against vaccine mandates or vaccine “passports” as an amendment to a bill (SB 155) the Sununu administration has submitted to make changes to statutes that officials want to live on past the pandemic. The amendment took center stage before a House committee on Tuesday. “Vaccine passports could discriminate against flying, travel, going to a job or simply going to the supermarket,” Baxter told the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee. This amendment, if in place, would prevent the University of New Hampshire administration from requiring proof of vaccination — also referred to as a vaccine “passport” — to attend graduation exercises later this spring, as it has proposed. The New Hampshire Hospital Association opposes the amendment. Paula Minnehan, vice president of governmental affairs, said it would create an “individual” case-by-case exemption that would be confusing and unworkable. Gina Balkus, CEO of the New Hampshire Home Care, Hospice and Palliative Care Association, said the amendment would not permit any health care agency to keep track of which staff members are vaccinated and which are not. The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire also opposed it. “We object to having the state try to tell the private sector what it should or shouldn’t do when it comes to keeping its employees and customers safe,” said David Juvet, BIA senior vice president. (Source: Union Leader)

7. As COVID Alarm Bells Went Off At Valley Street Jail, County Officials Gave It High Marks. An NHPR review of the inspection reports posted publicly on the attorney general’s website found that even before the arrival of COVID-19 most county commissioners were only fulfilling the bare minimum of a law requiring inspections of county jails twice a year. Within days of a tour through Manchester’s Valley Street Jail in December as COVID-19 surged throughout the state, Hillsborough County Commissioner Toni Pappas reported “there are no specific actions that need to be taken." But just a few days after that visit, a Hillsborough County Superior Court judge came to a dramatically different conclusion about conditions inside the same facility. In an order granting bail to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 while being held at the jail, the judge said he was “deeply troubled by the cavalier attitude that [the facility] has shown toward its inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Soon, the Valley Street Jail, the largest county correctional facility in the state, had a full-blown outbreak on its hands: More than half of the people incarcerated at the facility were infected with the virus, with more than 168 cases reported across residents and staff. The facility accounts for about 40 percent of the COVID-19 cases reported at all New Hampshire county jails since the start of the pandemic. “The inspection reports looked meaningless,” said Michele Deitch, a distinguished senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin who studies prison and jail oversight across the country. “They were so lacking in detail as to be useless.” (Source: NHPR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 27, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Tuesday, April 27

The Music Hall in Portsmouth is one of the New Hampshire performing arts venues that stands to benefit from a federal Shuttered Venue Operating Grant. But a similar grant for the Prescott Park Arts Festival is in doubt.

New cases, hospitalizations, and total active cases all continued to trend downward in New Hampshire on Monday. Although public health officials announced two additional deaths, only 138 new cases were reported, hospitalizations were down to 86, and active cases stood at 2,717 statewide. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Will Resume in NH with Warning About Blood Clots. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will again be used in New Hampshire after the U.S. health regulators ended a 10-day pause to investigate the vaccine’s link to extremely rare but potentially deadly blood clots last week. Clinicians can resume use of the vaccine after informing recipients “about the potential, but very low risk, of rare blood clots,” according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. State-run vaccination sites and regional partners will resume use this week for any person 18 or older, in accordance with the FDA Emergency Use Authorization. “Our state is working to ensure our mass-vaccination and targeted vaccination clinics are able to do so with the necessary information and guidance in place to ensure that anybody receiving the J&J Janssen vaccine is appropriately informed of the very low risks for serious adverse events, including the new Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) that has been identified in only a handful of people nationwide,” a news release reads. (Source: Union Leader)

2. Fewer Granite Staters Missing Second Vaccine Dose Compared to Rest of Country. A new report shows 8% of Americans have not gotten their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine within the recommended window, but in New Hampshire, just 2.3% have missed their second dose. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has raised concerns that some people aren't getting fully protected, but federal officials noted that in some cases, the issue could be a clerical error. Doctors said someone who misses the second dose won't be as well protected against COVID-19. "If you only get one vaccine, you have a lower concentration of antibodies in your body, which make you more susceptible to infection and probably a more serious case," said Dr. Malcolm Rosenson, of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. Someone who has missed the second dose and is now outside the recommended window should still get another dose. "If the recommended interval for your second dose has already passed, you should still go ahead and get that second dose of vaccine when you are able to," said Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the N.H. Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. (Source: WMUR)

3. Biden Looks for Path Back to Normal With Expected Update to Outdoor Mask-Wearing Guidance. President Joe Biden spent his first 100 days in office encouraging Americans to mask up and stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. His task for the next 100 days will be to lay out the path back to normal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to unveil new guidance on outdoor mask-wearing for unvaccinated people on Tuesday, ahead of a planned speech by Biden later in the day on the state of the pandemic response. Officials said a focus in the coming weeks will on easing guidance for vaccinated people, both in recognition of their lower risk and to provide an incentive to get shots. A review paper published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that less than 10% of transmission occurs outdoors and the odds of spreading the virus indoors were 19 times higher, NBC News reports. Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, told NBC News that wearing masks indoors should still be required, but said outdoor infections are rare and mostly tend to happen when large groups gather in confined spaces for long periods of time. “At this point in the pandemic, with more than half of Americans vaccinated, it's pretty reasonable to start thinking about peeling back outdoor mask mandates," Jha said. (Source: NECN)

4. Seacoast Leaders And Commerce Secretary Talk Visa Workers, COVID Funding, Climate Change. Seacoast tourism and business leaders want federal officials to approve more foreign visa workers and economic aid to support what they hope will be a busy summer on the tail end of the pandemic. They spoke at a roundtable Monday in Hampton Beach with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Raimondo, the former governor of Rhode Island, was on her first official trip as U.S. Commerce Secretary and was asking for input on what the Seacoast wants out of the latest round of pandemic stimulus money and President Biden’s proposed jobs and infrastructure plan. Raimondo said the recent American Rescue Plan should help small tourism businesses, as did past COVID aid packages like the CARES Act. New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association CEO Mike Somers said he didn’t think New Hampshire officials had yet determined what of the new funding would be available to his industry. “Far be it from me to step into the middle of any of your politics,” Raimondo told Somers. “However, I would just highlight for you that it was Congress’s intent that that’s what the money be used for. So if you were to lobby for that, I think you’d be on firm footing.” Somers was among several stakeholders with concerns about delays in approving new J-1 and H-2B visa workers, on whom the Seacoast and other tourism-centric regions rely heavily in the busy seasons. Rye state Sen. Tom Sherman, who’s also a doctor, said he hopes marketing and government funding will continue to emphasize public health and COVID safety even as tourism increases. Former state Sen. Nancy Stiles said she hopes Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure bill could help prepare the Route 1A corridor for rising seas and heavier precipitation, which scientists predict on the Seacoast and beyond in a warmer world. (Source: NHPR)

5. NH House Speaker Wants US Supreme Court to Rule on Case Challenging In-Person Sessions. New Hampshire’s House Speaker wants to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case involving a challenge to holding in-person legislative sessions during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, seven Democratic lawmakers sued Sherman Packard, a Republican, arguing that holding in-person sessions without a remote option violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the state and federal constitutions, and forces them to either risk their lives or abandon their duties as elected officials. A federal judge in Concord ruled in Packard’s favor. But the Boston-based 1st Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to the judge to hold further proceedings to determine if the plaintiffs are “persons with disabilities within the meaning” of the ADA or the federal Rehabilitation Act. The attorney general’s office is representing Packard and said in a document filed Monday that if the 1st Circuit won’t rehear the case, then it should delay its ruling so Packard can ask for the Supreme Court to review it. (Source: Associated Press)

6. Highway Fund Shortfall Replaced with CARES Act COVID Money. The state Department of Transportation obtained a one-time infusion of $41 million in federal pandemic money to fund its operations. Meeting with Senate budget writers, the department said without the federal money, the agency as well as the state Department of Safety, would have had to slash staff positions to address the shortfall in highway fund revenue due to the pandemic. But transportation officials were not optimistic additional federal funds in the future would be able to prop up operational expenses for the department. Although an infrastructure program is planned at the federal level, Commissioner Victoria Sheehan said that money will be for construction and not for operating budgets as most federal funding prohibits that use. The Senate has a June 3 deadline to approve a new two-year operating budget. The House and Senate will have to reconcile their differences and approve a plan before the current biennium ends June 30. (Source: InDepthNH)

7. After Technical Glitches, Entertainment Venues Across NH Eager to Apply for Federal Aid Program. In 2020, The Music Hall in Portsmouth lost about 90% of its earned revenue. It immediately laid off all of part-time workers. By September, 40% of the full-time staff was laid off as well. Although the venue has been able to schedule outdoor and indoor events for this spring and summer, pandemic restrictions still limit audience capacity and accompanying ticket revenue. The Music Hall planned to apply for a Shuttered Venues Operators Grant (SVOG) through the U.S. Small Business Administration the week of April 8. But due to technical difficulties, the portal was forced to shut down, forcing organizations across the country like The Music Hall to wait a few more weeks for funds initially promised in December. In addition to the unexpected shutdown of the portal, some organizations also faced problems with SVOG paperwork. Anderson said the application’s vague wording and length made the grant inaccessible to smaller venues that might not have enough time to complete the application thoroughly. The rules of the program also may leave some organizations out. Courtney Perkins, the Prescott Park Arts Festival’s executive director, said that the SVOG model potentially disqualifies it from receiving full funding. “Because we don’t charge for tickets and have a suggested donation model, we didn’t receive the live venue relief funds, and we might not receive full SVOG,” said Perkins. The portal reopened Saturday, April 24. Eligible applicants can receive a grant equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, or a maximum of $10 million. A portion of the aid, $2 billion, is reserved for businesses with no more than 50 employees. (Source: NH Business Review)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 26, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Monday, April 26

On Sunday, New Hampshire public health officials announced two additional deaths and 284 new cases. Over the past seven day period, new cases have declined 13%. For the first time since April 6, hospitalizations dipped under 100 to 91; and active cases statewide dipped below 3,000 to 2,960. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. COVID Tracker: We May Have Passed the Latest Peak. As vaccinations continue to progress nicely, the two-week average of new cases reported each day in New Hampshire has slipped about 8% in the past week, the first extended decline in six weeks. It’s still over 400, however, so it’s too early to say that the latest peak is past. Hospitalizations have fallen by more than 10% in the past week, the first extended decline since March. But levels are still very high. Based on an article in the New York Times, Monitor writer David Brooks suggests a “two out of three rule” for minimizing your risk involving mask-wearing, social distancing, and being outdoors. If you’ve got two of those three, you’re OK. 1) You’re outside and nobody’s nearby? Take off the mask! 2) You’re outside but on a crowded sidewalk, meaning six feet of separation is not possible? Mask on, my friend. 3) You’re inside a public place? Mask on even if nobody’s close by because who knows what’s circulating in the air. And oh yes. Get vaccinated. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. The End of U.S. Mass Vaccination Is Coming Sooner Than Later. After three months of vaccination across the U.S., a majority of American adults have gotten shots, and the effort will soon shift from mass inoculation to mop-up. As of Saturday, 138.6 million people in the U.S. have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. About 1.3 million more are getting a first dose every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the rate of new vaccinators is declining, even if were immediately cut in half, it would mean that six weeks from now more than half of the population of the U.S. and its territories will have had a dose. Almost all of those who get a first dose are likely to their second, according to one CDC study. On top of that, more than 80% of people age 60 or over — the most vulnerable group — have had a dose and will likewise complete vaccination. The Biden administration is pursuing a strategy of abundance, which the White House has referred to as an “overwhelm the problem” approach. That means that there will likely still be widespread shipping of vaccines to pharmacies and health centers, inoculation clinics and mobile vaccine resources. But what’s likely to disappear are lines and scarcity. In New York City, which had some of the tightest vaccine availability at the start of the rollout, the health department announced Friday that appointments were no longer needed at city sites and people could walk in for shots. (Source: Bloomberg News)

3. CDC Says Vaccines Are Safe, Effective for Pregnant Women. Officials with the CDC have updated their guidance for pregnant women and the COVID-19 vaccine, now recommending they receive vaccinations. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said there are no safety concerns for women in their third trimester of pregnancy. The comment came after a new study on the COVID-19 vaccine usage during pregnancy. The study included vaccination surveillance of more than 35,000 pregnant women. The surveillance program showed pregnant women experienced the same side effects as others following vaccination. The information also showed the vaccines are safe and effective in pregnant women and can even pass on protective antibodies to newborns. Dr. Janet Perkins, an OB-GYN for Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover said the news is encouraging. "You can actually pass some immunity to the fetus," Perkins said. "Also, potentially for lactating individuals, they can pass some immunity to the baby. So that’s exciting, but we need more studies and more data about that." (Source: WMUR)

4. Some Insurers Have Stopped Waiving COVID Treatment Fees. As the pandemic struck in 2020, many insurance companies voluntarily waived deductibles, copayments and other costs for insured patients who fell ill with covid-19 and needed hospital care, doctor visits, medications or other treatment. But nothing lasts forever. Starting at the end of last year — and continuing into the spring — a growing number of insurers are quietly ending those fee waivers for covid treatment on some or all policies. “When it comes to treatment, more and more consumers will find that the normal course of deductibles, copayments and coinsurance will apply,” said Sabrina Corlette, research professor and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. Even so, “the good news is that vaccinations and most covid tests should still be free,” added Corlette. That’s because federal law requires insurers to waive costs for covid testing and vaccination. But when it comes to treatment, because insurers voluntarily waived those costs, they can decide when to reinstate them. Indeed, the initial step not to charge treatment fees may have preempted any effort by the federal government to mandate it, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at KFF and director for its program on the Affordable Care Act. In a study released in November, researchers found about 88% of people covered by insurance plans — those bought by individuals and some group plans offered by employers — had policies that waived such payments at some point during the pandemic, said Cox, a co-author. But many of those waivers were expected to expire by the end of the year or early this year. Some did. Anthem, for example, stopped them at the end of January. UnitedHealth, another of the nation’s largest insurers, began rolling back waivers in the fall, finishing up by the end of March. Deductible-free inpatient treatment for covid through Aetna expired Feb. 28. Ending the waivers for treatment “is a big deal if you get sick,” said Robert Laszewski, an insurance industry consultant in Maryland. “And then you find out you have to pay $5,000 out-of-pocket that your cousin didn’t two months ago.” (Source: Kaiser Health News)

5. Fully Vaccinated Americans May Be Allowed Into Europe This Summer. Americans who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may be able to visit countries within the European Union this summer, the head of the bloc's executive body has said. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told the New York Times Sunday that immunization with a vaccine that has been approved by bloc's drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, "will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union.” The agency has approved each of the three coronavirus vaccines available in the United States, which were developed by Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson. A timeline for potential travel has not yet been released. (Source: NBC News)

6. Looking Back: What a Grocery Store Manager Saw As COVID Started. It was March 2020, when the reality of the pandemic set in and flipped daily life on its head. As schools and restaurants closed and people stockpiled supplies, grocery stores saw surging demand. At Price Chopper, it seemed to happen overnight. From one day to the next, grocery manager Jake Turant recalled, the Keene store went from busy to perhaps four or five times its usual sales. There was no warning, no time to staff up. They opened all the registers and did what they could. “I’ve seen snowstorms, hurricane stuff, floods, whatever,” said Turant, 34, who has worked in the industry for 18 years. “Nothing really compared to this.” The store became “like Disneyland,” he said. “I had lines going down around the store. It looked like Black Friday, but every day for weeks.” Early in the pandemic, he said, he and his team would sometimes put in 16-hour days. Their shipments were unpredictable; some days, they might get a truck with just two pallets. “We had no clue what was coming, what wasn’t coming,” he said. That turned into more consistent shortages. “Toilet paper was the first to go, we all know that,” Turant said. “And then canned goods.” At the same time, the staff was implementing all sorts of new pandemic-safety protocols. Word would come down from headquarters that they had, say, a couple hours to comply with a state requirement that all aisles be one-way. “And we’re running out there, we’re grabbing whoever we can and doing whatever, getting duct-tape down on the floor,” Turant said — all while customers, continuing to shop, asked what was going on. It felt eerie at times. Price Chopper employees, as essential workers, were given “travel papers” exempting them from certain restrictions. “That really hit home and made it a thing,” he said. “Really put some concern into your mind.” The store was careful with hand-washing, sanitizing and other protocols, he said, and allowed employees to go on leave if they were older, had health concerns or suddenly had children out of school. He said he and others able to work were motivated by their job’s importance. “We realized that if we’re not here, people aren’t getting food on the table.” (Source: Keene Sentinel)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 25, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Sunday, April 25

Source: New York Times based on CDC data.

On Saturday, New Hampshire public health officials announced one additional death and 334 new positive test results for COVID-19. Active cases statewide ticked downward to 3,157 and hospitalizations now stand at 103–also a decline from the previous day. Portsmouth has 41 active cases, including four involving children attending city schools. Both numbers are less than half the levels the city was experiencing earlier in the month. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. NH Prepares to Reintroduce J&J Vaccine. While the exact timing is up in the air, New Hampshire health officials said Saturday they plan to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after the CDC and FDA lifted their pause on using it. State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said even though the pause has been lifted, the Department of Health and Human Services is looking for additional guidance from the CDC but hopes to begin using the J&J vaccine again, possibly as soon as this week. The 11-day federal Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause was put in place after reports of unusual blood clots. These clots occurred in 15 cases, all women, of the nearly 8 million Johnson & Johnson shots administered in the U.S. (Source: WMUR)

2. Staff Vaccinations Exceed Inmate Vaccinations at Berlin Federal Prison. The Federal Bureau of Prisons reports that while 104 staff members have been fully vaccinated, only 92 inmates at the Federal Correctional Institute at Berlin had been fully vaccinated as of Friday. The prison is currently the site of not only the largest institutional outbreak in New Hampshire, but also in the entire U.S. federal prison system. As of Friday, FCI Berlin had 107 confirmed active cases among inmates and five among staff. While inmate vaccinations are taking place, the priority when new allocations arrive goes to full-time staff because they go back and forth between the prison and community each day. Remaining doses are provided to inmates according to their level of vulnerability as per CDC guidelines. Based on the facility’s reported inmate population of 645, the 92 fully vaccinated inmates represent about 14% of the inmate population. It is not clear from the information provided on the BOP website if other inmates have received a first dose, which vaccines were used, or what percentage of staff and inmates have declined the vaccine. The FCI Berlin web page reports all visits to the facility have been suspended until further notice. (Source: US Bureau of Prisons) In a related story that received little attention, the Berlin City Council last week declined to renew the city’s mask mandate. However, masks will continue to be required inside all Berlin municipal buildings. (Source: Berlin Daily Sun)

3. Some States Start Turning Down Vaccine Doses. With over 40% of the U.S. population at least partially vaccinated, many of those most at-risk or most eager to get vaccinated have already done so. Now the U.S. faces a tough road ahead to protect hard-to-reach populations. Some states have already turned down or scaled back vaccine shipments as supply outpaces demand. Louisiana has stopped asking the federal government for its full allotment of the vaccine while Mississippi asked for the vials to be shipped in smaller packages so they don’t go to waste. About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the vaccine at least once over the past month. The Biden administration expects the daily vaccination rate — currently at 3 million and outpacing many countries — to "moderate and fluctuate" going forward, said Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator. In an attempt to better reach those hesitant to take the vaccine, the White House announced a "We Can Do This: Live" campaign to connect people on social media to trusted information by pairing health professionals with influencers, including actress Eva Longoria, TV personality Ryan Seacrest, Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank and players of the NBA and the WNBA. (Source: USA Today)

4. Dartmouth to Offer Vaccine Clinic to All Students and Staff. Dartmouth College will offer COVID-19 vaccination clinics on campus for students and college faculty and staff on May 5 and 6, the school announced Friday. Run in partnership with the state of New Hampshire, the clinics will administer first-dose vaccinations to eligible members of the Dartmouth community who are 18 or older. The vaccinations, open to any Dartmouth students or staff regardless of whether they live in New Hampshire, require an appointment via http://dartgo.org/vaxappt. Dartmouth said the state will provide doses of either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Dartmouth plans to announce dates of subsequent clinics for a second dose when details have been finalized. (Source: The Valley News) UNH held a vaccination clinic for out-of-state and international students on April 19 after holding a clinic earlier in the month that was restricted to in-state students, as ordered by Gov. Sununu. 2,356 students were vaccinated. UNH plans to distribute second doses to students on May 6 and 7 for those who received it in the first round on April 8 or 9, and on May 14 for those who received their dose in the second round on April 19. UNH still requires students to continue to test twice a week and maintain a valid WildcatPass even if they are fully vaccinated. Students who are fully vaccinated are urged to upload proof of vaccination to their profile on Health and Wellness. There are currently no plans to require the vaccine for the fall 2021 semester, and UNH plans to fully reopen in the fall. (Source: The New Hampshire)

5. Pandemic Hits Workers with Disabilities Hard. The pandemic continues to eat away at the workforce, with unemployment reaching 4% in December—up from 2.6% the previous year. But a segment of the workforce—those with disabilities—is being hit even harder. Workers with disabilities experienced an unemployment rate of 11% during the fourth quarter of 2020. The pandemic has disproportionately hurt disabled workers, with unemployment rising by 37% in the first few months of the pandemic and a loss of 10,000 jobs, according to the University of NH’s Institute on Disability. This is in stark contrast to the 13% reduction experienced among workers without disabilities. Data from the NH Bureau of Developmental Services shows the top industries employing people with disabilities are retail and customer service (26%), food service (19%) and building, grounds and maintenance (14%), also the top industries affected by COVID-related layoffs. (Source: The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

6. Thousands Tested, Helped and Vaccinated by ‘Unsung Heroes’ of Manchester Public Health Department. Over the past year, the Manchester Health Department has taken a lead role in the city’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from providing free testing to underserved communities, manning an information hotline and conducting contact tracing and case investigations. Now, they’re at the front lines of the vaccination efforts for teachers, students, communities of color and the elderly, and even some neighboring communities. But Health Department Director Anna Thomas says their 70 full-time and part-time employees get little credit for their hard work. “I think we never get the credit for it,” Thomas said. “What gets said in press conferences with the governor is all about what DHHS does … but never recognizes the work of two city health departments.” Manchester and Nashua are the only two communities in the state with city health departments, making them uniquely suited and prepared to deal with an infectious disease emergency. Other areas are served by a local health officer and by less formal and relatively less-resourced regional health networks, Thomas said. Most recently, the department has been instrumental in partnering with the Manchester Fire Department to vaccinate about 1,400 school staff in closed-pod clinics. The first two-day event was March 12 and 13, and the second injections were administered on April 9 and 10. “We were one of the first ones to vaccinate teachers, for example, and certainly the largest,” Thomas said. Thomas said they had to accelerate their timetable for teacher and school staff vaccinations by about one or two weeks earlier than planned because they learned of the governor’s mandate to require it through a press conference. Now, they’re working to vaccinate students. High school students aged 16-18 were able to get vaccinated through department-run clinics held last Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Each event was capped at 120 students. Their second doses will be scheduled for May 10, 12 and 13. (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

7. Worker Shortages Not Just a Restaurant and Retail Problem. Jails throughout the region are struggling to hire and keep corrections officers on staff, as their recruitment efforts are complicated by an abundance of other available jobs. Strafford County House of Corrections Superintendent Chris Brackett said the facility he oversees is allocated 59 officers, excluding supervisors, and has about 65%-70% of its positions filled. To cover all shifts, overtime is required, he said. Rockingham County Department of Corrections Superintendent Jason Henry said his facility is budgeted for 73 corrections officer positions and has about 50 of those positions filled. If he could raise that number of COs to about 65, the facility would be in a good range, he said. (Source: Seacoast Online) Meanwhile, many Seacoast restaurants are also looking for help. Newick’s Lobster House is even offering to pick up employees at their homes and drive them back and forth to work each day. Restaurants, like Newick's, that survived some of the hardest challenges they've ever had to face because of the pandemic, are now desperate for workers as restrictions ease. With limited staffing, some restaurants are having a hard time keeping up with both takeout and dine-in demands. These challenges are leading to bigger problems for restaurants – like long wait times, menu changes, frustrated customers, and an increasing demand that they can't keep up with. One of biggest hiring impediments for restaurants is simply a shrinking labor workforce, meaning less of a labor pool to attract. Brian Gottlob, principal of Dover-based economic research firm PolEcon Research, said some former restaurant workers affected by pandemic layoffs or business closures chose to change careers entirely to make ends meet or retired early, due to pandemic-related financial pressures. Others have left the industry in a more temporary way, choosing to collect unemployment and the extra federal unemployment assistance. Gottlob suggests these hiring challenges may ease with Gov. Chris Sununu reinstating unemployment work-search requirements, but that won't completely solve the difficulties restaurants are facing. (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. After Pandemic Closure, City Hopes to Reopen Portsmouth Indoor Pool in September. As the city continues to monitor COVID-19 infection rates and the governor’s guidelines covering assembly in indoor recreational spaces, plans are underway to reopen the Indoor Pool in the early fall. The Department of Public Works has taken the opportunity of the closure of the pool over the past year to fix leaks and make other necessary improvements. The Portsmouth Outdoor Pool at Peirce Island will open for the summer season on June 21. Residents only will be able to make one-hour reservations at the outdoor pool starting on June 1. Use of the outdoor pool is free to Portsmouth residents.​ (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 24, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Saturday, April 24

New cases in New Hampshire are down 17% over the most recent seven-day period. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

Two additional deaths and 377 new positive test results for COVID-19 were announced by New Hampshire public health officials on Friday. New cases are down 17% over the most recent seven-day period. Hospitalizations fell to 112 and active cases statewide also fell slightly to 3,198. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. Mass. and Maine to Resume Use of J&J Vaccine; Vermont Will Next Week. After the FDA and CDC lifted an 11-day pause on the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, health officials in New England's states are beginning to outline when administration of shots will resume. Officials in Massachusetts and Maine said that administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine should resume Friday after federal health agencies lifted the pause of its use. The vaccine will be used again in Vermont starting next week, health officials there said. The pause on Johnson & Johnson's single-dose shot was in effect for 11 days due to the rare risk of blood clots. The government uncovered 15 vaccine recipients who developed a highly unusual kind of blood clot, out of nearly 8 million people given the J&J shot. All were women, most under age 50. Three died, and seven remain hospitalized. But ultimately Friday, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided that J&J's one-and-done vaccine is critical to fight the pandemic — and that the small clot risk could be handled with warnings to help younger women decide if they should use that shot or an alternative. (Source: NECN) As of this writing, New Hampshire officials hadn’t announced the state’s plans. But the FDA’s action leaves the state free to resume using the J&J vaccine at any time.

2. Harris Says Bringing Pandemic Under Control is Administration's First Job. In a visit to New Hampshire on Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris said getting the pandemic under control is job No. 1, and she's hopeful about the future. In a one-on-one interview with News 9, Harris said the tools are in place to drive down COVID-19 case numbers. She said she believes there will be a clearly defined end to the pandemic at some point. "We certainly hope so," Harris said. "But right now, we're in the phase where now everyone can get vaccinated, so we just want everyone to get there and get your vaccination, and continue to wear masks as appropriate and social distance and we'll get through this.“ (Source: WMUR)

3. ‘Well Done’: White House COVID Adviser Praises New Hampshire, Massachusetts For High Vaccination Rate. Five New England states are getting praise from a top White House official for their coronavirus vaccination efforts. Senior adviser for COVID response Andy Slavitt tweeted Friday that eight states have now vaccinated over 60% adults with a first shot. He said New Hampshire leads the way with more than 70% of adults vaccinated. Following the Granite State is Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont and Hawaii. (Source: CBS Boston)

4. N.H. Is Falling Behind Its Vaccine Equity Targets, According To State Data. New Hampshire is falling short of its goal of using 10 percent of its COVID-19 vaccine doses to reach vulnerable populations, but officials say they're taking some steps to close the gap. According to data provided to NHPR through a right to know request, just under 22,000 doses were set aside for this purpose between February and early April. If New Hampshire were keeping pace with its original vaccine equity goal, about four times as many doses would have been set aside, according to calculations by NHPR. Initially, state health leaders said they weren't planning to significantly adjust their strategy to bridge that gap. “It doesn’t really require any type of change of strategy,” New Hampshire Bureau of Infectious Disease Control Chief Dr. Beth Daly said during a Thursday press conference. “We’ve realized this is going to be our hardest populations to meet, which is why we’ve dedicated resources to this work.” On Friday, however, state health officials clarified via email that they have launched new efforts designed to get more of the vaccine into at-risk communities. Their plans include adding more clinics at food distribution sites, churches, homeless shelters and companies that employ predominantly low-wage, frontline workers or people of color. State data shows persistent racial disparities in New Hampshire’s vaccine rollout and the impact of the pandemic. (Source: NHPR)

5. Biden Administration Looks For Help With Next Phase Of Pitching COVID Vaccines. The Biden administration is moving into a new phase of its campaign to vaccinate as many Americans as possible for the coronavirus, one where the government may not always be the best messenger to persuade people to get their shot. So it's working to bring together hundreds of local and national groups into something it calls the COVID-19 Community Corps, enlisting people to help their friends, family and neighbors make appointments and get access to vaccines. The country is nearing the point where vaccine supply will outstrip demand. It was only this week that every state lifted restrictions on who could be vaccinated, and just under 50% of adults have yet to get their first shot. The people who went out and got vaccinated right away were the equivalent of the people who wait overnight at the Apple store for the latest iPhone, said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health. But those who have yet to get a vaccine include people who can't or won't jump through a lot of technical hoops to land an appointment. Others have questions or concerns about getting vaccinated. But Jha said it would be a mistake to label them as hesitant or resistors. "That's hugely problematic because I don't think they are," Jha said. "I think actually there are lots of people who are perfectly happy to get a vaccine but aren't desperate for it, aren't convinced they need it badly and we still make it too hard for many people." The Community Corp is aware of the need to reach out to rural voters and is working with the Farm Bureau. The National Rural Health Association is also part of the effort. (Source: NPR)

6. Task Force Seeks Sununu’s Approval for Relaxed COVID-19 Business Guidance. Six feet. That has been the standard for distance people should stay away from others during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire. Whether something closer than six feet – like three feet – will be allowed by Gov. Chris Sununu in new universal guidelines during COVID-19 may be decided next week by Sununu and state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. Members of the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force were told Friday that that would be up to the governor and Chan to decide once they receive a single, universal set of best COVID-19 practice guidelines for New Hampshire business operations. Called “Universal Best Practices for New Hampshire Employers and Employees,” the draft said effective May 7 it would replace all existing “Stay at Home 2.0” business operations guidance in place since March, 2020. A copy of the draft is here. (Source: InDepthNH)

7. Restaurants Try to Navigate Back to ‘Normal’. When Governor Chris Sununu allowed the mask mandate in New Hampshire to expire on April 16—a decision that has drawn its share of criticism—he put in place the next step in returning to a nebulous “normal,” which will occur when all state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted on May 7. The restrictions will be replaced by “universal best practices,” which will offer suggestions for New Hampshire businesses while giving them the option to establish their own guidelines for customers and employees. For restaurant owners, who have been hit particularly hard since the shutdown in March 2020, these decisions depend on the location of the restaurant. Lifting the state-wide restrictions means restaurants are free to return to full-capacity and customers can once again stand at bars without Plexiglas barriers, and masks will no longer be required. Still, some businesses are still bound by the policies set by their local health departments. For Chelby’s Pizza in Manchester, owner Heidi Liolios said the decision is dictated by the city’s department of health who are requiring that Manchester bars and restaurants continue with mask mandates for staff and customers, as well as maintaining social-distancing within the establishments. Liolios said she doesn’t necessarily disagree, despite the necessary sanitation supplies adding considerably to their overhead. Meanwhile, for Madear’s Southern Eatery and Bakery in Pembroke—formerly located on Hanover Street in Manchester—Chef Kyle Davis said the decision on masking-up should be left to the customer. (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

8. NH Courts Gradually Expanding Operations. Courts in New Hampshire will be gradually expanding in-person operations to the public, starting with the state Supreme Court, which is allowing the public to its clerk's office and law library as of April 27. In person oral arguments at the court will resume on May 5. At the superior court, in-person hearings will also be expanded to include suppression; contested pleas, sentencings, and violations of probation; drug court termination hearings; contested civil hearings; and bench trials. The circuit court will resume in-person final hearings in domestic violence or stalking cases and in adjudicatory hearings in abuse and neglect cases. (Source: NHPR)

9. Colleges, Universities Planning COVID-Safe Graduation Ceremonies. Colleges and universities across New Hampshire are starting to finalize in-person graduation ceremonies, and the safety measures that will be in place. Saint Anselm College will hold its commencement May 15 outside on the quad. Seniors will be kept six feet apart from each other, and each graduate is allowed two guests who will be sitting in spaced pairs of chairs. All college and university graduation plans must be approved by the state Attorney General’s Office. “The schools are really excited about it,” said Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards. “You can feel the energy. They’ve called in to ask questions.” Edwards said institutions are sharing ideas about how to be COVID safe while giving the class of 2021 a proper sendoff. (Source: WMUR) Colleges are also finalizing requirements for students returning in the fall. Southern New Hampshire University is the latest college to require students to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus. In a statement released on its website, SNHU said all campus-based students will need to show proof of vaccination or proof of medical or religious exemption before starting classes or being on campus for the fall 2021 semester. (Source: WMUR)

10. New Hampshire Lifted Its Mask Mandate. How Soon Will Other New England States Follow? With New Hampshire letting its mask mandate expire and Rhode Island soon relaxing its outdoor mask mandate, other New England states may not be so far behind in revisiting their policies on face coverings, too. New Hampshire was the last state in New England to implement a mandate last November, and is now the first to end it. In addition to Rhode Island's upcoming changes, both Vermont and Connecticut will revisit their policies between May and July. In Vermont, masking "in some form" is expected to remain mandated until around the Fourth of July, said Jason Maulucci, press secretary for Gov. Phil Scott. Connecticut may revisit its mandate sooner, though it currently remains in full effect. While the conservative group Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance recently pushed Gov. Charlie Baker to end the statewide outdoor mask mandate, Baker last week said he did not have any immediate plans to lift the state's mask mandate. Health officials in Maine said there are no plans in the Pine Tree State to lift the state’s mandate, which requires people to wear masks while in public settings. (Source:Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 23, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Friday, April 23

State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan urging New Hampshire residents to get vaccinated and wear masks in public locations to help offset another expected surge in cases fueled by COVID-19 variants.

On Thursday, New Hampshire public health officials announced one additional death and 515 new COVID-19 cases, including over 100 new cases at the federal prison in Berlin. Active cases stood at 3,233 statewide and 112 patients were hospitalized. Here is the rest of the coronavirus-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Positive Trends Seen in NH COVID-19 Numbers But Variants Cause Increasing Concern. With COVID-19 hospitalizations dropping and vaccinations increasing, New Hampshire health officials said there are positive trends in the numbers that will require continued work to maintain. State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said test positivity is also heading down, but he said there is still some uncertainty as more contagious COVID-19 variants continue to spread and whether or not warmer weather will slow them down is unclear, "Some of the modeling studies have shown that there's another smaller peak expected, but that with continued high-level vaccination, with continued attention and adherence to social distancing and face mask use and avoiding crowds, that we can bring these numbers back down," Chan said. Vaccinations in New Hampshire have been continuing, despite the pause on the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Gov. Chris Sununu said he expects that pause to be lifted, but there won't be a boost in supplies any time soon. Chan declined to explicitly endorse Sununu's lifting of the state's mask mandate, but the governor said the rollback of restrictions is data-driven. "That fatality rate is down 95%," Sununu said. "That's a huge part of the story that has to be told, the fact that vaccines are going out so rapidly, a huge part of the story so that folks know we're not just doing this on a whim or putting our finger up into the wind and hoping for the best." (Source: WMUR)

2. CDC ‘Looking at' Revising Guidance on Masks Outdoors. Masks protect against coronavirus infection, but with more than 84 million adults in the United States fully vaccinated against COVID-19, there are growing questions about whether wearing masks outdoors is still needed. On Thursday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the agency is considering revising its mask guidance. “We’ll be looking at the outdoor masking question, but also in the context of the fact that we still have people who are dying of Covid-19,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. While New Hampshire has allowed its mask mandate to expire, in states where mask orders are still in effect, there are moves to loosen restrictions for outdoors. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is considering a change to outdoor mask guidance by June. Connecticut will lift mask requirements for outside in mid-May, along with transitioning indoor mask rules from mandate to guidance. Health experts also hope the CDC will more clearly outline high-risk situations when masks are truly needed. Kristin Nelson, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, said that while it was reasonable to include outdoor mask mandates up until now, she would like to see them be one of the first restrictions lifted as more of the population gets vaccinated and case counts start to fall. “I think those mass mandates in outdoor spaces should probably be the first to go,” she said. “We really need to focus on places we know are at high risk for a transmission like large gatherings and closed spaces with poor ventilation.” (Source: NBC News)

3. State Officials Say Two Dozen Fully Vaccinated in NH Got Virus, 2 Died. Two dozen of the almost 340,000 New Hampshire residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have become infected and two have died, state officials said Thursday. The 24 total so-called “breakthrough” infections amount to one for every 14,165 people who have been fully vaccinated — less than 1/100th of 1%. Both deaths were residents in long-term care settings. Ongoing national research suggests those who have contracted COVID-19 after getting fully vaccinated were older, according to Dr. Beth Daly, director of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. “These vaccines have prevented so many, many infections,” Daly said. The number who came down with COVID-19 after being vaccinated was too small to draw any conclusions about who might be more or less likely to become infected, even 14 days after receiving their final shot, Daly said. “I think the answer is we are still just learning about this,” Daly said during Gov. Chris Sununu’s weekly COVID-19 briefing. (Source: Union Leader) According to the CDC, vaccine breakthrough cases are expected because no vaccines are 100% effective at preventing illness. Nationally, 75 million Americans had been fully vaccinated as of April 14. So far, the CDC has received 5,814 reports of vaccine breakthrough infections from 43 U.S. states and territories. Although breakthrough infections have occurred in all age groups, 45% have been in people age 65 and older. 29% of the cases have been asymptomatic, 7% have involved hospitalizations, and 1% have died. The CDC also notes that the actual number of breakthrough cases is likely to be higher because the system relies on voluntary reporting from state health departments, which may not be complete. The CDC also says that not all real-world breakthrough cases will be identified because of lack of testing. (Source: Centers for Disease Control)

4. Fully Vaccinated Resident, Employee Test Positive for COVID at Sullivan County Nursing Home. The Sullivan County nursing home has returned to outbreak status after a fully vaccinated resident and an employee tested positive for COVID-19, according to the facility’s administrator. The resident lives in the MacConnell building, where the employee who tested positive also works, wrote Ted Purdy, the Unity facility’s administrator in a Wednesday COVID-19 update for families and friends. Now that the facility is on outbreak status, full personal protective equipment is required on the MacConnell unit and social visitation has been postponed. Weekly testing of staff had resumed on Tuesday due to the positivity rate in Sullivan County being above 5%. Now, due to the positive cases, weekly testing of residents also is resuming. As of Wednesday, 92% of the facility’s residents and 62% of employees had been vaccinated against the virus. (Source: The Valley News)

5. Sununu: Unemployed Must Look for Work Starting May 23. As of May 23, everyone who is receiving state unemployment benefits will be required to show they are looking for work to continue to get those benefits, Gov. Chris Sununu said Thursday at his regular news conference. With unemployment in the state at about 3 percent, Sununu said the state’s economy is “roaring back,” but he is concerned about there being enough workers to fill all the jobs that are open. “If anything we are facing a worker shortage,” Sununu said. Before the pandemic, the state required people who were receiving unemployment to actively be looking for work, he said. But with thousands of jobs going unfilled, “we will be reintroducing our work search requirement.” The state has recently hosted 15 virtual job fairs by the state Department of Employment Security. Sununu noted last week on the Seacoast there was a virtual job fair with 100 employers offering over 3,000 jobs and only about 140 people showed up looking for work. He said he is particularly concerned about filling jobs in the state’s tourism industry and getting enough workers for restaurants and hotels to operate this summer. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. Dozens of Additional COVID-19 Cases Connected to Outbreak at Federal Prison in Berlin. A COVID-19 outbreak at the federal prison in Berlin has grown to include dozens of more cases. The outbreak has been ongoing for several weeks. Gov. Chris Sununu expressed frustration over the situation during the state COVID-19 briefing and said the state has limited interaction with the facility. The new cases were reflected in the COVID-19 data for New Hampshire released on Thursday. There were 117 active cases on Thursday, with 113 inmates and 4 staff, according to officials. (Source: WMUR) New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette reported that with an outbreak at the Rockingham County House of Corrections now closed, the state’s only remaining active outbreaks in institutional setting are at the federal prison and at the Coos County Nursing Home. The Sullivan County outbreak reported by the Valley News was not included or mentioned.

7. Vaccination Update: 56% of NH Residents Have Received First Dose, But Doses for Vulnerable Populations Continue to Lag. Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases and Control at the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services, said 56 percent of eligible residents have now had at least one shot of vaccine. She said a total of 984,000 have had a single shot, including 637,000 with the first dose, and 387,000 or 28 percent have been fully vaccinated. Daly said a super site event is planned for people to get their second Pfizer shot on Saturday at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon. (Source: InDepthNH) Daly also told reporters that despite vaccinations for minority groups and other vulnerable populations lagging behind other groups, there are no plans to change the state’s vaccination strategy. “We’ve always understood these populations are going to be harder to reach,” Daly said. The state has reserved 10% of available doses for residents in vulnerable populations. To date, Daly says 280 vaccination clinics have been conducted and more are planned. But the number of people vaccinated in these clinics is far less than the amount of vaccine that was allocated. As a result, unused vaccine is being shifted to other clinics where it can be administered to less vulnerable members of the general population. Meanwhile, NHPR reports that community health centers across the state are working hard to make it easier for the region's vulnerable populations to get a vaccine. Community Action Partnership of Strafford County is part of a push extending across the state to get vaccines to people with all kinds of barriers: a lack of transportation, transient housing, limited English proficiency and more. Betsey Parker, the organization's CEO, said that while fixed sites at state-run clinics or pharmacy chains work for many people, for others, “that access is really challenging.” Parker said instead of just relying on people to come to where the shots are, they’re bringing the shots into the community: going into encampments where those experiencing homelessness may be living, partnering with local soup kitchens, and holding a clinic at a nearby needle exchange. That “meeting people where they’re at” strategy was evident right after the clinic in Dover, when Parker’s team found themselves with extra vaccine doses. They decided to take them to a nearby low-income mobile home park. Sandra Pontoh is a reverend at the Maranatha Indonesian United Church of Christ in Madbury. She’s used her strong ties to the local Indonesian community to help coordinate four vaccine clinics so far. “I'm not saying that I’m an important person,” she said, “but someone that they can trust.” When the clinics first started, there was a lot more hesitancy. People came, she said, but they were nervous. Now, she laughs, “It’s like a party!” As the vaccine rollout continues, the efforts to work with community leaders, and offer vaccine education will be needed in fighting COVID-19 and access disparities. Because right now, not everyone has a Sandra Pontoh. (Source: NHPR)

8. Councilors Want More Data Before Making Move on Keene's Mask Mandate. City councilors put off action on Keene’s mask ordinance Wednesday, saying they need more local COVID-19 data to determine the mandate’s end date. The Elm City’s ordinance — which the council adopted in August — requires most people 10 and older to wear face coverings in all indoor public places and outdoor spaces where business is conducted. It’s due to sunset at the same time as the pandemic-related state of emergency that Gov. Chris Sununu declared last year and has extended numerous times since. Having a city mandate, some people argued, takes the pressure off business owners who want to require customers to wear masks and also maintains consistency in the safety precautions throughout Keene. Following more than an hour of discussion, committee members unanimously agreed that they want more local data — such as vaccination rates, number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates — before making a recommendation. “My concern with putting any date on it ... If we put, say, June 1, and our numbers skyrocket, we are then tied to that June 1 repeal date no matter what,” said Councilor Catherine “Catt” Workman. “I really would like to just table the decision until we have more statistics.” Other councilors shared similar thoughts, and the committee members voted to place the matter on “more time.” In the meantime, the ordinance stays in effect. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

9. Pandemic Fight, ‘Personal Liberty’ Collide in State Legislatures. The New York Times reported in March that the Stop the Steal movement that alleged election fraud has refocused its efforts on the COVID-19 vaccine. The National Conference of State Legislatures has counted nearly 500 COVID-19 related bills pending across the country. A majority seek a prohibition on mandatory vaccines and vaccination passports. New Hampshire does not mandate a COVID-19 vaccine (or masks as of Saturday), and state law allows exemptions for people who oppose other immunizations. There is no legislation proposing a mandate or a vaccine passport. But that has not discouraged those who oppose both. More than 500 people registered support for a bill by Rep. Tim Lang, R-Sanbornton, at a hearing before the Senate House and Human Services Committee Wednesday. Lang’s “immunization freedom” bill was first filed in 2019, before COVID-19, to end a state requirement that foster parents be vaccinated against the flu and other communicable diseases. Once the pandemic arrived, so did those determined to recast it as an anti-mandate, “personal liberty” bill, similar to others filed in state legislatures across the country. Sen. Tom Sherman, a Rye Democrat, says Lang’s bill largely reiterates existing state and federal immunization laws. According to Sherman, who is also a medical doctor and gastroenterologist, patients cannot be vaccinated or otherwise treated against their will. And where immunizations can be required, individual rights are protected. Public schools require students to be immunized against polio, measles, mumps, and other diseases, but provide religious and medical exemptions. Hospitals are allowed to require immunizations or mask coverings for employees working with patients. Private businesses can do the same for workers who may pose a threat to others but must provide exemptions or accommodations for religious beliefs and disabilities. “I remain perplexed why we need this bill,” Sen. Becky Whitley, a Hopkinton Democrat, told Lang at the hearing. “This bill is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.” The committee could vote on the bill as early as next week. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin)

10. For Youngest Students and Their Teachers, ‘Back to Normal’ Carries Big Challenges. In 13 months, New Hampshire educators have rushed from innovation to innovation, adopting and re-adopting methods to best connect to their students. Now, with widespread vaccinations in sight and schools returning to five-days-a-week learning, kindergarten and other teachers of younger students are facing a new challenge: how to welcome back the students who stayed at home. Across the state, there are a lot of them. Although the 2020 to to 2021 school year saw a statewide 14.8% decline in kindergarteners from the year before as some parents chose not to send their child to school during the pandemic, those children will likely swell the size of incoming kindergarten classes. Now districts are working to figure out who’s going to show up in September – and how many will need to catch up. In Keene, part of the focus will be on integrating kindergartners who attended remotely or were homeschooled back into in-person school. For that, school districts are setting up summer programs to get the job done, which Frazier hopes will serve 50 to 60 kids in Keene. Also a challenge: Merging the children who continued attending in-person with the kids who stayed home. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 22, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Thursday, April 22

A newly released survey shows by a 48%-43% margin, a plurality of Granite Staters oppose the lifting of the state’s mask mandate. (Source: The Granite State Panel of the UNH Survey Center)

Public health officials announced two additional deaths and 362 new positive test results for COVID-19 on Wednesday. While new cases were up, active cases statewide were down to 3,090 and hospitalizations were also down slightly at 124. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. U.K. Variant Found In Over Fifth of COVID-19 Cases In N.H. While the skyrocketing numbers of vaccinations and loosening restrictions have dominated the COVID landscape, three variants of the virus have quietly crept into New Hampshire. The B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the state in mid-February, now comprises more than a fifth of COVID cases in New Hampshire, according to CDC data. The strain, more commonly known as the U.K. variant, will soon become the most common strain in the state as it has in the country as a whole, state health officials said. That’s a concern because the I.K. variant is not only 50% more transmissible than other versions of the virus, but about 60% more lethal, studies have shown. Meanwhile, ten cases of the “California variant,” known for being about 20% more contagious and resistant to certain COVID treatments, have been found since it was first identified about a month ago. And just within just the last two weeks, the state identified another variant — the P.1 variant — which now has been found in 15 different samples. Fortunately, early research seems to indicate that the current COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing infection from the B.1.1.7 strain. However, some experts fear the P.1 variant may be developing mutations that make some vaccines less effective. (Source: NHPR)

2. State Health Officials Investigating Possible COVID-19 Cases in Those Who Have Been Vaccinated. New Hampshire state health officials confirm testing is underway on more potential "breakthrough" cases of COVID-19 in those who are fully vaccinated. Last week, New Hampshire reported three vaccinated patients tested positive for COVID-19. "We've definitely have had additional suspected breakthrough infections in our state that we are investigating and that we are likely to confirm and be counted so that number will definitely go up," said Dr. Beth Daly, Chief Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. In a conference call with long-term care facilities, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said those rare cases are expected, especially with continued community spread. "That number will likely go up because we know that the vaccine is not 100% but that shouldn't be a surprise," Chan said. Health officials stress that people contracting COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated are less likely to be hospitalized, die or be as contagious to others. They asked care providers not to allow expected breakthrough cases to fuel vaccine hesitancy, instead to be vaccine ambassadors. (Source: WMUR)

3. US May Soon Reach a Tipping Point on COVID-19 Vaccine Demand. Here's Why That's Concerning. As US health officials race to get more Covid-19 shots into arms to control the virus, experts now warn the country will run into another challenge in the next few weeks: vaccine supply will likely outstrip demand. "While timing may differ by state, we estimate that across the U.S. as a whole we will likely reach a tipping point on vaccine enthusiasm in the next 2 to 4 weeks," the Kaiser Family Foundation said in a new report published Tuesday. "Once this happens, efforts to encourage vaccination will become much harder, presenting a challenge to reaching the levels of herd immunity that are expected to be needed." Health officials -- including Dr. Anthony Fauci -- estimate that somewhere between 70% to 85% of the country needs to be immune to the virus -- either through inoculation or previous infection -- to suppress is spread. So far, roughly 40.1% of the population has gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And about 26% of the population is fully vaccinated, that data shows. A slowing vaccine demand now, experts say, could give dangerous coronavirus variants the opportunity to continue to mutate, spread and set off new surges. (Source: CNN) New Hampshire's Vaccination Dashboard shows 336,392 people fully vaccinated (24.8% of the state's population) with 659,879 having received at least one dose. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

4. White House Offers New Tax Credit to Employers to Help Spur Vaccinations. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced new employer tax credits and other steps to encourage people reluctant to be inoculated to get the COVID-19 vaccine as his administration tries to overcome diminishing demand for the shots. The moves came as Biden celebrated reaching his latest goal of administering 200 million coronavirus doses in his first 100 days in office. Biden announced a tax credit for small businesses to provide paid leave for those getting vaccinated or potentially needing to take time off to recover from side effects. Paid for through the $1.9 trillion virus relief package passed last month, the tax change would provide a credit of up to $511 per day, per employee for businesses with fewer than 500 workers to ensure that those workers or businesses don’t suffer a penalty by getting vaccinated. The White House is urging larger employers, which have more resources, to provide the same benefits to their workers, and educate them about the shots and encourage them to get vaccinated. (Source: Associated Press)

5. New UNH Polls Shows Most Granite Staters Oppose End of Mask Mandate. A newly released survey by the Granite State Panel of the UNH Survey Center shows by a 48%-43% margin, a plurality of Granite Staters oppose the lifting of the state’s mask mandate. The mandate was allowed to expire last Friday after not being renewed by Gov. Chris Sununu. Only 7% of Democrats showed any level of support for the move as compared to 83% of Republicans. The survey also showed GraniteStaters are comfortable going to restaurants, but majorities are uncomfortable going to a bar, gym, movie theater, stadium, or concert. Residents are also optimistic about New Hampshire's economic recovery with two-thirds believing the economy will recover to pre- pandemic levels within twelve months. (Source: UNH Survey Center)

6. End of State’s Mask Mandate Causing Confusion for Businesses, Customers. The state's mandate on masks has been lifted, but masks are still required in many places, which is generating some questions. The attorney general's office said 25-30 calls have come in since Friday, mostly from businesses that are looking for help clarifying what their rights and responsibilities are. "They have every right to choose how they want to protect their employees," said Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards. Edwards said that over the weekend, she saw a customer giving a worker a hard time over mask-wearing. Even though the general mask mandate has expired, many businesses that serve the public are still under mandates until May 7, when the Safer at Home order expires. However, even after the order expires, businesses can continue to require customers to wear masks if they choose. "We've all seen the sign: 'No shirts, no shoes, no service,'" said University of New Hampshire law professor John Graebe. "There is absolutely nothing illegal about a business saying, 'We are not going to welcome in customers who are not wearing a shirt or who are not wearing shoes.'" Mask wearing will also continue to be required in communities with local mask ordinances. (Source: WMUR)

7. NH Bill Would Create New Relief Fund for Entertainment Venues. Two new relief funds — one of which may relaunch this week, with the other still under lawmakers’ consideration — could help venues like the Players ease financial strain as the entire live-event industry recovers from the pandemic. One fund, the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, will distribute more than $16 billion to entertainment facilities nationwide, including performing-arts theaters, cinemas and live-music venues. That money can go toward payroll, rent and utility payments, administrative costs and marketing fees, among other expenses, though it cannot be used to purchase real estate or pay off loans taken out after February 2020. The Save Our Granite Stages Act aims to help small entertainment venues in New Hampshire remain viable through the pandemic, according to state Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Concord, who sponsored the legislation. If passed, the bill would create a fund available to any for-profit and nonprofit venues that do not receive aid from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. The N.H. State Council on the Arts, a state agency, would administer that relief. Whitley said she and state Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, D-Portsmouth, introduced the Save Our Granite Stages Act after hearing local venue owners plead for more support beyond the Paycheck Protection Program and other existing federal aid. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

8. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Launches Program To Help For COVID-19 'Long-Haulers'. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has launched a program for people dealing with so-called “long-haul” COVID-19, in which symptoms persist for 12 weeks or longer. Anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients have reported long-haul symptoms. The symptoms are wide ranging, and can include breathing troubles, body aches and brain fog. Dr. Jeffery Parsonnet, who's leading program, sees it as filling a need in care. Why some people have long-term symptoms is still unknown, which can make treatment complicated and difficult, he said. The program will also keep track of patients, so that if new therapies become available, they can keep them informed. The program is accepting referrals, which must come from a primary care provider. (Source: NHPR)

9. Pandemic Stress Has Pushed Many Teachers to a Breaking Point. After a year of uncertainty, long hours and juggling personal and work responsibilities, teachers from across the US told NPR they had reached a breaking point. Heidi Crumrine, a high school English teacher in Concord, N.H., says this has been the most challenging year she has ever encountered in her two decades of teaching. "And I say [that] as someone who started her first day of teaching on 9/11 in the Bronx in New York City." Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in the U.S., tied only with nurses, a 2013 Gallup poll found. Lisa Sanetti, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, says, "Chronically stressed teachers are just less effective in the classroom." All that stress can also lead to burnout, which leads to teachers leaving the profession, Sanetti says. "And we have a huge teacher turnover problem in our country." Districts are trying to help — with yoga classes, counseling sessions and webinars on mental health. Some teachers have organized trivia nights or online happy hours where colleagues can just vent. Teachers told NPR they force themselves to take breaks, go for a bike ride or call a friend. Some have started therapy. But most of the educators NPR spoke with say they're so exhausted that even self-care feels like one additional thing to do. "The reality is, when you're living it, you're just trying to get to the end of the day successfully and try again tomorrow," Crumrine says. In New Hampshire, quarantines and positive cases among school staff have led to a constant shifting between fully online and hybrid classes. Crumrine says the fluctuations have been exhausting for her. "We started the year remote. Then we went back to school in October; then we were remote again in November, December. We went back to hybrid [in early February]," she says. New Hampshire's governor has now ordered all schools to reopen for full-time, in-person classes by this week. "It feels like we're building the plane while we're flying it and the destination keeps changing on us," Crumrine says. (Source: NPR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 21, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Wednesday, April 21

Source: N.H. DHHS

On Tuesday, New Hampshire public health officials announced one additional death and 285 new cases of COVID-19. With cases declining in recent days from daily counts that peaked at over 500 last week, the 7-day daily average of new cases is down 18%. The number of people hospitalized went down slightly to 129 and active cases statewide stood at 3,159. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. COVID Aid Tax Rule Could Stymie Proposed New Hampshire Tax Cuts. As if the tensions between Governor Sununu, the New Hampshire House and Senate were not enough to potentially gum up the state budget process, a controversial provision of the American Rescue Plan Act poses another challenge for lawmakers in Concord. Section 9901 of the act prohibits states from applying the funds it distributes to “either directly or indirectly offset a reduction in net tax revenue arising from a change in law, regulation or administrative interpretation … that reduces any tax (by providing for a reduction in a rate, a rebate, a deduction, a credit or otherwise) or delays the imposition of any tax or tax increase.” In other words, states receiving money through the $1.9 trillion federal COVID relief bill can’t use that funding as a means of cutting taxes. The prohibition applies from March 3, 2021 until federal funds are spent or until Dec. 31, 2024. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has indicated that states offsetting net reduction in tax revenues with ARP funds would forfeit federal funds, which would be withheld or recouped dollar-for-dollar. In New Hampshire, the biennial budget adopted by the House and now before the Senate is studded with tax cuts projected to reduce net revenues by $157.7 million in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. And, should lower tax rates and other tax changes carry into the next biennium, any reduction in net tax revenue could be subject to the prohibition through fiscal year 2024 and the first half of fiscal year 2025. Thirteen states, led by West Virginia and with New Hampshire among them, filed suit in federal district court in Alabama claiming Section 9901 of the ARP is an unconstitutional infringement of the 10th Amendment. Yellen said that Congress routinely places reasonable restrictions on the uses of federal funds to ensure they are applied to their intended purposes. She said that the act does not forbid states from cutting taxes but “simply provides that funds received under the act may not be used to offset a reduction in net tax revenue resulting from certain changes in state law.” Yellen said that the Treasury Department was preparing further guidance to the states, which is expected to be issued next month. (Source: NH Business Review)

2. CDC Data Shows NH Leads Nation in Vaccination Efficiency, But Discrepancy Earns State an Asterisk. New Hampshire and Wisconsin have administered the highest percentage of COVID-19 vaccines they have received, according to the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration data tracker. However, an apparent discrepancy puts into question the accuracy of New Hampshire's data. The CDC's data tracker compiles data from healthcare facilities and public health authorities. It updates daily to report the total number of COVID-19 vaccines that have been distributed to each state and the total number each state has administered. The CDC has reported that data received from New Hampshire indicates the state has somehow administered more doses than it has received. The CDC flagged New Hampshire’s numbers with an asterisk and a footnote suggesting a discrepancy in the data. The data indicates that while only 1,096,375 doses have been distributed to the state, a higher number—1,102,415 doses—have been administered. (Source: Beckers Hospital review) A possible reason for the discrepancy is that pharmacists in December noticed that Pfizer vials labeled as containing five doses actually contained enough for 6 or 7 doses. (Source: New York Times) While some states simply threw the extra doses away, New Hampshire officials said they would put them to use. What is unclear is how many extra doses were obtained were obtained in this manner, whether Moderna and J&J vials also had extra doses, and how spoiled or expired doses were reflected in the state’s data.

3. Some Schools Struggle to Meet Mandate on In-Person Learning. A deadline imposed by Gov. Chris Sununu for all public schools to resume five-day in-person learning by April 19 has forced some schools to scramble. Seacoast Charter School in Portsmouth had been splitting classroom days between two shifts or “cohorts” of students to maximize distancing and safety. But Sununu’s order overturned the two-cohort approach, forcing Seacoast Charter to come up with a plan to tackle in-person and remote learning every day, even as some parents have objected. Now, Head of School Jessica Pine is missing the days of light state oversight. “We did have lots of choices in the beginning because there was no real guidance,” she said. “And then, all of a sudden, it was like: ‘Here’s the guidance and the mandate, and do it in two weeks.’ So it’s a little discouraging, as educators, for sure.” As schools worked to meet an April 19 deadline to come back to school five days a week, reactions have varied. Some schools asked for waivers – and got them. Others asked for waivers and were rejected. Those that didn’t get a special waiver were split, too; at least one school is forging ahead with a later opening without state permission. The rush to reopen has hit districts differently. Larger ones, such as Manchester, had the biggest logistical headaches, from transportation to food services. But smaller school districts have faced problems, too, such as staffing shortages. The Monadnock Regional School District, based a few miles down the road, opted to ignore the executive order entirely. “We cannot in good conscience ignore the exigent safety concerns that exist, coupled with the misinformation the Governor has considered in making his decision,” the district wrote to the Department of Education, in a letter approved by the school board. Among the board’s concerns were the COVID vaccination schedule; because the school district’s teachers received their first shots on March 19, the earliest they could be fully vaccinated is April 23. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin)

4. With US Poised to Hit Biden’s Goal of 200 Million Doses in His First 100 Days, World Records Most COVID Cases Ever in a Single Week. COVID-19 infections have been rising at an alarming rate for eight consecutive weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, as the virus sweeps unabated through hotspots in several corners of the globe. More than 5.2 million new cases were recorded last week -- the most in a single week since the pandemic began -- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing in Geneva on Monday. Deaths also increased for the fifth straight week, he said, with the pandemic now officially claiming more than 3 million lives. "It took nine months to reach 1 million deaths, four months to reach 2 million and three months to reach 3 million deaths," said Tedros. "Big numbers can make us numb, but each one of these deaths is a tragedy for families, communities and nations." (Source: CNN) Meanwhile, the U.S. is set to meet President Joe Biden’s latest vaccine goal of administering 200 million coronavirus shots in his first 100 days in office, as the White House steps up its efforts to inoculate the rest of the public. With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday is expected to outline his administration’s plans to drive up the vaccination rate even further. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. While surveys have shown that vaccine hesitancy has declined since the rollout of the shots, administration officials believe they have to make getting vaccinated easier and more appealing. (Source: AP News)

5. US DHHS Data Shows New England Is Least Vaccine-Hesitant Region in US. The US Department of Health and Human Services has released data and an interactive tool that are intended to highlight the places where efforts need to be stepped up to persuade people to get their shots. The good news is the data shows that every New England state is in the top 15. The agency developed estimates for both “hesitancy” and “strong hesitancy” among people 18 and older using responses to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, which is measuring household experiences during the pandemic. The “hesitancy” group included people who said they would “probably not get a vaccine” or “definitely not get a vaccine.” The “strong hesitancy group” was a subset of the first group that only included people who said they would “definitely not get a vaccine.” (Source: Boston Globe) Wyoming had the most residents in the “hesitancy” group with 31% and North Dakota had the most in the “very hesitant” category with 19%. Massachusetts had the smallest percentage of residents in either group with only 7% in the “hesitancy” group and 3% “very hesitant”. At 14% “hesitant” and 6% “very hesitant”, New Hampshire trailed the other New England States—but still placed among the top 15 among the least hesitant states. (Source: US DHHS)

6. NH Stadiums and Performing Arts Venues Prepare to Reopen With Precautions in Place. Many New Hampshire venues, stadiums and concert halls are feeling more optimistic now than they were this time last year. The state is slated to let its COVID-19 restrictions expire May 7, to be replaced by a set of “best practices” that won't be mandated. The Manchester Fisher Cats are back this year, with plans for the stadium to be at 50% capacity for the month of May. The goal is to gradually increase capacity throughout the season. Team officials said protocols will be in place to keep fans safe, including digital tickets for groups, cash-less concession purchases, sanitizing, and a mask requirement for fans ages 2 and over. Meanwhile, concerts are scheduled to resume at the Hampton Beach Casino on July 2. Tupelo Music Hall in Derry is returning to its drive-in concert series, something the venue relied on to keep business afloat last year. Guidelines at each venue can change, so officials advise checking them before heading to a show or event. Chief quality officer at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Dr. Michael Calderwood said while people will have varying comfort levels, the best way to continue to prevent infection is mask-wearing." Calderwood offered advice to those who are fully vaccinated and are wondering what you can do safely, or how to assess risk. "You just want to think about how many people, are they wearing masks, what's my ability to physically distance," Calderwood said. (Source: WMUR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 20, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Tuesday, April 20

The status of New Hampshire’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard as of April 19–the first day of the mandatory return to full-time in-person learning ordered by Gov. Sununu. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

On Monday, New Hampshire public health officials announced no new deaths and 235 new positive test results for COVID-19–the lowest daily number of new cases in almost a month. Hospitalizations were unchanged at 133 and 3,329 active cases were reported statewide. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. More Than 100 Gilford High Students in Quarantine. About a quarter of the student body at Gilford High School is currently quarantining due to possible coronavirus exposure. "We do have 104 students in quarantine right now. That started last week and we had more contact tracing happen over the weekend," said Kirk Beitler, superintendent of schools for Gilford. Three staff members are also in quarantine. At least six of those quarantining have tested positive for COVID-19, and Beitler said he did not know of anyone in the school community who was seriously ill. A commonality between all of the exposures is spring sports, Beitler said. If a Gilford team has a game, and the next day a member of either team tests positive for coronavirus, then all members of both teams must enter quarantine protocol. That situation has surfaced for both boys' and girls' lacrosse, boys' and girls' tennis, and the baseball team, Beitler said. (Source: Laconia Sun) While the new cases in Gilford have yet to appear on the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard, as of Tuesday morning the dashboard is showing Gilford High isn’t alone. There are nine active cases at Hollis-Brookfield High School, seven at Dover Senior High School, seven at Somersworth High School, and eight active cases in Portsmouth schools. There are 268 active cases and 12 clusters being reported in schools statewide. Over 100 schools have at least one active case. (Source: N.H. DHHS). Worth noting is that Monday was the day an emergency order issued by Gov. Sununu took effect. The order communities to bring students back to the classroom for full-time, in-person learning. While some communities, like Portsmouth, are taking advantage of a two-day grace period to finalize preparations and will return to in-person learning on Wednesday, only six have requested temporary waivers.

2. Over 6,000 Out-of-Staters Register for NH Vaccinations on First Day As State Also Announces Changes to ‘Plus-One’ Policy. On Monday, the state booked over 6,000 appointments for people who permanently live outside of New Hampshire, including out-of-state college students, people with second homes in the state and visitors. About two-thirds were from Massachusetts, most are from New England, and the furthest state represented was California. Also starting Monday, people were no longer able to add a plus-one to their vaccination appointments. Effective Monday, every person newly registering for an appointment must have their own time slot. Anyone who already had a plus-one appointment booked will not be affected by the change. (Source: WMUR)

3. Londonderry Cancels School Monday Due to Teacher Vaccine Symptoms. Londonderry School District officials canceled classes Monday at all K-12 schools, saying teachers and staff were recovering from the second dose of vaccine they received Saturday. A “high number of staff are experiencing moderate to severe physical reactions to the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine,” a bulletin posted on the district website announced. Superintendent Scott Laliberte said about 40% of the total staff of 750 had called out sick or were expected to, making it impossible to cover their absences. He said the district plans to resume classes Tuesday. (Source: Union Leader)

4. COVID Tracker: The Pandemic’s Not Going Away, As NH Hospitals Can Attest. In its weekly analysis of key New Hampshire COVID-19 metrics, the most worrisome trend continues to be the high level of hospitalizations. The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has doubled in the past month and, at 133 on Sunday, is higher than any point since early February. It’s a reminder that the pandemic is not under control in New Hampshire, even though New England is in better shape than many parts of the country and the world. Meanwhile, the 14-day average of new cases reported each day may be leveling off—but it’s still to early to say for sure. The 14-day average has been stuck at around 420 to 430 for a week now. The bright spot? Vaccinations. New Hampshire is at or near the top of the list of states in terms of the percentage of the population who have gotten at least an initial vaccine. (Source: Concord Monitor)

5. As Mask Mandate Lifts, Federal Data Shows N.H. Hospitals Are Still Under Some Pressure. When Gov. Chris Sununu announced New Hampshire’s mask mandate last November, he cited hospital capacity and staffing strain as key factors in his decision. As that same mandate is now lifted, federal hospital data paints a mixed portrait of the pandemic’s effects on the state’s hospitals: On some fronts things have improved, but on others they’ve actually worsened or stagnated. the state’s inpatient beds were more full last week than they were the week the mask mandate went into effect, according to figures reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As of Friday, when the mask mandate was lifted, just under 75 percent of New Hampshire’s inpatient beds were in use — up from a weekly average of just under 70 percent when the mandate was first imposed. But some facilities are feeling more pressure than others. COVID-19 patient levels were slightly down at some large hospitals, including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and Elliot Hospital in Manchester. But as of last week, Southern New Hampshire Hospital in Nashua was averaging about twice as many confirmed COVID-19 patients as it was when the mask mandate took effect. Concord Hospital, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, and Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover were also reporting more coronavirus patients than in November, according to the federal data. (Source: NHPR) Rich DiPentima, the former chief of the state communicable diseases epidemiology, said the end of the mandate comes at least a month too soon. “We just need another month or two to not have more community spread, to get this behind us. Keep the mask ordinance for another month.” DiPentima said preventing deaths alone is not the only reason for maintaining COVID-19 prevention strategies while working to get a larger number of the total population immunized and approach herd immunity. He said high levels of illness caused by the virus are increasing hospitalizations, stressing the healthcare system, delaying or limiting school openings, and allowing for continued community transmission resulting in the increased risk of developing more COVID-19 variants. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. As State Mandate Ends, Schools Reiterate Their Mask Policies. School mask requirements will continue in area schools as they return to fully in-person learning this week, even as the state mask mandate has been lifted. Many area superintendents sent out messages this week, announcing their intention to keep school mask requirements in place, in accordance with state guidance and CDC recommendations. Although New Hampshire’s mask mandate expired April 16, the state Department of Health and Human Services continues to recommend masks in schools, according to an FAQ guidance released the same day. Gov. Sununu said local towns and private businesses can still enforce their own mandates. Concord superintendent Kathleen Murphy said Concord students must continue to wear masks and observe physical distancing requirements. Merrimack Valley, Bow-Dunbarton, Hopkinton, and Franklin school districts have also said they will continue requiring masks. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Keene to Mull Local Mask Mandate's Future. City councilors in Keene will discuss the future of the city's mask requirement Wednesday, after Gov. Chris Sununu lifted the statewide mandate last week. The Elm City's ordinance remains in effect, but is set to expire at the same time as the pandemic-related state of emergency declared by Sununu last year. Business restrictions, which aren’t set to expire until May 7—and the state of emergency declaration—are separate from the statewide mask mandate that expired Friday. Keene Mayor George Hansel said city leaders now want to tie the ordinance to local factors instead, such as area vaccination rates or levels of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Keene's rule — which requires most people 10 and older to wear face coverings in all indoor public places and outdoor spaces where business is conducted — was approved by the City Council on Aug. 6. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

8. All CT Business Restrictions to Be Phased Out By May 19. On Monday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont became the second New England governor in less than a week to announce the phasing out of pandemic business restrictions. Lamont told reporters that all outdoor restrictions will be lifted and the curfew for businesses will be pushed back to 12 a.m. starting May 1 starting May 1. All other business restrictions will be phased out starting May 19, state officials said. These restrictions will include size limits and social distancing rules for businesses such as large event venues, bars and nightclubs. But Lamont said indoor masking will continue, with officials trying to decide whether it will be a "requirement" or "recommendation" by May 19. Lamont said he is in talks with other officials and will make that announcement before the complete rollback for Connecticut businesses next month. (Source: NECN) New Hampshire’s mask mandate was allowed to expire last Friday by Gov. Sununu, who also said he will allow remaining business restrictions to expire on May 7.

9. Return to In-Person Learning Could Mean End to Unemployment Benefits for Some. Eligibility for pandemic unemployment assistance for some New Hampshire parents will be affected by schools returning to five days of in-person learning, employment officials said. There are currently 37,000 people in New Hampshire applying for unemployment, and 40% are receiving pandemic-related assistance, which will be available until September. One pandemic-related provision makes people who stay home with their children because of remote learning eligible for benefits. But with Gov. Sununu’s emergency order requiring full-time in-person learning, about 1,400 people will cease being eligible for unemployment benefits. "If the school is providing families with in-person learning, and the school is considered open, then parents in that district would no longer qualify for pandemic benefits if that is the only reason they are filing," Deputy Commissioner of New Hampshire Employment Security Richard Lavers said. (Source: WMUR)

10. Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests Available at CVS Pharmacies This Week. CVS Pharmacy announced Monday the availability of three over-the-counter COVID-19 testing options in stores and online at CVS.com. The tests are the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test, and the Pixel by Labcorp PCR Test Home Collection Kit. All three tests, which have received emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, do not require a prescription and are intended for use by individuals with or without COVID-19 symptoms. (Source: Boston Globe)

11. Tourism Rebounds Even as Pandemic Persists. After taking a hit in the early months of the pandemic, New Hampshire ’s travel and tourism market has been doing well for months and is expected to end the year at pre-pandemic levels. On Thursday, Gov. Chris Sununu announced the state’s remaining restrictions on business and public activities would be lifted by May 7. And with Saturday’s expiration of the state mask mandate, New Hampshire became the only state in New England without one. “I think a lot of people are looking for the state with the least restrictions,” said Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association. “I think we are getting a good, hard look because the governor is making those statements that we are going to be back to normal by Memorial Day.” The state won’t see anything near the $387 million in rooms and meals taxes it projected, before the pandemic, for this year. But each month, that gap decreases, from $10 million in July to $3.4 million last month. “We are making a slow and steady climb back,” said Carollynn J. Lear, assistant commissioner. Michelle Davis, tourism manager for the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, said they’ve had more requests for travel guides than last year, especially from states within driving distance, and are beginning to see the area’s bigger venues announcing summer schedules, including Prescott Park Arts Festival, 3S Artspace, and the Music Hall, all in Portsmouth. Forty of the city’s restaurants plan to offer outside seating. And after canceling last year, the chamber will hold its annual summer kickoff event, Hit the Decks, in May, this year for a week instead of a day. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin)

12. Pandemic Again Halts Gilsum Rock Swap. Gilsum’s annual Rock Swap and Mineral Show has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gilsum Recreation Committee announced Monday. "With cases continuing to trend upwards in New Hampshire and the Northeast, we cannot safely predict where we will be in June," the committee said in a news release. "... We all miss having the Rock Swap and we were hopeful that the pandemic would be under control by now." The annual festival was first held in 1964. Last year's event was also canceled because of COVID-19. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 19, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Monday, April 19

On Sunday, New Hampshire public health officials announced four additional deaths and 308 new positive test results for COVID-19. Hospitalizations ticked up to 133, but active cases statewide were down to 3,140. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Vaccinations Now Open for Out-of-State Residents. Starting today, out-of-state college students, property owners with a primary residence in another state, and anyone else age 16 or over from any state can get an appointment to be vaccinated in New Hampshire. For more information or to make an appointment, go to vaccines.nh.gov. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

2. Full Return to In-Person Learning Starts Today As K-12 Schools Scramble to Comply With Sununu Order. Beginning Monday, all New Hampshire schools are required to offer five days of in-person learning. Several schools requested waivers to push back the start date of full-time in-person learning, and six were granted, including one for the Manchester School District. The Manchester School District now has until May 3 before it is required to bring all students back to the classroom full-time. Remote learning will still be an option for students at all schools. In addition, some school districts are holding vaccination clinics for students age 16 and older. Manchester is holding its first clinic for students at Memorial High School. Clinics will be also be held at West High School on Wednesday and Central on Thursday. The city of Portsmouth also plans to hold a clinic for students on Monday. (Source: WMUR)

3. Vaccinations for NH Minority Residents Continue to Lag. Clifton West, the co-founder and executive director of the Seacoast Black Lives Matter chapter, has been working with the Strafford County Public Health Network since February to connect people in his community with vaccines – both through clinics organized to reach those who are Black, indigenous, and people of color; or when there’s a surplus of vaccine at other area clinics. Ten percent of vaccines are set aside to reach these populations, according to the state vaccination plan. Those vaccines are allocated to regions where minority populations live, based on census data. And the plan calls for culturally aware messaging to be used to reach populations that may be hesitant to get the vaccine. But these efforts have failed to reach some communities entirely. Rhonda Besaw, a speaker for the Abenaki Nation of New Hampshire, said she was unaware of any outreach to native communities or other marginalized communities in the state. “If I had known about that, I would have told other people who I know have been waiting,” she said. “I don’t know of any outreach to the BIPOC community,” said Paul Pouliot. His wife, Denise Pouliot, serves on the state Commission for Native American Affairs, but she hasn’t heard anything about outreach efforts either. “We’re not sure what the state is doing,” he said. “We’re frustrated. They mean well, but they don’t carry through.” The most recently released data shows that vaccine coverage of nonwhite residents of New Hampshire is only half that of the white population. According to Dr. Beth Daly, the chief of the Department of Health and Human Services Infectious Disease Control, equity allocation clinics have been held in all of the state’s counties, vaccinating 23,000 people. That’s a little under 7 percent of the 338,000 people vaccinated in the state, still falling short of the 10 percent allocation. Daly said she expected the gap in vaccine coverage along the lines of race and ethnicity would close as vaccination opens up for younger people. Rep. Manny Espitia, a Nashua Democrat, said the state could be doing more to get the word out about opportunities to get vaccinated. He pointed to states such as Rhode Island that are posting public messages about open vaccinations slots. Partnering with local organizations has worked, Espitia said, but that’s done on a local level, a strategy that has worked well in some areas of the state and left holes in others. Espitia also said public officials shouldn’t use vaccine hesitancy as an excuse for inequities in the vaccine rollout. He said structural issues are at play: People want the vaccine, but they can’t always access it because they’re unable to take a day off of work or they don’t have transportation to get to a clinic. “Black and Latin and Asian Americans are saying on polls, we’ll take it at the same levels that Caucasian and white Americans are,” Espitia said. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin)

4. End of NH’s Mask Mandate Attracts Out-of-Staters Looking to ‘Breathe Free’. Alisha Phipps came to New Hampshire Sunday afternoon from the Boston area to celebrate a friend’s birthday — and to enjoy the fresh air without a mask on. Phipps and her friend, Lauren D’Agostino, said they were “pumped” Gov. Chris Sununu ended the state’s mask mandate on Friday. Before heading to the birthday party, the two strolled along Elm Street in Manchester looking for a bar that serves champagne. “I was actually going to plan a trip just for the day to go to Texas because you don’t have to wear the mask in Texas,” said Phipps, 34, who lives in Somerville, Mass. “I decided to go to New Hampshire instead.” D’Agostino, 31, said she’s not worried about the virus. “We believe in the strength of our immune system,” the Westford, Mass., resident said. However, despite the end of the mandate, the majority of people on Elm Street in Manchester Sunday continued to wear masks, which will still be required inside shops and restaurants across the state for a few more weeks—and for longer in communities with mask ordinances and businesses where the owners require them as a condition of service. (Source: Union Leader) Despite COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations trending upwards, Gov. Chris Sununu allowed the state’s mask mandate expire Friday. New Hampshire was the last state in the Northeast to impose a statewide mask mandate and now it is the first to end it, joining 12 other states that have ended mandates, including Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming among others. In an analysis spotlighting the factors that motivated Sununu to end the mandate, veteran state government reporter Gary Rayno said the decision will have both political and public health consequences. (Source: InDepthNH)

5. NH Communities with Mask Ordinances Taking Wait-And-See Approach. A review over the weekend of the websites for 13 cities and towns across the state that have enacted their own mask ordinances or resolutions show that all are continuing with their own ordinances for the time being despite the governor’s lifting of New Hampshire statewide mandate. The city of Nashua posted on its website this past Friday that its face-covering ordinance remains in effect “until further notice.” The city of Keene also posted on its website last week that the mask ordinance remains in effect. Durham so far has issued four extensions to its emergency ordinance requiring the wearing of face coverings and it may do so again. The most recent readoption was on Feb. 15. The banner headline on the city of Portsmouth’s municipal website this weekend was that the city’s mask ordinance remains in effect and will be through at least June 30, 2021. Portsmouth is near UNH in Durham and is a tourist and dining hub for the region. It requires masks indoors and out in all places accessible to the public where physical distancing of six feet cannot be achieved for those not in the same household. You can check the status of mandates in other communities here. (Source: InDepthNH) NHPR has created a map highlighting all New Hampshire communities with mask ordinances.

6. Fauci: US Will Likely Resume Use of J&J COVID Vaccine With Warning Or Restriction. White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday he believes the U.S. will likely resume use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine with a warning or restriction attached. Fauci said he anticipates a decision on the J&J vaccine as soon as Friday, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory panel meets to discuss resumption. "My estimate is that we will continue to use it in some form," Fauci said during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I doubt very seriously if they just cancel it. I don't think that's going to happen. I do think that there will likely be some sort of warning or restriction or risk assessment." Health regulators asked states on Tuesday to temporarily halt J&J's single-dose shot after reports of six cases of rare brain blood clots in women out of roughly 7 million people who received the vaccine in the U.S. (Source: NECN)

7. COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths Unchallenged in NH Courts. COVID-19 has taken a major toll at New Hampshire long-term care facilities, accounting for 865 deaths, or almost 70 percent of the 1,257 total fatalities caused by the virus statewide. With the high death toll, litigation against nursing homes might be expected, but that’s generally not been the case. Medical malpractice lawsuits are expensive to pursue and could be difficult to prove in the context of a worldwide disease that has been especially hard on elderly and ailing nursing home residents. Also, an opinion issued nearly a year ago from then-New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, which was requested by Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette, has had a chilling effect on pandemic-related litigation, said personal injury attorney Anthony Carr. MacDonald, citing existing state statutes, opined that health facilities taking reasonable steps to comply with state orders related to COVID-19 are immune from legal liability for deaths or injuries related to emergency management activities. “The advisory opinion is awful, very, very bad, about as bad as it can get,” said Carr, a partner in the Shaheen and Gordon law firm in Concord. “And when I say bad, I mean bad for pretty much everybody, residents in nursing homes, their families, the entire community.” Nationally, there have been more than 200 wrongful death cases arising from COVID-19, none in New Hampshire, according to a complaint tracker maintained by the international law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth. Senate Bill 63, pending in the New Hampshire Legislature, would protect businesses from lawsuits arising from exposure to the disease. The New Hampshire Association of Justice opposes that legislation. (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. In New Hampshire and Vermont, the COVID-19 Ski Season Was a Tale of Two States. While ski shops across New England reported a strong year for business, other segments of the ski industry saw different outcomes. The consensus: New Hampshire’s ski resorts fared better than Vermont’s; hotels experienced setbacks, sometimes severe; and ski shops in both states had banner years. Vermont ski resorts reported “some fairly steep declines,” particularly in the sale of day passes, said Molly Mahar, president of Ski Vermont, the state’s ski industry trade group. “Strict travel requirements for coming to Vermont definitely had a big impact on our business this year,” she said. Ski resorts in New Hampshire fared better, pleasantly surprising with a year something like normal. Jessyca Keeler, executive director of Ski New Hampshire, the trade group that represents the state’s ski resorts, said preliminary numbers show that “ski visits” in the state appear to be keeping pace with prior levels. Keeler credited New Hampshire’s more liberal travel guidelines with the results. (Source: The Valley News) On the flip side of the COVID coin, the number of COVID cases per 100,000 people in Vermont since January has been roughly half that of New Hampshire. (Source: CDC)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 18, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Sunday, April 18

On Saturday, New Hampshire public health officials reported 370 new positive test results for COVID-19, no additional deaths, 127 hospitalizations, and 3,254 active cases statewide—all fewer than the numbers for the previous day. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. Portsmouth High School to Offer COVID Vaccine Clinic on Monday for Students. Portsmouth High School students aged 16 and older can receive their coronavirus vaccine next Monday, April 19, according to Portsmouth Fire Department Chief Todd Germain. Administered by members of the fire department, up to 650 eligible students will receive their first shot of the Pfizer vaccine. Conducted with the help of Seacoast Public Health Network, the clinic will begin at 8 a.m. and run till either 3 or 4 p.m., Germain said. The date for a return clinic for students to receive their second dose has yet to be scheduled. Portsmouth High School principal Mary Lyons said the clinic at the school is not exclusive to students who are city residents. The school also includes students from Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye. She said it is a completely voluntary clinic and students aged 16 and 17 will need parental permission in order to receive their dose. (Source: Seacoast Online) High school students in Manchester will also be able to get their first Pfizer shot this week in three separate clinics being run for the city’s three high schools. The first is scheduled for Monday. (Source: Union Leader)

2. Non-Residents Can Start Registering for and Receiving COVID Vaccinations In NH on Monday. Anyone 16 and older, no matter where they live, can register for a COVID-19 vaccine in New Hampshire starting Monday. The loosened restrictions opens up appointments to out-of-state students, people with second homes and visitors to get a shot in the Granite State. Those who will qualify can sign up through the state-run vaccination site, vaccines.nh.gov, beginning Monday. State officials say there are more than 100,000 appointments available, and state-run fixed sites have first dose appointments available through May 31. (Source: WMUR)

3. Though Mandate Lifted, Businesses Hope Customers Will Keep Covering Mouths and Noses. Although Gov. Chris Sununu ended the state’s mask mandate on Friday, businesses around the state are still asking customers to wear face coverings inside. There is no longer a state requirement to keep a mask on in public places where it is difficult to keep six feet from others, but other state guidelines still apply to businesses, at least for a few more weeks. Since Sununu announced Thursday the mask mandate would end, businesses have put out gentle reminders that their rules have not changed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends wearing masks when not actively eating or drinking at a restaurant, and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester encouraged people to keep wearing masks in public for the health of all, though it is no longer a state mandate. Portsmouth businesses noted that the city still has a mask mandate, though the state mandate is over. “Regardless of how the winds change and decisions out of our control fluctuate, there is one thing you can count on here: YOU MATTER TO ME,” read a Facebook post by one Portsmouth shop, Nest. “Therefore masks will continue to be required to enter the shop.” BRGR BAR in Portsmouth kept it simple. “Masks are still required to enter BRGR BAR!” (Source: Union Leader)

4. NH Colleges Respond to Schools Nationwide Mandating Student Vaccinations Before Fall. While Dartmouth College last week became the first New Hampshire college to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students returning to campus, it may not be the last. Plymouth State University President Dr. Donald Birx said school officials will push as hard as they can for students to get the shot. "I was thinking about this in the context of what a parent would feel like if they were sending their student to campus, and they were sleeping in a room with someone who wasn't vaccinated," Birx said. "So you can understand the pressure's on us." Birx said he thinks 90% of the Plymouth student body vaccinated is within reach. New England College President Dr. Michelle Perkins said the school has not decided on their vaccination policy. "We're inclined in that direction, but we want to wait a few more weeks at least before making that decision," Perkins said. (Source: WMUR)

5. New Hampshire and Vermont Are Excelling in COVID-19 Vaccination, But There’s Plenty More to Do. Residents of the Twin States continue to get vaccinated at relatively high rates and mask mandates in New Hampshire are easing, but COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates also remain high. When ranked nationally, New Hampshire comes in second and Vermont fourth in terms of COVID-19 vaccine administration per 100,000 people, according to the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation’s weekly COVID-19 modeling report. As of Thursday morning, 181,500 Vermonters, 29% of the state’s population, and 363,300 Granite Staters, almost 27% of the population, were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID data tracker. A larger share had received at least one dose: in Vermont, 278,600, nearly 45%, and in New Hampshire, 764,600, more than 56%. At the same time, however, the states have been reporting more new cases each day; New Hampshire is averaging about 450 new cases daily and Vermont 141. Similarly, hospitalizations in New Hampshire stood at 130 this week and in Vermont at about 30. As with cases, those numbers are down from this winter, but above those from last summer. In New Hampshire, current hospitalizations exceed the number the state had during its first surge last May and are roughly equivalent to where they were when the state issued its mask mandate as the second surge was growing in the fall. The “concern now with the increasing positivity rate and the uptick in hospitalizations is that we may be looking at another potential surge,” said Dr. Jose Mercado, a staff hospitalist and the associate hospital epidemiologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Along with the virus’s spring comeback, Mercado said he was also concerned that the pause in the use of the J&J vaccine might create hesitancy in those who have yet to be vaccinated. He noted that people who get COVID-19 are at an elevated risk for developing blood clots. He encouraged people who haven’t yet been vaccinated to seek out reliable sources for information, and people who’ve already received their shots to talk to others about it. “I think sharing experiences is very powerful,” he said. (Source: The Valley News)

6. Strategies Vary as Companies Plan for a Post-Pandemic Workplace. As more Granite Staters are vaccinated, employers around the state are working on when and how to bring back employees to the workplace. Flexibility has become the standard. Fidelity Investments, which employs nearly 6,000 in New Hampshire, shifted more than 90% of its employees to remote work in March 2020. Today, nearly all are remote. “Our approach for the future is likely for associates to have time working on-site and off-site, and overall they agree with that approach, but would like more specifics on what that looks like, how it will work and what flexibility they’ll have, which is what we are currently working to outline,” said Kirsten Kuykendoll, Fidelity’s head of associate experience. One of the upsides of off-site remote working is that is has created opportunities for employers to cast a wider geographic net to hire remote workers in a state with a 3% unemployment rate last month. “It definitely expands our labor pool, so we can get more talent into our funnel, but it also helps with our diversity, which we’re kind of excited about,” said Jim Rowe, senior director of human resources at Hanover-based Hypertherm. The company, which manufactures plasma and waterjet cutting systems and software, employs 1,200 at about 10 locations around Hanover and Lebanon. The company needed manufacturing workers to be on-site through the pandemic, but others have been able to work some or all of the time away from the office. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, the state’s largest private employer, said the success of remote working means the health care provider will expand its geographic search for workers. “In our new COVID-19 environment, we anticipate opportunity to hire talent that we may not have been able to if not for having remote roles,” said an email from two Dartmouth-Hitchcock officials. (Source: Union Leader)

7. Pandemic Reveals Health Care Inequity. Inequities existed long before COVID-19, said Bobbie Bagley, director of the Division of Public Health and Community Services for the city of Nashua and an African American. She recalls her mother’s experience in an emergency room after falling and suffering a pelvic fracture. “I was astonished at how she was treated. The nurse slammed the bed up; she was there for an injury. As a nurse myself, I thought maybe she’s tired or doesn’t like old people,” says Bagley. “This is what we do, we try to make excuses. The last place you try to go is it’s because I’m Black or Brown.” Dr. Marie-Elizabeth Ramas, president-elect of the N.H. Academy of Family Physicians, says there are many documented examples of inequity and bias in the health care field. One study revealed Black and Latino patients often are started on blood pressure treatment later than white patients, she says, while a 2016 study involving more than 200 white medical students and residents showed half thought Black people didn’t feel pain the same way as those who are white. “These concepts of practice and our unintended assumptions infiltrate our daily interactions,” Ramas says. The pandemic has underscored is the importance of addressing these inequities. “Clearly we are seeing a racial disparity with Black New Hampshire citizens dying of COVID at a rate three times higher than white citizens, and Latinos at a rate twice as high,” says Dr. Joann Buonomano, chief medical officer of Greater Seacoast Community Health, citing the NH COVID-19 Interactive Equity Dashboard and noting that the rates may be even higher as race and ethnicity is only recorded on 80% of death certificates. A history of mistrust and abuse has also left its mark. A recent surveys show that among those who do not plan to take the vaccine, the majority are people of color. “You have to look at the historical context of where that comes from. Our system has created reasons for a lack of trust,” says Bagley. “Lack of belief in our health care system, and even some of our public health workers and measures, stem from the systematic racism that existed for so long. We must knock down these institutional barriers.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Vaccines Help Some COVID Long Haulers. An estimated 10% to 30% of people who get covid-19 suffer from lingering symptoms of the disease, or what’s known as “long covid.” Judy Dodd, who lives in New York City, is one of them. She spent nearly a year plagued by headaches, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and problems with her sense of smell, among other symptoms. But everything changed after she got her COVID vaccine. “I was like a new person. It was the craziest thing ever,” said Dodd, referring to how many of her health problems subsided significantly after her second shot. As the U.S. pushes to get people vaccinated, a curious benefit is emerging for those with this post-illness syndrome: Their symptoms are easing and, in some cases, fully resolving after vaccination. There are several leading theories for why vaccines could alleviate the symptoms of long COVID: It’s possible the vaccines clear up leftover virus or fragments, interrupt a damaging autoimmune response or in some other way “reset” the immune system. Among the patients of Dr. Daniel Griffin at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, “brain fog” and gastrointestinal problems are two of the most common symptoms that seem to resolve post-vaccination. Griffin, who is running a long-term study of post-COVID illness, initially estimated that about 30% to 40% of his patients felt better. Now, he believes the number may be higher, as more patients receive their second dose and see further improvements. A small U.K. study, not yet peer-reviewed, found about 23% of long-covid patients had an “increase in symptom resolution” post-vaccination, compared with about 15% of those who were unvaccinated. But not all clinicians are seeing the same level of improvement. Clinicians at post-COVID clinics at the University of Washington in Seattle, Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, National Jewish Health in Denver and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center told NPR and KHN that, so far, a small number of patients — or none at all — have reported feeling better after vaccination, but it wasn’t a widespread phenomenon. “Right now, we have anecdotes; we’d love it to be true. Let’s wait for some real data,” said John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania. (Source: Kaiser Health News)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 17, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Saturday, April 17

A sign in downtown Portsmouth reminding residents and visitors that the city’s mask mandate is still in effect despite Gov. Sununu’s action lifting the state mandate.

On Friday, New Hampshire public health officials announced 423 new positive test results for COVID-19 and two additional deaths. Hospitalizations rose slightly to 132 while active cases statewide fell slightly to 3,751. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. Lifting Of Statewide COVID-19 Precautions Puts Decisions In Lap Of Businesses, Individuals. Gov. Chris Sununu’s surprise decision to lift New Hampshire’s statewide mask mandate this week leaves residents, businesses, government officials and health care workers with big decisions to make about their own safety and that of those around them, as COVID-19 continues to pose a risk to public health. The most immediate impact will likely be felt in the state’s retail sector, where businesses must now decide whether to enforce their own policies, and customers will face a patchwork of policies, store to store, restaurant to restaurant. Patrons at any of John Tinios’s restaurants on the Seacoast will now encounter a sign that explains they would appreciate customers continuing to wear masks, but there will be no requirement. “We are not going to fight with our customers, or police them, if they decide not to,” Tinios said Friday. Other businesses are taking a firmer approach, including at Jetpack Comics in Rochester, where anyone entering the store will still be required to wear a mask. (Source: NHPR) It was unclear Friday how some of the state’s biggest retailers would proceed. Market Basket, which has 28 stores in the state, did not return requests for comment. Hannaford’s corporate office did not respond to messages, but a store employee said they’ve been told mask mandates will remain in all 10 New Hampshire locations. Walmart issued a statement saying masks will remain a requirement for staff and customers at all Walmart and Sam’s locations. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin) Local officials said they have long known that the statewide mandate was temporary, and they're encouraged by the increase in vaccinations. But some said it's too soon to lift the mandate, saying it sends mixed messages to the public. Portsmouth Mayor Rick Becksted said he's watching case numbers rise locally and along the Massachusetts border. "I was really in hopes that the state wouldn't do anything until Memorial Day to give it a little bit more time," he said. "Please remember that the city of Portsmouth still has a mask mandate in place through June," Becksted posted on Facebook. "We ask that all residents and visitors honor this ordinance. Please be respectful to one another and stay safe Portsmouth." (Source: Seacoast Online) Patrick Patterson, general manager of the Portsmouth Brewery, said keeping his employees and the public safe hasn't always been easy. "We've experienced some really amazing, kind human beings walking through our door being extremely supportive, and then we've experienced the entitled privileged people that refused to wear a mask," he said. The New Hampshire Commerce Corridor, a coalition of chambers of commerce, is reminding the public that businesses are still operating under the state's reopening guidelines. "I think our message is: continue to work together, look and see what local businesses are continuing to do, have patience and respect their ability and their right to be able to put in place guidelines that they feel are best for their individual business," said Mike Skelton, of the Greater Manchester Chamber. (Source: WMUR) In Durham, where the University of New Hampshire is located, masks will still be required. “The lifting of the state-wide mandate by the governor does not diminish the importance of wearing a face mask,” said Durham Town Administrator Todd Selig. “The threat to public health from COVID-19 is real.” New Hampshire was the last state in New England to adopt a statewide mask mandate in November and was the first to lift it. (Source: Concord Monitor)

2. No End Date Slotted for Maine Mask Rules Despite NH Changes. The only state that borders Maine is changing mask-wearing rules, but the rules in Maine are staying the same. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah and Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said that there are no such plans in Maine. Maine’s mask mandate requires people to wear masks while in public settings. (Source: NECN) Meanwhile, the Vermont Forward Plan, the name of Governor Jim Scott's timeline for a return to normalcy as the vaccine rollout continues, estimates that the mask requirement will end in Vermont by July 4. At that time, social distancing and mask guidelines for business operations will be "encouraged" rather than required. Capacity restrictions on gatherings will also end. (Source: Burlington Free Press)

3. COVID-19 Variant Cases Increase Statewide and Nationwide. As COVID-19 variants continue to raise concerns across New Hampshire and the U.S., the White House announced a plan Friday to allocate $1.7 billion to track them. The most dominant variant both in N.H. and the U.S. is the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first found in the U.K. The state reported 259 cases of the variant Friday, which is an increase from 207 cases the day before. Two variants first identified in California, B.1.427.429 account for 10 cases Friday, which is up six from Thursday. There are now 15 cases of the P-1 variant from Brazil, which was at eight cases statewide from the day before. Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover went from one hospital bed taken by a COVID-19 victim to 16 in the past month. Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Mendoza said many factors can lead to the spike, including relaxed safety measures and variants. "The variants play a role in there because based on the studies we have, it could be spread easier and can lead to the uptick of cases.” (Source: WMUR) The presence of the first variant in New Hampshire was first confirmed by public health officials two months ago on February 12.

4. Sununu Extends State of Emergency for 19th Time. Gov. Chris Sununu issued his 90th executive order today, which is the 19th extension of the state of emergency he first issued March 13, 2020. The governor said during his news conference Thursday that he anticipated many additional extensions of the emergency given the breadth of the pandemic and the federal response to coronavirus. (Source: NHPR) Under New Hampshire’s state of emergency statute, Sununu can continue to issue and enforce. A 2020 court ruling also confirmed the power of the governor under a state of emergency to accept and direct the spending of federal relief funds while bypassing oversight from the legislature and Executive Council.

5. J&J Vaccine Pause Raises New Concerns About Vaccine Equity. Public health experts worry the pause on administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will impact efforts to reach marginalized, vulnerable populations including communities of color. The one-and-done nature of the J&J COVID-19 shot, and less stringent storage requirements, made it ideal for homebound people, those in underserved neighborhoods and rural, remote areas with limited health care access. The other two authorized COVID-19 vaccines, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, require a second dose and more complicated cold storage. “I would urge that any pause be counterbalanced by consideration of the equity considerations that would befall from any lengthening of the pause,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Committee member Dr. Camille Nelson Kotton, clinical director of Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, said although necessary, she worries the pause will fuel increased hesitancy and cause lack of availability in communities of color relying on the shot's logistical advantage. The pause alone may contribute to vaccine hesitancy,she said, particularlyin communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. (Source: USA Today). According to the N.H. DHHS Case summary, Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.9% of New Hampshire’s population, but have accounted for 8.1% of the state’s infections and 9.2% of hospitalizations. Black residents account for 1.4% of the population, but 2% of infections and 3.2% of hospitalizations. Meanwhile according to a DHHS update issued earlier this week, 17.3% of White residents are fully vaccinated, but only 7.1% of Hispanic/Latino residents and 6.9% of Black residents.

6. Cheshire County Jail Begins Inmate Vaccinations. New Hampshire’s county jails are rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations to inmates, after a year in which numerous outbreaks have struck correctional facilities here and across the U.S. Doug Iosue, the superintendent of the Cheshire County jail in Keene, said the facility administered its first 10 doses to inmates Thursday. All 10 of New Hampshire’s county jails have access to vaccines, and their populations have been fully eligible since the state expanded vaccination registration. Jail officials say they’re now contending with some of the same challenges as the national vaccination campaign, including vaccine hesitancy and the Johnson & Johnson pause, along with factors unique to correctional settings. Like other congregate-living settings, jails and prisons have been hit hard by the pandemic. At least 394,000 coronavirus cases have been reported among state and federal prisoners nationwide, and more than 2,500 have died, according to data gathered by the news outlet The Marshall Project. In New Hampshire, health officials have reported 14 outbreaks at 11 local, state and federal correctional institutions linked to nearly 900 resident cases and more than 200 staff cases as of Thursday. Three state prisoners have died from COVID-19 since March 2020, according to N.H. Department of Corrections data. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

7. Dartmouth Students Encounter Inconsistent Enforcement of Eligibility at Vaccination Sites. While New Hampshire will expand vaccine eligibility to non-residents on April 19, some students have already tried to secure their doses. However, the process has proven unpredictable, with differing practices among various vaccination sites muddying students’ understanding of their eligibility. Several students reported being turned away even though they brought letters from Dartmouth’s Student Employment Office confirming their employment and letters from the Office of Residential Life confirming their on-campus residency. New Hampshire National Guard master sergeant Marc Coleman, who helps oversee the operations of the J.C. Penney vaccine distribution site, explained that officers have been directed by the state to only accept W-2 forms with “legal New Hampshire addresses,” which excludes dorm building addresses, PO boxes and voter registration form addresses. Coleman estimated that the J.C. Penney site has “seen 70 to 100 college students turned away because they didn’t have proper proof of New Hampshire residency.” (Source: The Dartmouth)

8. The Shock and Reality of Catching COVID After Being Vaccinated. In data released Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 5,800 people had fallen ill or tested positive for the coronavirus two weeks or more after they completed both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. A total of about 78 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. These so-called breakthrough infections occurred among people of all ages. Just over 40% were in people age 60 or older, and 65% occurred in women. Twenty-nine percent of infected people reported no symptoms, but 7% were hospitalized and just over 1%, 74 people, died, according to the CDC. Public health officials have said breakthrough infections were expected, since manufacturers have warned loudly and often that the vaccines are not 100% protective. The Pfizer and Moderna versions have consistently been shown to be above 90% effective, most recently for at least six months. Still, people are usually shocked and befuddled when they become the rare breakthrough victim. After months of fear and taking precautions to avoid contracting COVID, they felt safe once they got their shots. At two press briefings this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a COVID adviser to President Joe Biden, said that the number of breakthrough cases in the U.S. so far is not cause for alarm and that the administration will continue to monitor these instances closely. (Source: Kaiser Health Network)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 16, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Friday, April 16

Gov. Sununu announcing that he will not renew New Hampshire’s mask mandate. (Image: WMUR)

As Gov. Sununu announced he would not renew New Hampshire’s mask mandate, state public health officials reported three additional deaths and 552 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. This is the third time in April daily new cases have topped 500. Current cases of COVID-19 rose to 3,763, the highest total since Feb. 6. Current hospitalizations rose to 130, the highest total since Feb. 12. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Sununu Drops Mask Mandate, Lifts Most Other Pandemic Restrictions. Virtually all statewide limits on businesses and public activities due to the pandemic will be lifted in New Hampshire within a matter of weeks, Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday. The statewide mask mandate expires tonight, April 16 at midnight. And on May 7, all required business restrictions - such as capacity limits and cleaning requirements -- will be lifted, replaced with voluntary guidance. In making the announcement, Sununu pointed to rising vaccination rates -- especially among healthcare workers and the elderly -- and a decline in COVID-19 deaths. While Sununu said his decision was informed by public health data, by other measures, New Hampshire's trends in managing the pandemic are as troubling as any point over the past several months, with several key measures of progress getting worse in recent weeks. For example, New Hampshire is currently averaging more new cases each day, more active cases and more hospitalizations than it was in November 2020, when the statewide mask mandate first took effect. At that time, in the month leading up to the mandate, the state reported about 6,600 new COVID cases. In the month leading up to today, the state has reported about 11,500 new cases. About 30 more people are hospitalized, on average, right now, than they were when the mask mandate first took effect. And all 10 New Hampshire counties continue to experience “substantial” transmission of COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. (Source: NHPR) State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan was noticeably absent from Thursday’s press conference, but was quoted in remarks in a release from the governor’s office. “The lifting of the mandate does not diminish the importance of wearing a face mask,” he said. “The threat to health from COVID-19 is real. Even as restrictions are reduced, we are still in a pandemic and levels of COVID-19 remain high across the state. Therefore, we ask that people continue to take steps to protect their own health, the health of their family and friends, and the health of their community.” Following the announcement, Sen. Tom Sherman, a Rye Democrat and a medical doctor, urged Sununu to reconsider. “Our state is averaging more new cases each day and more hospitalizations than when the mask mandate first went into effect. As a doctor, I am shocked that in spite of these facts the Governor is now lifting this critical protection against the spread of COVID 19. It is clear that the pandemic is far from over.” (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin) As for ending the state of emergency that gives him the power to issue emergency orders while bypassing the legislature to accept and spend federal funds, Sununu said he’s not planning on ending it any time soon. He told reporters the state of emergency will likely remain in place through the end of the year because ending it would affect the state’s ability to accept and expend federal relief funds.

2. Sununu: Municipal Mandates Unaffected by End of State Mask Mandate. In addition to the expiring state mandate, New Hampshire has 13 cities and towns with enforced mask mandates. Nashua was the first to enact the ordinance in May 2020 and it was followed by Plymouth, Durham, Keene, Portsmouth, Exeter, Newmarket, Concord, Plainfield, Lebanon, Enfield, Hanover, and Franconia. Five other communities, including Manchester, have unenforced mask ordinances. Sununu said those municipalities will still have the right and flexibility to have mask mandates, as will schools and private businesses. (Source: InDepthNH) Back in December, Portsmouth City councilors voted to extend the city’s mask mandate and agreed to review it during the week of June 30. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Pause Extended for Johnson & Johnson Vaccine. Use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot will remain paused for at least a week, after a federal vaccine advisory panel said Wednesday that it had too little data on a rare but serious blood-clotting condition reported in at least six women. That means states and federally run vaccine sites will be relying on the other two authorized vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna until the panel meets again. The rare condition has not been reported following doses of those shots. The Biden administration’s COVID-19 response team has said there are enough doses available of Pfizer and Moderna to continue the current pace of vaccinations nationally. (Source: New Hampshire Bulletin) At his Thursday press conference, Gov. Sununu criticized the move and said he believes that pulling the J&J vaccine off the shelves so abruptly has affected confidence and will make it difficult to bring it back if it's found to be safe. Sununu said he expressed his frustrations on a call with other governors and Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president. "To stop an entire vaccine, the most popular vaccine, for the biggest public health crisis this country has faced in 100 years is a pretty extreme step," Sununu said. "So my question to Dr. Fauci simply was, 'What else is there? You must be seeing some other data other than a one in a million event to just pause this entire thing.'" (Source: WMUR)

4. Some County Jails Temporarily Halt Vaccination Efforts in Response to J&J Vaccine Pause. Four county jails across the state postponed their rollout this week after the state paused use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. That vaccine is preferred because it requires only one shot, as opposed to two with other vaccines. Of those offering vaccines this week, the Cheshire County Jail, in Keene, says one fifth of its population signed up for vaccines. At the Merrimack County Jail, in Boscawen, that percentage is closer to a third. Most county jails have already vaccinated the majority of their staffs. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile, two of the state’s three remaining active congregate living facility outbreaks are at correctional facilities. The Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin continues to deal with an outbreak that has infected 85 inmates and two staff; and the Rockingham County House of Corrections was listed on the state’s most recent update with seven inmate cases and one staff case. The Coos County Nursing Home is the only remaining nursing home on the list with six resident cases and seven among staff. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

5. Reminder: Appointments for Out-of-Staters Open Up Monday. As of Monday, the state will open vaccine appointments to all people, regardless of residency. There are still 120,000 available appointments now on the state’s vaccine website at vaccines.nh.gov. College students and out-of-state property owners can use the site to sign up for vaccines and all they need is to show identification when they come for their appointment. At today’s press conference, Gov. Sununu urged residents who haven’t signed up for an appointment to sign up before Monday to get the “first shot to get a shot,” before the doors open to all. (Source: InDepthNH)

6. Younger People Fuel Rise in NH COVID Cases. With an average of 445 cases per day over the past seven days, nearly half of all of the state’s new cases have been in people under the age of 30. There are now 3,763 active COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire. Officials admit it's a troubling trend. The day's total of new positive test results in N.H. on Thursday, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services was 552. Matt Dunn, chief medical officer of Memorial Hospital in North Conway, said New Hampshire’s surge mirrors a similar surge in Michigan where the most new cases are in the 20-30 age range and the 30-40 age range. Kevin Richard, SAU 9 schools superintendent, agreed. “It’s just like you were saying, the younger people — they’re done (with staying home). They’re out, they’re partying, they’re doing their different things, and it’s really unfortunate.” Richard said Kennett High School in North Conway recently saw its highest numbers for the year. The school is currently on remote learning with 14 active cases. (Source: The Conway Daily Sun) Meanwhile, the N.H. DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard is reporting 275 active cases among N.H. school children. However, only five are being reported at Kennett High. Late reporting and accusations of under-reporting cases in schools have been leveled at DHHS since the dashboard first went online. However, the 275 cases now being reported represent a jump of more than 100 in less than a week and comes at a time when schools are scrambling to comply with an emergency order from Gov. Sununu ordering them to return to full-time in-person learning by next Monday.

7. Seacoast Doctors Working to Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy. With about 20% of the population of the US having received the COVID-19 vaccinations, the country is inching toward its goal of herd immunity. But there is a large segment of the population that is either hesitant or who just refuses to get vaccinated, for a variety of reasons. Some are, and have been opposed to vaccinations on principle, while others are mistrustful or fearful of the COVID vaccinations, feeling they are too new, with not enough information known about their safety and their efficacy. Doctors say the vaccinations are safe. Dr. David Itkin, an infectious disease expert at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, noted that millions of doses have been given and that while there are side effects for some, they are vastly preferable to rolling the dice on the severity of the case of COVID a person might experience."I will talk to people, but not push too hard," said Itkin. "I tell them that I rely on the science.'” (Source: Seacoast Online)

8. N.H. House Speaker Wants To Revisit Court Ruling On Remote Access. New Hampshire House Speaker Sherman Packard wants to revisit a decision by an appeals court to vacate a judge's ruling that upheld his refusal to provide remote access to legislative sessions to lawmakers at a higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19. Lawyers representing Sherman Packard are planning to seek a rehearing on the case, according to court documents Wednesday. Seven Democratic lawmakers sued Packard, a Republican, arguing that holding in-person sessions without a remote option violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the state and federal constitutions, and forces them to either risk their lives or abandon their duties as elected officials. A federal judge ruled against them, saying the House could proceed with in-person sessions. But the Boston-based 1st Circuit Court of Appeals last week sent the case back to the judge with instructions to hold further proceedings to determine if the plaintiffs are "persons with disabilities within the meaning" of the ADA or the federal Rehabilitation Act. (Source: NHPR)

9. Sharp Jump in New Unemployment Claims Reported in New Hampshire. For the week ending April 10, 1,305 new state unemployment claims were filed, a 46% increase over the previous week. Continuing state claims for the week ending April 3 also rose more than 7%, to 23,247. In addition, federal continuing claims for the week ending March 27 also rose, by nearly 12%, to 9,536. Most of them are self-employed individuals, but a good chunk are also people who have to stay home for COVID-related reasons, mainly to provide care to a dependent because or school or facility is still closed. (Source: NH Business Review)

10. Portsmouth Waiting for Federal Guidance On Whether Federal COVID Relief Funds Can Be Spent on Spinnaker Point Ventilation Upgrade. City officials say “initial estimates” of how much it will cost to repair the HVAC system at the now closed Spinnaker Point Recreation Center are “in excess of $520,000.” City Manager Karen Conard released the estimate on Thursday as part of her report back to the City Council on when the recreation center could potentially reopen. Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine asked for the report from Conard after state Rep. Peter Somssich, D-Portsmouth, recently pushed for the city to reopen the center, which was closed at the onset of the pandemic. Somssich and Splaine, along with Mayor Rick Becksted, believe the city should use part of the roughly $13.2 million it expects to receive from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CARES) Act of 2021 to upgrade the facility’s HVAC system. While the city has already spent over $700,000 upgrading the facility during the pandemic, Conard said that the city has not yet received federal guidance how the most recent relief allocations can be spent. (Source: Seacoast Online)

11. Dresses, Tuxedos, Masks, Dancing Without Touching: Exeter High Prom Is On. After having the better part of their junior and senior years of high school disrupted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2021 will be able to lace up their dancing shoes and hold their senior prom in June. Students attending the prom will be required to wear masks at all times. They are allowed to dance with their date or in groups, but physical touching is prohibited, senior class advisor Liz Morse said. She said the number of total students dancing under the tent will be limited to comply with Centers for Disease and Control guidelines, and students will be rotated on and off the dance floor if a line queues up. Students who want to bring an outside guest are permitted to do so, as long as they are vaccinated and meet the criteria of the EHS prom guest policy from prior years. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 15, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Thursday, April 15

Source: N.H. DHHS

New Hampshire public health officials announced four additional deaths and 412 newly-identified COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases being tracked by the state to 3,544. 118 residents are currently hospitalized. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. Sununu Says He Plans to End Mask Mandate ‘Wicked Soon’. Gov. Chris Sununu says the mask mandate in New Hampshire will be ending soon, despite hospitals reporting a rise in admissions for younger patients. The statewide mask mandate is set to expire on Friday but it's unclear if the governor will renew it or let it expire. During a virtual event with the Greater Portsmouth Chamber on Wednesday, Sununu cited New Hampshire as having one of the lowest death rates and fastest vaccine distributions in the nation. "The mask mandate will be ending very, very, very, very soon, Sununu said. "I can't tell you exactly what date it's going to be but I think the term in NH is wicked soon, so we're there." (Source: WMUR) Later in the event, Valerie Rochon, the chief collaborator for the Chamber, asked Sununu to get specific about the which restrictions he’s considering lifting by Memorial Day in terms of coronavirus pandemic rules. She added that “many of our retailers in particular, restaurants have really appreciated the mask mandate, it’s the stick behind the door.” In response, Sununu said that 98% of the most vulnerable populations have been vaccinated. “In terms of what regulations by Memorial Day, virtually all of them, all of them,” Sununu said and then added, “I’m not talking about Memorial Day, I’m talking about way before Memorial Day.” (Source: Seacoast Online) Lifting the mask mandate and the potential easing or lifting of other restrictions are sure to come up this afternoon at Sununu’s weekly press conference.

2. Hospitalizations Drop for Residents Age 65-Plus, Increase for Ages 30-50. While COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Hampshire dropped slightly Wednesday, there is concern about the general upward trend of hospitalizations, nearly doubling in less than a month. Health care workers say they're seeing some concerning trends, like a jump in cases at Wentworth-Douglas Hospital in Dover. "We have been down to as low as one patient at one time about two or three weeks ago, now we're up to 17," Dr. Artemio Mendoza, Infectious Disease Specialist said. COVID-19 hospitalizations are also up at Elliot Hospital in Manchester and Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua. All three hospitals say they are treating younger patients. "We see a material decrease in the over 65 age population being hospitalized, that's who was prioritized for the vaccine," Dr. Greg Baxter with Elliot Health System said. And an increase in patients 30 to 50 years old, sick enough to be hospitalized. (Source: WMUR)

3. COVID-19 Cases Among Younger Residents Seeing Sharp Rise. People under the age of 30 now account for close to half of new COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire. Cases among Granite Staters of nearly all age groups have increased over the past month, but the increase is particularly sharp among young people. The state's average number of new daily cases is around 450. Of that, close to 100 daily are among residents in their twenties, and around 75 are in people between the ages of 10 and 19. (Source: NHPR)

4. Some New Hampshire Schools Allowed To Postpone Reopening Date. The New Hampshire Department of Education says it has granted seven waivers to schools that say they can't meet Governor Sununu's deadline of reopening fully next Monday. The Manchester school district and SAU 29 in Keene are among those receiving waivers - they say they need until May 3rd to prepare schools and have staff fully vaccinated. The other schools receiving waivers are small public charter schools and schools that work with students with special education needs and disabilities. Requests from two additional schools are awaiting Governor Sununu's approval, according to the Department of Education. (Source: NHPR)

5. What Does Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause Mean For N.H? Granite Staters woke up to the news Tuesday that federal health agencies had recommended a pause on the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after rare blood clots developed in six women who received it. While the announcement called for a quick pivot, state health officials in New Hampshire say they were able to allocate Moderna vaccines in place of Johnson & Johnson. Vaccine providers were already expecting less Johnson & Johnson this week because of production challenges. But the logistical moves needed to accommodate the change are not insignificant: 27 Walmart locations across the state had been planning to administer Johnson & Johnson Tuesday. Regional public health networks and their partners were also planning to administer some Johnson & Johnson vaccines in their push to reach the homebound and other vulnerable populations. They want to make sure people understand the reason behind the Johnson & Johnson pause and want to instill confidence in the process of evaluating the vaccine and the rare side effects. They also want to communicate that the vaccines are overall safe and effective. Kris van Bergen, Director of Workforce and Public Health Programs for the North Country Health Consortium, said working in the North Country -- the region with the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy in the state -- she's familiar with fears that may be stopping people from signing up for a vaccine appointment. Van Bergan says that hesitancy can turn into confidence. Across earlier phases, she says, the region has seen a “second wave” of people wanting the vaccine who didn’t get it when it was initially offered to them, but are now signing up. The state has about 8,000 Johnson & Johnson doses in inventory, and will be holding onto them as the vaccine is reviewed. They do not expect the pause to cause the doses to expire, as it can be easily stored in a refrigerator, and expiration dates for the current supply are in late June. (Source: NHPR)

6. Freedom From Vaccinations Bill Debated Before NH Senate Panel. People from around New Hampshire who oppose vaccinations, including against COVID-19, spoke Wednesday in support of a bill that would establish “medical freedom in immunizations.” House Bill 220, was by far the most contentious among a handful of bills heard by the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill was opposed by officials for the state Department of Health and Human Services and the state’s medical community. The House previously passed the bill on a voice vote. Sponsor Rep. Timothy Lang, Sr., R-Sanbornton, who also served on the governors Economic Reopening Task Froce, said the bill was a good “first step” in preempting future limitations on those who refused to be vaccinated for religious and other reasons. He said he is currently concerned about being able to attend graduation at the University of New Hampshire, for example, and whether it will require attendees to be vaccinated. Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases and Control for the Department of Health and Human Services, spoke in opposition to HB 220. Daly said while there were some specific exceptions listed now in the bill “we have some concerns about the bill from a public health” perspective and some unintended consequences that could come from it. She said the wording about employers only mandating when a direct threat exists opens the door to future restrictions. Long-term care is of particular concern as this may expose the vulnerable who are housed there with potential risk, Daly said. (Source: InDepthNH)

7. Dartmouth College to Require Students to Vaccinate for Fall Return—Provost Says Variant Has Been Detected. Dartmouth College will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall term, the college’s provost said Wednesday. Those who qualify for medical and religious exemptions to vaccination will “of course be accommodated,” said Joseph Helble, Dartmouth’s provost, in an online community conversation. The college will offer vaccination opportunities on campus or in the surrounding area for students who have not vaccinated been before arriving for the fall term, he said. At this point, the college is not requiring employees to be vaccinated, but it is “strongly encouraging” it, Helble said. New Hampshire will begin offering vaccines to everyone 16 and older, including college students from out of state, beginning on Monday. People can register online at vaccines.nh.gov. Meanwhile, the more infectious B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has now been detected in test samples from “some members of the Dartmouth community,” Helble said. The presence of the variant, while expected due to its prevalence around the country, underscores the importance of Dartmouth community members continuing to wear masks, stay physically distant and avoid large groups, he said. (Source: The Valley News)

8. UNH's COVID Vaccine Doses 'Limited' for Out-of-State Student Clinics. Out-of-state University of New Hampshire students, staff and faculty can register to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine next Monday, April 19, the school has announced. The clinic will take place at the Whittemore Center between 1 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and will be the first of a two-shot series. The administering of second doses will take place on Friday, May 14 in the same time range. Reached for comment Wednesday, UNH Chief of Police Paul Dean said leftover vaccine from last week's in-state community member clinics will be used next week. "We have a limited amount of doses. "(There is) no new allocation," he said. More than half of UNH's approximately 15,000 students are from out of state. (Source: Seacoast Online)

9. Summer Camp Program to Help Kids Struggling with Pandemic Announced by State Officials. State officials have announced the creation of a summer camp program focused on helping young people struggling with the effects of the pandemic. Officials said it is a $3 million program designed to help kids who may be suffering. Called Rekindling Curiosity, it will provide summer camp opportunities to young people who may not have had access to such programs in the past. The program is targeting young people with disabilities and families who are financially disadvantaged. Those who qualify will receive a $650 voucher to apply to the day or overnight camp of their choice. (Source: WMUR)

10. 'Homegrown Stimulus' Pours Thousands into Keene Area Restaurants. The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock, a Keene-based fundraising organization, has bought another $7,000 in gift cards from area restaurants, bolstering its recent efforts to stimulate the local economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. TLC Monadnock launched The Monadnock Restaurant Project earlier this year, purchasing 610 gift cards — worth a combined $10,000 — from more than two dozen area eateries and giving them to staff at several large employers in the region. Calling the project a “homegrown stimulus effort,” TLC Monadnock aimed to encourage spending at those restaurants and reduce the pandemic’s financial hit to that industry. Project organizers expected people to spend twice the value of their gift cards and said the stimulus’ overall boost to the local economy could far exceed $20,000. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 14, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Wednesday, April 14

A vaccination progress report from N.H. DHHS issued yesterday that conflicts with information released elsewhere on the DHHS website—and with national vaccination websites using CDC data. While the news is mostly very good on vaccinations in New Hampshire (except when it comes to racial and ethnic demographics), it’s important to realize that while there are inconsistencies between vaccination tracking resources, ALL of the state level and federal level snapshots have value when measuring New Hampshire’s progress.

New Hampshire public health officials announced 378 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and no additional deaths. There were 3,413 active cases total and 123 patients were hospitalized. Here is the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Wednesday.

1. New England States Announce Pause on J&J Vaccine Appointments. All six New England states on Tuesday announced a pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after U.S. health officials announced they would immediately stop administering doses at federal sites. Officials in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Maine said they had recommended that vaccinators that have made Johnson & Johnson appointments not administer those doses. The moves came after the Food and Drug Administration earlier said the U.S. government would immediately stop using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at federal vaccination sites while experts review multiple adverse reactions to the shot. In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu announced that the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been paused consistent with the federal government's recommendation. “While the federal government has directed a brief pause in the J&J vaccine, the state is already working with our partners to ensure that they have an alternative supply of Pfizer or Moderna to help continue their efforts today.” Sununu, who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine himself at a mass vaccination event on Sunday, said no state managed fixed sites were scheduled to hold Johnson & Johnson clinics on Tuesday, but some regional public health networks were scheduled to provide the vaccine at clinics and to homebound residents. Walmart locations had also planned to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Tuesday. Sununu said the state is working to provide them with an alternative supply of Pfizer or Moderna so their efforts will not be slowed. (Source: NECN) The news comes after six serious cases of clotting problems were linked to the J&J vaccine— one of which was fatal. The blood clots are similar to those reported by several European countries after use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. The good news is the clotting problem appears to be quite rare and has been occurring at a ratio of one person for every million+ people receiving the vaccine. As of Monday, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had been administered in this country with only six clotting incidents reported. But officials acknowledged the investigation — and increased use of the vaccine, which was shipped in record numbers last week — could lead to the discovery of more cases. (Source: StatNews)

2. What Do I Do If I've Gotten the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Shot? Your Questions, Answered. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating six cases involving women who received the J&J vaccine and later developed blood clots, called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), in combination with low levels of blood platelets. The women were between the ages of 18 and 48 and experienced symptoms six to 13 days after vaccination. One woman died, and another remains in critical condition, federal health officials said. For those who received the J&J vaccine a month ago or longer, the risk of developing these rare blood clots is very low, said Anne Schuchat, the CDC's principal deputy director. Others, who received the vaccine over the past couple of weeks, should monitor for symptoms such as severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness or breath. Individuals who develop such symptoms should contact a health care provider and seek medical treatment. For those who received the J&J vaccine a month ago or longer, the risk of developing these rare blood clots is very low, said Anne Schuchat, the CDC's principal deputy director. Others, who received the vaccine over the past couple of weeks, should monitor for symptoms such as severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness or breath. Individuals who develop such symptoms should contact a health care provider and seek medical treatment. (Source: Seacoast Online) "People do not need to panic," said Martha Wassell, head of infectious disease control at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover. "The numbers show that 7 million doses have been given in the country, and there are only six reports of a blood clot." "I think the risk is likely similar to what we can see in the general population," said Wassell.

3. As Some Districts Say They Won’t Be Able to Meet Sununu’s Deadline, Nashua Schools Will Not Seek a Waiver and Will Be Open Monday. New Hampshire’s second-largest school district won’t be seeking a waiver from the governor’s school opening mandate and intends to fully open on Monday. “I do think we are ready for April 19,” said Garth McKinney, the interim superintendent for the Nashua School District. About 40 Nashua teachers will be returning from ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accommodations, and another 40 teachers will be returning within the next few weeks once they are fully vaccinated, McKinney said. That will make it possible to staff for five days a week of in-person instruction, he said. City schools have been fully remote most of the year, with the exception of special education, kindergarten and first-grade students. The remaining grade levels launched hybrid learning in February and March. (Source: Union Leader) Though most schools statewide are set to follow Sununu's order to resume full in-person instruction Monday, several districts are moving forward with plans to postpone reopening until students return from spring break. Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson and Westmoreland — on Tuesday received a waiver from the state to delay a full reopening until May 3, though Marlborough and Marlow had already resumed regular instruction before the governor's order. Meanwhile, the Monadnock Regional School District — which covers Fitzwilliam, Gilsum, Richmond, Roxbury, Swanzey and Troy — still intends to wait until May 3 to offer in-person classes five days a week, Superintendent Lisa Witte said Tuesday. Instead of requesting a waiver from the state, though, the Monadnock school board last week voted to send a letter to N.H. Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut declaring the district’s intent to postpone fully reopening. Sununu said last Thursday that districts that do not comply with the order to reopen April 19, or get a waiver, may need to add extra days to the school year, since remote learning will no longer count toward state-mandated instructional hours, Witte said that won't be necessary in the Monadnock district. "Even if we are told we cannot count the three remote days we will have during the week of April 19 while still hybrid, we still meet the minimum number of instructional hours for the entire school year (we actually still exceed the minimum number of instructional hours)," Witte said. "There would be no need to make up any days at the end of the school year." (Source: Keene Sentinel)

4. Confused Over Conflicting Reports of How Many People are Being Vaccinated in NH? You’re Not Alone! While observers of various sources for New Hampshire vaccination statistics—such as Bloomberg News, the New York Times, and Kaiser Health Network—have noted minor variations in first dose and fully-vaccinated metrics on these sites for New Hampshire, the variation between national sources and New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services is more significant. On Tuesday, the state released a vaccination allocation update showing 35.6% of Granite Staters had received their first dose (or their first and only dose on the one-shot J&J vaccine) and 18% of residents are now fully vaccinated. This contrasts with information on DHHS’s own Interactive Trends Dashboard which on Wednesday morning was showing a significantly higher percentage of residents—22.7% or 307,853 people—are now fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, both the Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker and the New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker, which both get their data from the CDC, report 53% of New Hampshire residents have received one dose and 25% are fully vaccinated. Why are New Hampshire’s own numbers at odds with each other and with national sources? One reason the state’s numbers are lower is the state’s vaccine allocation summary doesn’t report doses administered in New Hampshire as part of federal vaccine distribution programs. These include vaccinations for many nursing home residents and federal employees. Another may be timing. With the pace of vaccinations picking up, a difference of a few days in reporting time can lead to significant variations in the number of vaccination reported. But despite the differences, it’s important to note that ALL of the various vaccination reporting tools have value. The national vaccine trackers show how New Hampshire is doing in comparison to other states as well as how the overall national vaccination effort is going. Meanwhile, New Hampshire’s own data takes a deeper dive into progress—or lack of progress—in different demographic groups. For example, the latest New Hampshire data continues to show significant variations between men and women when it comes to getting the vaccine as well as racial and ethnic minorities continuing to be vaccinated at much lower rates than Whites. While 39.3% of N.H. women have received their first dose and 20.8% are fully vaccinated, only 30.8% of N.H. men have receive their first shot and only14.4% are fully vaccinated. The state’s vaccine allocation summary also shows 37.7% of Whites have received their first dose and 17.3% are fully vaccinated. This contrasts to first dose rates of 16.8% for Hispanic/Latino residents and 15.5% for Black residents; and full vaccinations rates of 7.1% and 6.9%, respectively—less than half those for Whites. Another critical indicator worth watching that is unique to NH’s Interactive Vaccine Tracker is the percentage of people vaccinated in the last seven days, which today stands at 3.2%. As recently as April 2, this number stood at 1.4%—an indication that the pace of vaccinations has picked up significantly. (Data Source: N.H. DHHS)

5. Hassan Reaches Out to FTC to Help Fight COVID-19 Scammers. Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan announced efforts to use funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to help combat scammers who are using the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud Americans. As of Saturday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recorded 1,470 scam reports totaling approximately $967,000. These reported scams sharply increase in mid-March 2020, with spikes in early January 2021 and March 15, 2021. “These scams take many forms, including offering expedited access to economic stimulus payments for a fee, impersonating public health officials or health insurers or providers, and selling phony products and treatments claimed to prevent or cure COVID-19,” Hassan wrote. “These illegal scams are a danger to the health and financial security of Americans.” (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

6. UNH Graduation Will Check For Proof Of COVID Vaccine For Guests, Students. This spring, the University of New Hampshire will attempt to transform a celebration ripe with transmission opportunities into a COVID-safe event. Newly released guidance from the university stipulates attendees will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event, or a vaccination card that shows they have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks. Graduating students are held to the same standard if they haven’t participated in the school’s weekly testing program. Though the school is limiting the number of guests in attendance— each graduate will be given only two tickets—the multi-day event will still attract thousands of people. The four-day event, which will honor current undergraduate and graduate students as well as those who graduated in 2020, will require masks and social distancing, though how the school will enforce these policies is still unclear. Erika Mantz, a spokesperson for the University of New Hampshire, said there will be seven separate ceremonies which will make it possible to social distance in the Wildcat stadium. (Source: NHPR)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 13, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Tuesday, April 13

Hospitalizations in New Hampshire from COVID-19 are up 83% in the past month. (Data Source: N.H. DHHS)

On Monday, New Hampshire public health officials announced 380 new cases and no additional deaths. New cases fell slightly from the 415 announced on Sunday, but hospitalizations increased to 118 and 3,384 active cases were reported statewide. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. 3 Fully Vaccinated Granite Staters Contract COVID-19 as Community Spread Continues. Three Granite Staters have come down with COVID-19 after they were fully vaccinated, but health officials say that's to be expected while the virus is still spreading widely in the community. Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the state's Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said the three Granite Staters who contracted the virus were at least two weeks past their second shots. New Hampshire has averaged about 450 cases per day across all age groups, but Daly said the increase is more pronounced in younger people. Just over 22.4% of the state is now fully vaccinated, but officials said that's not enough to keep case counts low, as transmission is still happening in households, as well as in clusters from social events and other settings. Daly said there will still be new cases even after most people get the shot. "We are going to have what we call breakthrough disease, which is when someone acquires COVID-19 even though they're fully vaccinated. For the most part, though, especially the vaccines that are currently in use right now, they're very effective at preventing COVID-19, and so we have seen reductions in transmission among those who are highly vaccinated." Daly said she expects to see other cases among fully vaccinated people. (Source: WMUR)

2. Rising Cases of COVID-19 Among Children Raises Concerns for School Reopenings. The rising number of COVID-19 cases among children has some school districts in New Hampshire wondering if they can meet next week's mandate to offer full in-person learning five days per week. Officials in some districts said they have they've seen an increase in COVID-19 cases within the last week or so, hitting numbers they haven't seen all year. It's a trend that appears to be on par with state numbers, as cases in the younger population continue to rise. SAU 9 in Conway and SAU 17 in Kingston have offered in-person learning five days per week for several months. But as preparations happen, officials in both districts said they have noticed a jump in COVID-19 cases in their schools, and that's causing concerns. "It's the highest numbers that we've had all year long," said SAU 9 Superintendent Kevin Richard. Richard said Kennett High School had to switch to remote learning last week. He was hoping for a return to class Monday but had to extend remote learning through this week after more cases were reported. Health officials said transmission in that age group is related to social contact, such as sports, sleepovers and birthday parties. (Source: WMUR) Over the weekend, daily numbers for new cases in children under 18 dipped below 100 after exceeding that number for 4 consecutive days.

3. COVID-19 Tracker: With Good Vaccination News and Bad Disease News, Should We Be Happy? According to the Concord Monitor’s weekly analysis of New Hampshire COVID-19 data, the state is doing quite well with vaccinations but the uptick in new cases is a cause for serious concern. More than half the people walking the street now have at least an initial vaccination shot, which provides some protection. There are also 84,000 people (roughly the population of Nashua) who have recovered from COVID-19 and have some level of natural protection. But at the same time, New Hampshire’s new-case count is going up as quickly it did in October when the winter surge began. The two-week average of new cases has gone from 262 one month ago to 424 on Sunday. Just as bad, the positive rate of PCR tests has more than doubled in recent weeks, getting alarmingly close to the 5% figure that is often seen as a benchmark that the virus is spreading out of control. What’s causing the increase in cases even as the number of people vaccinated continues to climb? Only 206 cases of B.1.1.7 variant have been identified in New Hampshire so far, but it’s not clear how much testing for variants we’re doing among the 9,000 or so COVID tests that are reported each day. Or maybe it’s other variants or a pattern of contagion we don’t yet understand, or the fact that certain groups have been ignored – minority groups, not-born-here college students, prisoners – which helps the virus keep replicating. Serious cases are rising, too: More than 100 people have been in the hospital with COVID-19 all week, something that we hadn’t seen since February. The death rate is a bright spot, since it has finally fallen down to under two a day, but even there improvement seems to be stalling out. “But whatever the reason, there’s a deeper issue: New Hampshire’s not an island. Protecting ourselves isn’t enough. As long as the virus is raging in other parts of the world, new variants can arise, and as long as we interact with the world we are at risk of getting re-infected.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

4. Economic Task Force Endorses Loosening More Restrictions. Loosening restrictions on day care centers and outdoor dining in preparation for a return to full-time school and the arrival of the summer tourist season is being recommended by the state’s Economic Reopening Task Force. Deputy Insurance Commissioner D.J. Bettencourt, Gov. Chris Sununu’s liaison to the task force, said the goal is to merge all industry-specific regulations for dealing with COVID-19 into a single set of rules. “As we get fully vaccinated, this seems like the most logical step for us as a task force to take,” Bettencourt said. The changes roughly double to 50 the number of children that can be served in outdoor programs. Capacity for indoor programs would increase to 50 as well, as long as there is at least 3 feet of social distancing. Another change would double the capacity on buses from one to two children per seat. The revised rules for restaurants, if approved, will reduce spacing between outdoor tables from 6 feet to 3 feet on May 28. Six-foot spacing would still be required indoors unless rigid barriers are in place. A 50% limit on adult day care programs would be replaced by a six-foot spacing requirement. A 10-person cap on groups of people meeting indoors would be eliminated. All of the recommendations now go to the state Division of Public Health Services before they are forwarded for Sununu’s final action. (Source: Union Leader)

5. N.H. Health Officials Turning Focus To The Vaccine Hesitant. Around 60 percent of eligible Granite Staters have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 or booked an appointment. Now, public officials say, they’re beginning to work on reaching those who either need more information, or aren’t sure yet they want to get the vaccine. The Winnipesaukee Public Health Network has spent the last few months focusing on vaccine distribution for vulnerable populations like the homebound and the homeless. Tammy Carmichael, Executive Director of the Partnership for Public Health in Laconia, says that this month she anticipates to continue vaccinating people that lean more vaccine confident, those that “want to get the vaccine.” In May, she expects they’ll be shifting to spend more time on the vaccine hesitant, a group that crosses many demographic lines. Carmichael says her organization is preparing with help from groups like the New Hampshire Medical Society. The society has been working on messaging and creating resources to address common questions and concerns around the COVID-19 vaccine for months. Jim Potter, Executive Vice President of the New Hampshire Medical Society, says the goal of working with health professionals, like Carmichael’s organization, is all about tapping into trust that already exists. He says for many people, when it comes to information around health, “Those that are most trusted are your physician, and or other health care providers or nurses.” (Source: NHPR)

6. Keene City, College Wastewater Tested for COVID-19 Variants. The Keene Public Works Department and Keene State College are sending samples of wastewater to a lab to search for highly transmissible COVID-19 variants. Health experts say the virus that causes COVID-19 sheds in fecal matter 10 to 14 days before people start to feel sick. By testing wastewater, public health officials said they can prepare for an outbreak before it happens. Keene recently received its first round of results from a lab that's now able to detect the U.K. and South African variants of the virus. "Right now, interestingly enough, they came back with negatives in those samples," said Kürt Blomquist, Keene public works director. "What was interesting is the lab said with some of their other clients, the labs initially came back negative, but very quickly, the variants started showing up." The collaboration between Keene, the college and a Florida-based lab started in August. (Source: WMUR)

7. US Colleges Divided Over Requiring Student Vaccinations. U.S. colleges hoping for a return to normalcy next fall are weighing how far they should go in urging students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including whether they should — or legally can — require it. Universities including Rutgers, Brown, Cornell and Northeastern recently told students they must get vaccinated before returning to campus next fall. They hope to achieve herd immunity on campus, which they say would allow them to loosen spacing restrictions in classrooms and dorms. But some colleges are leaving the decision to students, and others believe they can’t legally require vaccinations. At Virginia Tech, officials determined that they can’t because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only allowed the emergency use of the vaccines and hasn’t given them its full approval. Many schools have launched vaccination blitzes to get students immunized before they leave for the summer. At some schools, the added requirement is meant to encourage holdouts and to build confidence that students and faculty will be safe on campus. “It takes away any ambiguity about whether individuals should be vaccinated,” said Kenneth Henderson, the chancellor of Northeastern University in Boston. Other colleges, including Dartmouth College, are waiting for shots to become more widely available before making a decision. Diana Lawrence, a spokesperson for Dartmouth, said officials “cannot make a determination regarding required vaccination until vaccines are accessible for all students.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Seeks $400 Billion to Buttress Long-Term Care. A Look at What’s at Stake. One of the less-publicized parts of President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan is a bold proposal to spend $400 billion over eight years on home and community-based services. The idea is to help older adults and people with disabilities remain independent as long as possible. It comes as the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes, killing more than 174,000 people (880 in New Hampshire) and triggering awareness of the need for more long-term care options. “The systems we do have are crumbling” due to underfunding and understaffing, and “there has never been a greater opportunity for change than now,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, at a recent press conference where the president’s proposal was discussed. LeadingAge is a national association of more than 5,000 nonprofit nursing homes, assisted living centers, senior living communities and home care providers. But prospects for the president’s proposal are uncertain. Even advocates acknowledge the proposal doesn’t address the full extent of care needed by the nation’s rapidly growing older population. In particular, middle-income seniors won’t qualify directly for programs that would be expanded. They would, however, benefit from a larger, better paid, better trained workforce of aides that help people in their homes — one of the plan’s objectives. “This [plan] isn’t everything that’s needed, not by any step of the imagination,” said Ai-jen Poo, director of Caring Across Generations, a national group advocating for older adults, individuals with disabilities, families and caregivers. “What we really want to get to is universal access to long-term care. But that will be a multistep process.” (Source: Kaiser Health Network)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 12, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 11, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Sunday, April 11

Source: N.H. DHHS

On Saturday, New Hampshire public health officials announced three additional deaths and 471 new COVID-19 cases reported. Active cases stood at 3,689 statewide and hospitalizations rose 10% to110. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. As Vaccinations Progress, New Cases Among Young People Rise in NH and Neighboring States. With another mass vaccination clinic planned for today at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and activity at other state vaccination sites humming, the good news is New Hampshire continues to chip away at the number of residents who remain unvaccinated. In the past seven days according the the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services, an additional 1.9% of residents were fully vaccinated. This brings the total percentage of fully vaccinated residents up to 20.1% or 272,100 people—a very large number—but still only one out of every five residents. Meanwhile, the seven-day average of new cases is up 15% with the high point of this most recent surge coming Friday with 552 new cases. Also back up over 5% is the seven-day average PCR+Antigen positivity rate, which now stands at 5.3% statewide and 7.7% for Rockingham County—the highest levels since the end of January.
   
   While DHHS tracks the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases by age group, it doesn’t release information showing the number of active cases by all age groups. But what it does do is release the number of new cases among children under 18 each day in its daily update summaries. In the early part of the month, new cases among children were well under 100 per day (Apr. 1: 81; Apr 2: 67; Apr. 3: 72; Apr. 4: 69; Apr. 5: 45; Apr. 6: 85). But on April 7, daily new cases among children hit and then passed the 100-mark (Apr, 7: 100; Apr. 8: 111; Apr. 9: 123; Apr. 10: 101). Looking at the data another way—the percentage of daily new cases accounted for by children under 18, the data for April 1-10 looks like this: 19%, 16%, 16%, 17%, 16%, 21%, 23%, 22%, 22%, and 21%. Meanwhile, the DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard is reporting 11 active clusters in K-12 schools statewide and 248 active cases While daily case rates fluctuate, the apparent increase in cases among children—the state’s largest unvaccinated population—is cause for concern. Although though children are at lower risk for infections and becoming seriously ill, they can easily pass the virus on to unvaccinated household members.
   
   Another key demographic segment we have even less insight into when it comes to new daily cases in New Hampshire (because DHHS doesn’t release this information) is the age 18-30 population. However, some states, like neighboring Maine, do release this information and its most recent numbers are eye-opening. In Maine, a state with a comparable population to New Hampshire, new cases on Saturday exceeded 300 for the fourth straight day, with people under age 30 accounting for 45% of the new cases.
   
   According to the most recent vaccination demographics information from New Hampshire public health officials, 0% of children 15 and under have been vaccinated—a direct result of the fact that none of the three available vaccines has yet been approved for use in this age group. Meanwhile, a scant 11% of the age 16-29 population—which only recently became eligible—has received a first dose and only 5.6% are fully vaccinated.
   
   Bottom line: with only one in five Granite Staters of all ages fully vaccinated and their numbers increasing by less than 2% a week, we likely won’t be vaccinating our way out of the pandemic anytime soon. That’s why public health experts keep reinforcing the need to keep taking precautions, like physical distancing and mask-wearing when in public. Meanwhile, as more vaccine becomes available and the number of people eager and willing to line up to get it begins to shrink, it will become clearer how much work we have ahead of us to convince people skeptical of vaccination to get their dose(es) so we can reach the 70-85% vaccination level public health experts say is needed to reach herd immunity. (Data Sources: N.H. DHHS)

2. Portsmouth Schools Set Date for Full-Time In-Person Learning to Resume. Portsmouth’s school district leaders announced plans to reopen its schools to full-time in-person learning Wednesday, April 21. That’s two days after the April 19 deadline specified in Gov. Chris Sununu's executive order. In a joint message, Superintendent Steve Zadravec and Assistant Superintendent George O’Shea on Friday said Sununu’s order allows two extra days for the transition and the district will take advantage of the extra time. “This will allow for more protection for our staff from the vaccine and additional time for facility preparations,” they announced. Students in the city's Dondero, Little Harbour and New Franklin elementary schools will have full-time in-person learning Mondays through Thursdays and will be released early on Fridays at an unspecified time. Portsmouth Middle School students will see their schedules return to pre-coronavirus hours for five full days of in-person instruction. Remote students will be in “combined classes with dedicated teachers at each grade level.” At Portsmouth High School, students will have a full student class schedule again, with four 75-minute classes on those days running between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Remote students and quarantined students will work with teachers between 2 and 3:30 p.m. Classes will be held Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. (Seacoast Online) On Sunday, the state’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard showed 8 active cases; four at Portsmouth High School, three at Dondero Elementary School, and one at Little Harbour Elementary School. However, total active cases have dropped in Portmouth to 76 as of Saturday after flirting with the 100 mark early last week.

3. At NH Motor Speedway, More Residents, Plus the Governor, Get Vaccines. The governor and top state health officials received their COVID-19 vaccine at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Gov. Sununu received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the state's third mass vaccination event at the speedway. Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette and Bureau of Infectious Disease Control Chief Beth Daly also received their vaccines. This is the first mass vaccination event in the state since all residents 16 and over become eligible to receive their shot. However, since only Johnson & Johnson will be given out, those 18 are not eligible — currently only the Pfizer vaccine has been given authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds. Officials said the vaccination event at the speedway will also be open Sunday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., by appointment only. No walk-ins are allowed. (Source: WMUR)

4. US States Face Steep Decline in J&J COVID Vaccine Amid Production Problems. Johnson & Johnson is scaling back shipments of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine by 86% next week as it grapples with manufacturing issues at a major plant in Baltimore. The government has allocated only 700,000 J&J shots to states next week, down from 4.9 million the week prior, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. J&J is awaiting regulatory clearance for a Baltimore facility, which is run by Emergent BioSolutions Inc, and is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to secure authorization. Workers at the Baltimore plant several weeks ago mixed up ingredients for the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines, which led to roughly 15 million ruined J&J doses. The Biden administration has put J&J in charge of vaccine manufacturing at the plant and stopped production of the AstraZeneca vaccine there. Once it receives authorization, J&J could deliver up to eight million doses each week. The company remains on track to deliver 100 million doses by the end of May. (Source: NECN)

5. 12 Months of Trauma: More Than 3,600 US Health Workers Died in COVID’s First Year. More than 3,600 U.S. health care workers perished in the first year of the pandemic, according to “Lost on the Frontline,” a 12-month investigation by The Guardian and KHN to track such deaths. “Lost on the Frontline” is the most complete accounting of U.S. health care worker deaths. The project, which tracked who died and why, provides a window into the workings — and failings — of the U.S. health system during the covid-19 pandemic. One key finding: Two-thirds of deceased health care workers for whom the project has data identified as people of color, revealing the deep inequities tied to race, ethnicity and economic status in America’s health care workforce. Lower-paid workers who handled everyday patient care, including nurses, support staff and nursing home employees, were far more likely to die in the pandemic than physicians were. The yearlong series of investigative reports found that many of these deaths could have been prevented. Widespread shortages of masks and other personal protective gear, a lack of covid testing, weak contact tracing, inconsistent mask guidance by politicians, missteps by employers and lax enforcement of workplace safety rules by government regulators all contributed to the increased risk faced by health care workers. Studies show that health care workers were more than three times as likely to contract COVID as the general public. (Source: Kaiser Health News) In New Hampshire, ten of the state’s 1,256 COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic have come among healthcare workers. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 10, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Saturday, April 10

Pandemic legislating and speechifying at the NH SportsPlex in Bedford.

On Friday, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services reported two additional deaths and 552 new cases of COVID-19. 3,697 active cases were reported statewide along with 100 hospitalizations. Daily active cases have increased 15% over the past 7-day period. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. Sununu Threatens School Districts That Don’t Return to Full In-Person Learning with Mandatory Extension of School Year for Each Day of Remote Learning. School districts that do not comply with the April 19 deadline for resumption of five-day-a-week in-person learning will have to extend the school year to reach the 180 days of instruction required by state law, Gov. Chris Sununu has announced. Sununu said that after April 19, the state will not credit any days that schools are operating in a remote format. Those school districts will have to meet later in June or into July to complete their work, depending on how long it takes for them to comply, Sununu said. Sununu said that “20 to 30” school districts have asked for a waiver to switch over later. “We’re reviewing them all now,” Sununu added. Senate Deputy Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua said Sununu is running roughshod over local control with this latest mandate. “Schools across the state have been successfully executing plans to return to in-person learning based on the timeline that works best for their district. The governor’s arbitrary deadline is a complete reversal of his original position on ‘local control’ flexibility and disregards the hard work of our schools to develop and execute their reopening plan,” Rosenwald said. (Source: Union Leader) Meanwhile, districts across the state continue to struggle to meet the deadline. “I feel frustrated that the government all along has said the decision is in the hands of the superintendents,” said Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative board member Lisa Wiley, who said Jaffrey-Rindge’s plan has been based in caution and science. “We have to not let ourselves be railroaded by this very random decision.” (Source: Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

2. Drug Maker Reports COVID-19 Cluster at Upper Valley Facility. Pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk reported Friday that a cluster of COVID-19 cases has occurred at its production facility near Lebanon Municipal Airport and that a “limited” number of employees are now working on-site after a dozen employees tested positive for COVID-19. “We can confirm that 12 employees at our local site recently tested positive for COVID-19 and are now isolated per state requirements,” Novo Nordisk spokesman Ken Inchausti said in a statement after the Valley News inquired about a reported outbreak at the plant. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is working with the company on contact tracing and infection control measures to prevent further spread of the virus. The West Lebanon plant has 200 employees, Inchausti said. (Source: The Valley News)

3. N.H. Health Officials Say Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Reactions Similar to Other Vaccines. Medical and state officials in New Hampshire are saying they have no concerns about the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after four states temporarily paused administering it because of side effects. More than 12,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to be administered this weekend in New Hampshire. Georgia, Iowa, Colorado and North Carolina temporarily paused clinics, but some are back on after reassurances from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the reactions they were seeing are normal. Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said more than 16,000 people in New Hampshire have received vaccine so far, and officials have not seen any reactions beyond what's expected. "People can expect to have pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, and some may have headache, muscle and body aches, fever and nausea," Daly said. "These are normal. They typically last only a day or two, and they show the vaccine is working in the body to build protection." Daly, along with DHHS Commissioners Lori Shibinette and Gov. Sununu, is scheduled to receive the J&J vaccine at noon at today’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway mass vaccination event. (Source: WMUR) On a personal note, I received the J&J vaccine two weeks ago. I experienced no side effects other than a slightly sore arm for a day.

4. N.H. Prepares To Receive Billions From Latest Federal COVID Relief Package. More federal money is coming into New Hampshire’s economy during this pandemic — so much that it is difficult to figure out how to spend it or, in some cases, whether the state even needs all of it. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act signed into law on March 11 by President Biden, just as the state is digesting the $900 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed in December. And that came after three bills totaling $2.5 trillion, including the CARES Act, which were enacted after the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. “It’s a lot of money,” said Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell, who also doubles as head of the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR), the agency tasked with spending the federal money in the past. But this time the rules are different, Caswell said. Most of it doesn’t have to be spent right away. This time around, the aid includes nearly $1.1 billion in direct funding to the state (including capital projects), an estimated $458 million headed to counties and municipalities, and $350 million to school districts. In addition, there’s nearly $1.5 billion in $1,400 direct payments to individuals and somewhere north of $50 million in $300 supplemental unemployment programs. Small businesses are also in line to receive a major boost. The American Rescue Plan also has a new $28.6 billion program for restaurants. The parameters of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund weren’t published by deadline, but the law sets aside about $5 billion for restaurants with less than $500,000 of receipts. The money can be spent on payroll and benefits, mortgage, rent, utilities, maintenance, supplies (including PPE and cleaning products), food and beverages, supplier costs, operational expenses and paid sick leave. NThe Rescue Plan also adds $1.25 billion to the Shuttered Venue Operating Grant program to help the entertainment industry, bringing the total SVOP allocation to $16.25 billion. (Source: NH Business Review via NHPR)

5. NH House Passes Bill to Exempt Houses of Worship from Public Health Orders. Churches and other houses of worship will be exempt from emergency public health orders that prevent large gatherings under legislation passed Friday by the New Hampshire House. The bill passed by the House would prevent the state from shuttering churches, mosques, synagogues or other holy gathering spaces in future emergencies. House Bill 542 passed with Republican support Friday. Its sponsors said the government trampled on the free exercise of religion last year. They said the legislation would prevent that from happening again by preventing the state from enforcing any health, safety, or occupancy requirements that impose a "substantial burden" on religious services. Supporters of the bill said that if it becomes law, the government could still issue pandemic guidance, but they said religious liberty is such a fundamental right that no one should have to submit to the state or get creative in order to worship. "HB 542 reinforces that right by guaranteeing the free exercise of religion in an emergency, while preserving the right of the government to require religious organizations to comply with neutral health and safety regulations," said Rep. Mark McLean, R-Manchester. Democrats opposed the bill. "I don't believe we need a new law that prioritizes religious freedoms over public health and safety in a crisis," said Rep. Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter. (Source: WMUR) Worth noting is that Rep. Simpson is also a pastor at her church. HB 542 now heads to the Senate for a hearing and votes.

6. NH House of Reps Ends Acrimonious Marathon 3-Day Session on Acrimonious Note. Three days of often heated debate and partisan rhetoric among House members ended Friday without action on 73 mostly Democratically sponsored bills, which kills them. Before the House adjourned about 6:45 p.m. ending its work on its own bills, members overturned three key committee recommendations, approving a two-mile landfill-free zone around state parks and mandatory rear-facing car seats for children until two years old, and killing a bill that would have ended qualified immunity for police officers and other government employees. GOP legislators also beat back an attempt to send the case six Republican members before the House Administration Committee after they signed a petition to terminate New Hampshire’s statehood and sought to declare the 2020 election void because of alleged fraud. Meanwhile, Republicans failed Friday to muster the votes needed to advance two proposed constitutional amendments prohibiting broad-based taxes. Rep. Susan Almy, D-Lebanon, called it a diversion tactic to take people’s attention away from tax cuts for the wealthy, reduced spending and a greater and greater burden on property taxpayers meaning less and less chance for a working family to improve their life. But the House did approve a bill to expand the base of the rooms and meals tax to include internet transactions for rental cars and rooms. http://indepthnh.org/2021/04/09/tax-prohibition-amendments-dont-pass-the-house/ Also making news was House Speaker Sherman Packard, who started Friday’s session by calling Rep. Anne Copp a vulgar term on a hot mic and then ended the day by issuing both private and public apologies to her. (Source: InDepthNH)

7. Concord-Area High Schools to Mask Up for Spring Sports Season. After some scheduled delays and with familiar safety regulations in place, Concord-area high school sports teams are practicing and preparing for a spring season, which begins as soon as Monday for some programs. Almost all athletes will be wearing masks this spring – from tennis to track to baseball – which has already caused a wrinkle among some coaches. Like they did in the winter and fall, and like other schools are doing across the state, several area athletic programs in various districts have joined together to form schedules within “cohorts” that limit travel and narrow competition mostly to nearby cities and towns. The NHIAA delayed the start of the 2021 spring season for all divisions by one week, pushing back the first date to practice to March 29 and the first date to play to April 12. The Concord area cohort went a step further and didn’t begin practices until April 5, and almost all of those teams will start playing games the week of April 19. “We pushed it back because we were concerned about our fields being ready in time, and if they weren’t we’d have a multitude of kids running around inside the building, and how would we control that?” Merrimack Valley athletic director Kevin O’Brien said. “So, when we talked about it with our cohort, we decided losing a week wouldn’t make that much difference, so we came up with a six-week, 12-game schedule.” (Source: Concord Monitor)

8. Portsmouth Together 200 COVID Fundraiser Exceeds Expectations, Becomes Together 250. XSS Hotels and Cathartes has announced that, in less than one month from launching the Portsmouth Together 200 Challenge, the 100-day goal of raising $200,000 to fight hunger and benefit city restaurants and the arts has been met. Individuals' and local businesses' donations of $100,000 were matched dollar for dollar by XSS Hotels and Cathartes, who announced they are pledging another $25,000 in matching donations to set a new goal of $250,000. The fundraising campaign will now be known as Together 250. Mark Stebbins of XSS Hotels and Jeff Johnston of Cathartes came up with the fundraising idea to help build a bridge over COVID during the critical 100 days leading up to summer, when locals are optimistic about robust economic activity. Matching donations to reach the new $250,000 goal can still be made through the Together 200 Challenge web portal, Together200.org or directly to each of the partnering non-profits. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 9, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Friday, April 9

Source: N.H. DHHS

New Hampshire public health officials announced one additional death and 515 additional positive tests for COVID-19 on Thursday—the highest one day total for new cases since mid-January. Hospitalizations also rose over the 100 mark to 102. There are now 3,585 total active cases statewide and 95 in Portsmouth. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Sununu Reverses Decision to Deny Vaccine to Out-of-State College Students: N.H. To Open Vaccine Eligibility To All April 19, Including Non-Residents. New Hampshire will soon loosen its residency restriction for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility even further. Gov. Chris Sununu says starting April 19, non-residents, no matter where they live, can register for a COVID-19 vaccine in New Hampshire. They’ll have to sign up, like everyone else, through the state-run vaccination site, vaccines.nh.gov. “Whether you live in Boston, Maine, Vermont, New York, doesn’t matter, come on in, get your vaccine. We’re open for business,” Sununu said at a press conference Thursday in Concord. Sununu said Thursday the increased availability of COVID vaccines led him to reverse course. Sununu said the number of Granite Staters signing up for vaccines is now slowing down, and there are over 200,000 appointments available between now and Memorial Day. So far, around 60 percent of eligible residents have either already been vaccinated or have an appointment booked, according to state health officials. (Source: NHPR) Meanwhile, on Thursday Sununu announced he will finally get vaccinated himself on Saturday at the planned mass vaccination clinic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Source: WMUR)

2. District Court to Re-Rule on House Dems Remote Access Request After Appeals Court Says Americans with Disabilities Act Trumps “Legislative Immunity”. In a victory for New Hampshire House Democrats, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday evening vacated a lower court ruling that had upheld the House Speaker's refusal to provide remote access to House sessions to about two dozen lawmakers who are at a heightened risk of serious complications from COVID-19. The court, in a 3-0 ruling, remanded the case to the U.S. District Court in Concord with instructions to hold further proceedings to determine if the plaintiffs in the case are “persons with disabilities within the meaning” of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act or the federal Rehabilitation Act. But with vaccinations now becoming prevalent in society, the appeals court also ruled that the district court should “also determine whether --and to what extent -- changing circumstances may moot the plaintiffs' claims.” The ruling comes as the New Hampshire House of Representatives wraps up a marathon three-day, in-person session on Friday where the GOP voting margins have been increased because several Democratic legislators with disabilities that make them more vulnerable have stayed away. It is unclear if, as a result of the ruling, the House must, or will, try to find a way to provide remote access as soon as Friday to the seven plaintiff lawmakers, if not the additional 20 Democrats who say they are also qualified due to their physical disabilities. House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing said he will be discussing with his attorneys whether the Speaker will be asked to make accommodations for the lawmakers for Friday’s session. It is worth noting that despite receiving at least $190,000 funds under COVID-19 relief programs specifically "to pay for COVID-19-related expenses, such as 'off-site' sessions, subscriptions for videoconferencing technology, IT equipment for remote work, and sanitation“, House GOP leadership has refused to provide a way for disabled legislators to attend and vote in House sessions claiming “legislative immunity” trumps the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thursday’s ruling confirmed that in this case, US law supercedes the House’s rules. (Source: WMUR)

3. New One-Shot Johnson & Johnson Appointments at Malls. New Hampshire announced one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines appointments are available at three malls Sunday, April 11, including the Mall at Fox Run in Newington. Appointments are fully booked at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the mass vaccine clinic with Johnson & Johnson shots this Saturday and Sunday. Appointments are open for 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday via vaccines.nh.gov using the Vaccine & Immunization Network Interface (VINI) or calling 2-1-1. The Johnson & Johnson doses are being offered at: Concord Vaccination Clinic at Steeplegate Mall (former Sears building), Newington Vaccination Clinic at Mall at Fox Run (Former Sears building), and Salem Vaccination Clinic at Rockingham Mall (Former Lord & Taylor building). (Source: Seacoast Online)

4. As New Cases Increase, Sununu Defends Full-Time School Mandate, Saying It's Vital Students Return to Classrooms. Gov. Chris Sununu is pushing back against complaints about his mandate to get students back to school full-time. The governor said that despite increasing COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations in New Hampshire, vaccinations are up, too. He said what's best for students is that they be back in school, five days a week. Some school districts have said they need more time and can't meet Sununu's mandate that they return to in-person learning five days per week by April 19. That date is before April vacation and before all teachers could be fully vaccinated. About 20 to 30 school districts have requested waivers. "We didn't surprise this on anybody," Sununu said. "We gave them two and a half weeks' notice after two months of talking about it. 'Hey, get ready for five days. Get ready for five days.'" The governor said it's a return to pre-pandemic rules, so schools not fully in person might have to make the time up. "So we're simply saying we're not allowing the hybrid and remote learning anymore unless it's requested by the individual, the student themselves, and if schools insist on doing that beyond the 19th, it's just not going to count," Sununu said. (Source: WMUR)

5. N.H. House Passes Bill Limiting Governor's Emergency Powers. The New Hampshire House voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to give lawmakers more say in future states of emergency. Under the bill, governors would retain a free hand to declare a 30-day state of emergency. But the Legislature would have to approve any extension of those orders. If circumstances didn't allow lawmakers to meet, a governor's emergency acts would renew in 14 day increments until lawmakers could weigh in. Gov. Chris Sununu has criticized - and indicated he would veto - this and several other bills lawmakers have passed to limit the authority of a governor during an emergency. (Source: NHPR) Worth noting is this particular bill, HB 417 won widespread bipartisan support and passed by a veto-proof 328-41 margin.

6. Sununu Says He Opposes ‘Vaccine Passports’ from Washington Even Though Washington Says They Would Need to Come From Private Sector. Requiring citizens to have a government-issued vaccine passport to travel and to attend public events would needlessly stir more controversy over the risk of contracting COVID-19, Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday. During a Washington Post live interview with columnist Karen Tumulty on Tuesday, Sununu said private businesses and colleges have every right to impose vaccine requirements on their workers or students, though some of those requirements would likely get tested in court. “Washington is so removed from what is happening on the ground. We shouldn’t be mandating anything. These vaccine passports, creating the haves and the have-nots, you are just going to create a lot of problems and anxiety,” Sununu said. The comments came on the same day Dr. Anthony Fauci said the federal government would not be mandating vaccine passports for travel and businesses. The White House has indicated any potential passports would come from the private sector, with little direct involvement from the government. (Source: Union Leader)

7. Draft Guidelines To Open Up Pools, Attractions on the Table Friday. Draft rules for the reopening of pools, outdoor attractions, day camps, campgrounds, the food service industry, and attractions including fairs and festivals are on the table Friday when the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force meets at 11 a.m. It also includes possible changes to the universal guidance. To provide input and listen, call 1-800-356-8278 or 1-857-444-0744 and use the PIN 194499. For Public Comments to request to speak, press 5*. At the beginning and end of each meeting, the public will have a chance to provide input. Gov. Chris Sununu told Executive Councilors Wednesday that he sees the state largely returning to normal or close to normal this summer after a year that forced closures or limitations on capacity in many areas of the state’s life and culture. (Source: InDepthNH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 8, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Thursday, April 8

While New Hampshire’s overall vaccination numbers are excellent, the state continues to lag when it comes to vaccinating non-White racial and ethnic groups. (Data Source: N.H. DHHS)

On Wednesday, New Hampshire public health officials announced one additional death and 434 new positive test results. There are now 3,387 active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are up to 96. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. New NH Vaccination Data Shows Gender Gap Tightening Slightly But Racial and Ethnic Gaps Still Present. Data released Wednesday by the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services shows 31.7% of Granite Staters have received their first dose and 15.8% are now fully. The data represents people vaccinated at New Hampshire vaccination sites, but doesn’t include federally allocated vaccine doses administered at nursing homes. According to CDC data from the New York Times, when the federal doses are factored in, the state is now first in the U.S. with 44% of the population having received at least one dose and is #23 when it comes to the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated at 20.8%. The New Hampshire data shows that while the gender gap between men and women receiving the vaccine has started to tighten, it is still wide. Although women outnumber men in New Hampshire by less than 1%, 57.9% of the people receiving ntheir first dose have been women and 40.5% are men. The gap for full vaccination is even wider, with men trailing women 39.7% to 59.6%. Meanwhile, Hispanic/Latino, Black, and Asian residents are being vaccinated at lower rates than WHite residents. While 22.6% of White residents have received their first dose, only 10.9% of Hispanic/Latino, 10.6% of Black, and 14.9% of Asia residents have completed the first step or received the one-dose J7J vaccine. The numbers are similar when it comes to fully vaccinated residents, While 12.3% of White residents have been fully vaccinated, only 5.2 of Hispanic/Latino residents, 5.6% of Black residents, and 8.4% of Asian residents have received either both doses or the one-dose J&J vaccine. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

2. ‘Infuriating': NH Out-of-State Students Denied COVID Vaccine Push Back. New Hampshire is the only state in New England not actively planning to vaccinate its out-of-state students, despite containing communities such as UNH in Durham, where only 44% of the student population are New Hampshire residents upon enrollment. Isabella Ronson, an out-of-state senior at the University of New Hampshire, established state residency Monday at the Department of Motor Vehicles with her apartment address. Susceptible to COVID-19 complications due to Crohn’s disease, it was the only way Ronson could quickly become eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in New Hampshire. “It was really frustrating when the governor made the announcement about the rollout for everyone above (age) 16 because I had been waiting so long to register,” said Ronson, who hails from Virginia. The day before New Hampshire’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility opened to New Hampshire residents aged 16-29, Sununu said that out-of-state college students should go home to get their vaccine. The governor said last Thursday, "No state in New England is giving out-of-state college students vaccine because no state is given vaccine for them." Despite the governor's claim, supply is not being cited as an issue for out-of-state college students in other New England states. Rollout information shows out-of-state students, as well as international students, residing and attending college in Maine become eligible for the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, April 7, along with all Maine state residents age 16 and older. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, both states say they will vaccinate out-of-state students of higher education institutions in their online rollout plans. Rhode Island’s eligibility criteria says, “To get vaccinated in Rhode Island, you must live in Rhode Island, work in Rhode Island, or go to school in Rhode Island.” Vaccine appointment registration for those age 16-39 in Rhode Island will “likely begin by late April 2021,” per the state’s health department. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s office changed course after initially saying out-of-state students did not meet eligibility requirements. Instead, should there be leftover vaccine supply, beginning Friday, April 30, out-of-staters and “second homeowners returning to Vermont for the summer months” will have registration expanded to them. (Seacoast Online)

3. Magdalen College Ignored State's Warnings During COVID-19 Outbreak. Magdalen College ignored the state’s recommendation to hold online-only services for Holy Week and close the campus to the public amid a campus COVID-19 outbreak, prompting state officials to warn that the public might have been exposed to the virus during Easter services. The COVID-19 outbreak at the tiny Catholic college in Warner has infected at least 17 of the college’s approximately 80 students, said Associate Attorney General Anne Edwards, who has been leading education and enforcement of New Hampshire’s COVID-19 reopening regulations. Unlike larger colleges in New Hampshire, Magdalen College had no testing program, Edwards said. Some safety protocols were in place in the fall of 2020, Edwards said, but by March, she said, “compliance with mask-wearing and social distancing was not strong.” The Department of Health and Human Services recommended Magdalen hold Holy Week services by Zoom or by streaming video rather than in person. Edwards said the college was told it should close the campus to the public to stop the virus from spreading off-campus. “The college did not do that,” she said. (Source: Union Leader)

4. State Epidemiologist Blames 60% Increase in New Daily Cases on People Relaxing Restrictions Too Quickly. On Tuesday, State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan warned Granite Staters not to let their guard down and that new COVID-19 infections in New Hampshire are rising across all age groups under the age of 60. Chan said the state is averaging 400 new infections per day now, a 60% increase from the beginning of last month. Test positivity rate and hospitalizations have begun to rise again too, pointing to growing community spread. He said these increases are likely due to people relaxing restrictions too quickly. “If people fully let their guards down now, this pandemic will be more difficult to control in the long-term,” Chan said. His warning came as school districts prepared for a full return to in-person classes on April 19, but some say social distancing on busses will be near impossible. Chan said the more-contagious U.K. variant has been predicted to become the dominant circulating strain in the United States in the coming weeks. He said the vaccines are effective against it and asked everyone to get vaccinated when it is their turn and keep wearing face masks when distancing is not possible. (Source: WMUR)

5. Dozens of Schools Push Back Against Full-Time In-Person Learning Deadline. Dozens of New Hampshire school districts are pushing back on the governor's mandate that schools return to full-time in-person instruction by April 19. At least one school district is refusing to meet the mandate. "We did send a letter to the commissioner this morning indicating the board's decision to move forward with a full return on May 3," said Monadnock Regional School District Superintendent Lisa Witte. The school board made the decision to stick with the later deadline. Many school leaders said they wonder what happened to the idea of local control. Superintendents said they remember a tweet from the governor last summer about the importance of local control in the crisis. "Then suddenly, this came out and it wasn't local control, and it took control away from our locally controlled and elected school board," said Manchester Superintendent John Goldhardt. Manchester School District is among more than 20 districts that applied for a waiver to the order, citing vaccine concerns for staff members and teachers and invoking federal requirements. (Source: WMUR) https://www.wmur.com/article/best-organic-pillows/36052346 Meanwhile, Gov. Sununu’s office is pledging to work with school districts with “extenuating circumstances” that are unable to meet the governor’s mandate that all schools reopen five days a week for in-person-learning by April 19. (Source: Seacoast Online)

6. COVID Treatment Breakthrough? Dartmouth-Hitchcock Reports Drug's Success in Study. A drug that was studied at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire for treating severe COVID-19 has shown to be highly effective at preventing coronavirus patients from needing to be put on a ventilator, the hospital announced Tuesday. Emergency use authorization for the drug is expected to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration as soon as possible, according to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Lenzilumab, made by California-based biopharmaceutical company Humanigen Inc., works by preventing and treating an immune hyper-response called the “cytokine storm,” a life-threatening, systemic inflammatory response in the body, according to DHMC and the company. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. UNH Opts Out of Remainder of Football Season. The University of New Hampshire Department of Athletics announced Tuesday that the Wildcat football team has opted out of its remaining two games of the spring 2021 season due to ongoing COVID-19 issues within the program. UNH had been scheduled to play at home this Saturday against Stony Brook and at Maine on Saturday, April 17. The CAA has officially cancelled both those games. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 7, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Tuesday, April 6

The website featuring NH COVID-19 resources has been simplified and has adopted the cleaner look of the state’s interactive dashboards. You can find it at https://www.covid19.nh.gov/welcome.

On Monday, state health officials reported 289 newly-identified COVID-19 infections and no new deaths. 83 people were hospitalized and 3,287 active cases were reported statewide. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Tuesday.

1. Sununu Staffer Tests Positive for COVID-19. A member of Gov. Chris Sununu's staff tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, and though this person was determined not to be a “close contact” of the governor, he will monitor himself for any symptoms. The individual who tested positive has not been in the office since Thursday morning of last week, and is feeling fine, according to a news release issued by Sununu’s office. Over the weekend, the individual woke up with a sore throat and “very minor symptoms” and began quarantining, the news release said. “Out of an abundance of caution, a rapid test was conducted this morning and the result came back positive,” the news release said. This is the second confirmed case of COVID-19 among Sununu’s office staff. An individual tested positive on Dec. 7, 2020. (Source: Union Leader)

2. Appeals Court Hears Discrimination Case Filed by NH State Reps Against House Speaker. Two days before the New Hampshire House is scheduled to open a three-day session, lawyers were before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston arguing whether the session discriminates against lawmakers at high risk for COVID-19. Republican House Speaker Sherman Packard has refused to allow state reps with underlying health conditions to participate remotely, which prompted a lawsuit now under appeal. Justices peppered lawyers with pointed questions about the timing of any decision, federal funding and discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act against people with underlying medical conditions. "If you show up and die, that's going to be discrimination," said Justice O. Rogeriee Thompson. The case was brought in early March by House Democratic leader Rep. Renny Cushing, six other state reps and the New Hampshire Democratic Party. (Source: Union Leader)

3. Pembroke Track Coach Fired Over Mask Dispute. The track and field coach at Pembroke Academy was fired Monday over masks. Brad Keyes said he wasn’t going to force his athletes to wear them this season, and he wasn’t willing to cover up his opinion on yet another odd scenario caused by the pandemic. Keyes said the athletic directors and school boards that followed New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association recommendations and agreed to outdoor mask-wearing were being dishonest to the athletes, by making decisions without wisdom or science. “Fire me if you must,” was the title of his follow up message. On Monday, his school bosses did just that. (Source: Concord Monitor)

4. State to Host Third Mass Vaccination Site at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. New Hampshire will host a third mass vaccination event on April 10 through 11 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Vaccinations will be available by appointment only. Appointments can be scheduled through the state’s VINI system at vaccines.nh.gov. Anyone with appointments scheduled for a later date can reschedule for an earlier appointment at the event. According to officials, to find the site within the VINI registration system individuals should search the ZIP code 03307 or Loudon, New Hampshire. Officials said the site is scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on both days. The vaccination event will only be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, therefore those age 16 and 17 are not eligible to be vaccinated at this location. (Source: WMUR)

5. Veteran’s Home Outbreak Report To Be Updated with New Data, But Questions Remain About Outbreak That Killed 37. State health officials are updating a previously incomplete report on the COVID-19 outbreak at the State Veterans Home in Tilton. There are still questions about why findings from a federal VA visit to the facility during the outbreak never made it to public health officials. During the outbreak last year, 37 residents died, and officials will now be updating their recent report on infection control practices. A section of that report had been left blank and will now include a summary of steps taken to improve issues observed by a VA Infection Prevention Nurse who visited the home during the outbreak. On Monday, Sen. Maggie Hassan said the federal delegation first received information about infection control issues last year during the outbreak at the Veterans Home and that is part of why the VA got involved in the state-run facility. “We raised those concerns,” Hassan said. “I think it’s really important now to look back and see what happened to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again.” (Source: WMUR)

6. SAU 16 Superintendent Wants Waiver from Sununu's School Opening Mandate. SAU 16 Superintendent David Ryan is recommending the Exeter area school district stick to its plan for reopening its largest schools May 3. He is seeking to request a waiver rather than meet Gov. Chris Sununu's mandate to begin full-time in-person learning April 19. The waiver request to the New Hampshire Department of Education would be for Exeter High School and Cooperative Middle School as well its largest elementary schools: Stratham Memorial School and Lincoln Street and Main Street schools in Exeter. Ryan sent an email to the SAU 16 community Monday explaining his recommendation. "The reasons that have led to the five larger schools operating on an alternating cohort model was primarily due to the restrictive physical distancing space in accordance with the CDC guidelines," he wrote. "Further, remote instruction has continued in these schools due to the 129 teachers, counselors, paraprofessionals, and staff members across the five schools who are assigned to (remote learning) due to COVID-19 related employment accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act." Ryan indicated the timing of vaccinations for teachers and school staff is a factor, too. (Source: Seacoast Online)

7. FBI Warns Against Fake Coronavirus Vaccination Cards Being Sold Online. As some venues and destinations start requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination, the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cards, given to those who get immunized, have become a hot commodity on the black market. Scammers are selling some of them for hundreds of dollars. Listings for fraudulent cards have also appeared on major online platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and eBay. On April 1, the National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter to the CEOs of Twitter, eBay and Shopify asking them to prevent the selling of the fake vaccination cards on their websites. The FBI also issued a special alert warning the public of making or buying fake vaccination cards. It has also advised against posting photos of your vaccine card on social media, saying personal information from that card could be lifted by scammers trying to make fake cards and commit fraud. (Source: NECN)

8. Can You Take Tylenol, Ibuprofen With the COVID Vaccine? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people talk to their doctors about taking over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, or antihistamines, for any pain and discomfort after getting vaccinated. But the CDC doesn’t recommend taking such over-the-counter medications or antihistamines to prevent side effects prior to receiving the coronavirus vaccine. "You can take these medications to relieve post-vaccination side effects if you have no other medical reasons that prevent you from taking these medications normally," the CDC states. "It is not recommended you take these medicines before vaccination for the purpose of trying to prevent side effects." (Source: NECN)

9. COVID Tracker: The Pandemic’s Silver Lining is That Medical Research is Getting Supercharged. The good news amid all the bad is that the pandemic has shaken us out of our medical-research complacency and seems ready to generate a decade or two’s worth of biotech innovation in the blink of an eye. The need for quick COVID-19 vaccines was the incentive to turn an idea that was slowly percolating through R&D labs – using mRNA, part of the Rube Goldberg cellular system for creating proteins, to make the body do our drug manufacturing for us – into a multimillion-dose vaccine production line that is saving lives all over the planet. This astonishing success is spurring development of mRNA vaccines against HIV, the flu, even some cancers and multiple sclerosis. It’s not dissimilar to what happened after penicillin was invented; suddenly antibiotics were being created to thwart a host of historically awful diseases. But mRNA vaccines aren’t the whole story as a flurry of news has started to emerge about sudden advances in vaccine production methods, genetic analysis techniques, treatments based antisense molecules, and more. Meanwhile, the news on vaccinations is good, but the news on new cases is bad. A month ago the two-week average of new cases in New Hampshire was 262. On Sunday it was 380, and had risen six days in a row. The fear is that this the effect not just of society relaxing its guard but of a more contagious variant, or perhaps more than one, starting to take hold. (Source: Concord Monitor)

10. March Bankruptcy Filings Rise Sharply in New Hampshire for First Time Since Pandemic. The American Rescue Plan didn’t come soon enough for some 88 New Hampshire individuals and four businesses that sought bankruptcy in March, the first sharp increase in filings since the pandemic began. But the number of filings in March were still 38% the number filed in March 2020, they were 56% higher than February 2021, when there were 59 filings. (Source: NH Business Review)

11. No End In Sight To Pandemic Housing Frenzy, N.H. Realtors Say. More people from out of state are buying homes in New Hampshire during the pandemic, and prices for those homes are on the rise. That’s according to buyer data collected by the Better Homes and Gardens The Masiello Group, which sells real estate in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Chris Masiello, the CEO, says it's a mixture of clients from large cities and suburbs looking for second homes and others who want to move here permanently. Masiello predicts this will be more possible as companies allow employees to work from home permanently even after the pandemic is over. “I think there's the whole dispersal of the workforce,” he says. “It won't even be the majority of the workforce, but it will be a subset of the workforce. I think that's one thing that will continue to drive people to move to a state like New Hampshire.” According to data from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, sale prices have jumped 12 percent over the past year. That’s double the increase realtors saw in the strong 2019 market. (Source: NHPR)

12. NH COVID-19 Online Resources Get a Cleaner, Simpler New Look. On Monday, state officials quietly rolled out a new home page for COVID-19 resources. The new home page is a simplified upgrade over the previous home page on the N.H. DHHS website. It includes links to vaccination registration, testing information, and interactive dashboards. You can view it here. (Source: State of NH)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 5, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Monday, April 5

Active cases in Portsmouth have more than doubled in the past two weeks. The state is also reporting nine active cases in Portsmouth K-12 schools. (Source: N.H. DHHS)

On Sunday, New Hampshire public health officials announced two additional deaths and 414 new positive tests for COVID-19. There are now 3,731 active cases diagnosed in New Hampshire and 87 people are hospitalized. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related news you need to know to start your Monday.

1. Active Cases Up Across State, Portsmouth Cases More Than Double in Two Weeks. After nearly a month of active COVID-19 cases stabilizing between 40-50 per day, the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services reported 96 active cases in Portsmouth on Sunday. As recently as March 21, only 41 were reported. New Hampshire’s COVID-19 Schools Dashboard is reporting nine active cases this morning at Portsmouth schools, including seven at Portsmouth High School and one each at Little Harbour and New Franklin elementary schools. Active cases a have also topped the 300 mark again in both Manchester (351) and Nashua (301). Dover and Durham, both with large college populations, have 116 and 114 respectively. (Data Source: N.H. DHHS)

2. Variant Spreads Amid Vaccine Rollout. Even as New Hampshire’s COVID-19 vaccination program shifts into high gear, a highly contagious variant of the virus is spreading, overall case numbers are increasing and a significant segment of the population doesn’t want to be inoculated. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 72 people in New Hampshire and more than 11,000 across the country have contracted the so-called U.K. variant, which was first documented in the state in February. Two members of the University of New Hampshire Durham community are among those who have contracted it. A study by the British Medical Journal found that this variant, also known as B.1.1.7, had a higher mortality rate than previous versions of the virus — an increase in deaths from 2.5 to 4.1 per 1,000 cases. British studies have shown the U.K. variant to be 50% more infectious and transmissible. Because of that, the U.K. variant could soon be the norm in New Hampshire and throughout the U.S. Meanwhile, New Hampshire health officials are reporting a surge in new COVID-19 cases, with an average of 346 reported per day from March 22-28, a 21% increase compared to the previous week. State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said the exact reason for the increase isn’t known, but there have been a growing number of infections among college students and teenagers who, up until this week, haven’t been eligible to sign up for vaccinations. (Source: Concord Monitor)

3. Mass. Leads Nation in Cases of Brazilian COVID-19 Variant. Massachusetts has emerged as the leader in an unfortunate statistic related to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Boston Globe, Massachusetts now contains the most cases in the country of the so-called Brazil variant, or P.1, with 54 cases that stem mostly from a cluster on Cape Cod. Last week's public health report showed that nearly half of Barnstable County's 15 towns are "high risk" communities for transmission of the coronavirus. However, more Cape residents have been vaccinated than any other area of the state, according to the Globe. The Brazilian variant is of concern because people more infected with it tend to become more seriously ill. (Source: NECN)

4. State Revenues Continue Strong Showing As Budget Battle Takes Shape. State revenues continue to be higher than expected in one of the most important months for business taxes. Business taxes were not the only positive signal for the state’s revenue picture as revenues totaled $701 million, $24.6 million above estimates. Revenues for March include the statewide education property tax of $363.1 million, which is a state tax, but remains in local communities and is not sent to the state. Without the state property tax, other state revenues totaled $337.9 million for March. For the year-to-date, state revenues are $2.062.8 billion, which is $158.3 million above budget writer’s estimates and $181.5 million more than a year ago. When a $30.8 million adjustment is made for revenue collected this fiscal year, but credited to the 2020 fiscal year, state revenues are $127.5 million more than estimates for the year-to-date. (Source: InDepthNH) Despite the rosier outlook, the proposed state budget that legislators will vote on later this week includes over $100 million in business, rooms and meals, and interest and dividends tax cuts, and almost $80 million in across-the-board cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services in programs and personnel. (Source: InDepthNH) The proposed budget passed by the House Finance Committee along party lines would also trim $40 million in current revenue sharing with communities and at $13.67 billion dollars in total spending is $133 million less than what Gov. Sununu proposed. The budget leaves out funding for Sununu’s controversial proposed merger of the state university and community college systems. But thanks to several unrelated policy measures tacked onto it by GOP budget writers, it would also refund fines to businesses who violated emergency orders during the pandemic, end the pandemic state of emergency, and ban schools and other public entities that people in certain groups have been inherently oppressed or victimized because of their gender or race. (Source: NHPR)

5. Push Made to Reopen Portsmouth Recreation Center Closed Since Start of Pandemic. State Rep. Peter Somssich is urging the city to reopen the popular Spinnaker Point Recreation Center, and to deal with ventilation issues there that he said existed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is the premier designated senior recreation facility for the city and it’s been closed for the past year. People have paid membership fees for it and have not been able to use it, but at the same time there is apparently some issue with the ventilation,” he said during a recent meeting of the Citywide Neighborhood Committee. “A lot of our seniors use that facility in a big way and it’s both mental and physical health that’s important to them, and if the ventilation is a problem, we need to somehow deal with it.” Somssich says the center is available to people age 18 and over, but is specially designed for senior recreation—which has left some seniors with few options for exercise. Mayor Rick Becksted supports using money from the $13.2 million the city is expected to receive from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CARES) Act of 2021 to upgrade the facility’s HVAC system. “This is a good place for the money to be able to go that benefits the community,” Becksted said this week. Department of Public Works Director Peter Rice explained that “the air handling system” at the center “is adequate for non-COVID conditions,” but not COVID conditions. He says the bill to address the problem could total “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 4, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Sunday, April 4

New Hampshire public health officials announced two additional COVID-19 deaths on Saturday and 440 new cases. Active infections rose to 3,681, but hospitalizations stayed steady at 85. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Sunday.

1. CDC Data Shows NH Tied with New Mexico for 1st Place in Percentage of Residents Receiving First Doses. At 40%, New Hampshire is one of the top two states when it comes to getting the first—or in the case of the J&J vaccine, the only—dose into the arms of its residents. The new CDC data also shows New Hampshire tied for first at 91% when it comes to using the doses it has received. But the news isn’t as good when it comes to the percentage of residents who have been fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, 19% of Granite Staters have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the single-dose J&J vaccine. That puts New Hampshire at #23 on the list. Worth noting is there are significant variations at the county level. For example, in Hillsborough County only 11% of residents have been fully vaccinated. 16% have been fully vaccinated in Rockingham County. (Source: CDC As Reported by NY Times Vaccine Tracker)

2. Easter Holiday Worries Health Officials About Possible COVID-19 Spread. Easter joins the list of 2021 holidays causing concern among healthcare providers in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has loosened gathering guidelines for the holiday due to the increase of fully vaccinated individuals. The CDC said fully vaccinated people can have small Easter celebrations indoors with other vaccinated people. Distancing and mask-wearing is not necessary. The CDC advises those who are not fully vaccinated to gather virtually or only with housemates. Catholic Medical Center Director of Infection Prevention Ashley Conley said she thinks it will be OK if everybody follows basic, longtime guidelines. "But if we have a lot of people that are getting together that aren't vaccinated and not taking some of those precautions, it is likely we'll have people end up in the hospital or getting sick with COVID," Conley said. (Source: WMUR)

3. Governor's Order Starts Scramble to Revise School Reopening Plans. School boards and administrators are meeting in the coming days to revise their return-to-school plans, after Gov. Chris Sununu ordered all schools to fully reopen by April 19. Although the state Department of Education has said almost three-quarters of New Hampshire schools had been planning to hit that reopening target, the order is upending plans in many districts, particularly the districts that had planned to wait until teachers were fully vaccinated to bring students back full-time. “It’s a significant acceleration,” said Heather Raymond, president of the Nashua School Board. Nashua teachers got their first vaccine doses on March 27. With second doses scheduled for April 24, and full immunity setting in two weeks after that, Nashua had been eyeing a May 10 reopening. Manchester had planned to bring students back four days a week after May 3, after most teachers would have reached full immunity during April vacation week, and had planned to keep students remote on Wednesdays. Goffstown High School had been planning to keep up a hybrid model for the rest of the year, with the full student body in on Fridays. “Manchester School District has contacted the state seeking clarification,” district officials wrote in an email to school families. Londonderry, too, had been planning to fully reopen its high school after April vacation, but the board will meet Tuesday to approve a new timeline. Teachers’ vaccinations could hold up school reopening, Raymond said, because dozens of Nashua educators with health conditions are working from home with exemptions under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Until those teachers are cleared by their doctors to return to schools, there could be serious staff shortages. Other districts are also worried about staff shortages. In Dover, board chair Amanda Russell said she knew of at least one principal who would be trying to find a substitute for a full week after April 19 while waiting for a teacher to be medically cleared to return to work. (Source: Union Leader)

4. House Budget Faces Nail-Biting Vote Later This Week As GOP Bid to End Sununu’s Emergency Powers Muddies the Waters. House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, faces the toughest test of his new leadership this week as he tries to hold together his narrow Republican majority to pass a proposed two-year, $13 billion state budget plan. With a 212-186 GOP edge, Packard and Co. can’t afford a dozen House Republicans to stray, for this would mean the budget would fall apart when it comes up for a final vote Wednesday at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford. By all accounts, however, he is going to have to do it without the help of Gov. Chris Sununu. To win over fiscal conservatives, Packard and House Finance Committee Chairman Kenneth Weyler, R-Kingston, convinced GOP budget writers over the past few weeks to strip the spending plan of several of Sununu’s key projects over the past few weeks. Within hours of the partisan House Finance Committee voting, 12-9, to recommend the changed plan, Sununu dismissed its work. “The House budget process has gone completely off the rails. They passed a budget that is not fiscally balanced and packed with non-budgetary items that have no place in HB2,” Sununu said, referring to the budget trailer bill that makes changes in state law to carry out the budget. According to sources, Sununu was particularly unhappy the House budget includes a provision to weaken a governor’s power in dealing with future emergencies. A small but vocal House GOP minority has been critical of Sununu’s steps to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the state-imposed restrictions on the economy to be constitutional overreach. The proposed House GOP budget would erase any governor’s future emergency order, unless the Legislature votes every 21 days to extend it. (Source: Union Leader) Worth noting is that 1) House leadership includes several legislators who have openly criticized Sununu’s use of his emergency powers, including House Majority Leader Jason Osborne and 2) it is unclear whether the GOP legislators who favor stripping the governor of his emergency powers are actually a minority. Votes are expected to be extremely close on all of the measures weakening the governor’s emergency powers.

5. Pandemic Boosts NH Catholic School Enrollments. The COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy on education, but for New Hampshire Catholic schools, the pandemic year has been one of the most successful school years they’ve seen in a while. Nationwide, their stats aren’t as great. Catholic school enrollment across the U.S. for the 2020-2021 school year dropped 6.4% from the previous academic year – the largest single year decline in nearly 50 years, according to a report released in February by the National Catholic Educational Association. But here in New Hampshire, enrollment has actually risen by 2.3% – an increase of 119 students – making the Granite State one of 10 states that have seen an increase. (Source: Concord Monitor)

6. Dartmouth Student Makes Case for Out-of-State Students to Be Vaccinated in NH. In an editorial appearing in the Dartmouth College Student newspaper, student Thomas de Wolff calls on Gov. Chris Sununu to extend vaccine eligibility to all New Hampshire college students. According to de Wolff, all college students in the state are included in U.S. Census population counts, which determine how many doses of vaccine each state receives. This means the state receives extra vaccines thanks to the out-of-state students at colleges such as Dartmouth. “New Hampshire’s refusal to vaccinate those students while still accepting the vaccines they bring to the state is underhanded and must end,” de Wolff writes. He also points out that college students make up 11% of New Hampshire’s total population and that colleges like UNH (56%) and Dartmouth (97%) host more out-of state students than in-state students—so leaving this population unvaccinated presents a risk to their communities. As of Friday, there were 36 active cases among students and staff and 95 students were in quarantine or isolation. (Source: The Dartmouth)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 3, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Saturday, April 3

Source: N.H. DHHS

On Friday, New Hampshire public health officials announced 410 new positive test results for COVID-19 and no new deaths. There are now 3,345 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire and 85 people are hospitalized. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Saturday.

1. Seacoast School Leaders Respond to Sununu’s In-Person Learning Mandate. Some school leaders had planned to return to full-time in-person school or close to it on May 3, including Exeter/SAU 16, Portsmouth, Dover, Oyster River and Somersworth. Leaders of some of these districts say Sununu's mandate creates difficult challenges. Amanda Russell, chair of the Dover School Board, said she is extremely frustrated and disappointed by the governor's order and the lack of input districts had in the decision. Accommodating Sununu’s order presents a timeline that is a “challenge," said Portsmouth Superintendent Steve Zadravec. “We have intentionally not had students in five full days in our plans as we are also trying to balance in-person needs with high quality instruction for our fully remote learners,” he said in an email Friday morning. “We have also been continuing more in-person support for students who need extra academic and social support, such as bringing many high school students in on Wednesdays.” While efforts to begin vaccinating district staff members began with first shots distributed in mid-March at Portsmouth High School, staff won’t receive their second shot and full immunity until late April. (Source: Seacoast Online) Meanwhile, some school districts are waiting for more guidance from the state. SAU 67, which includes Bow and Dunbarton, has had most of its students in classrooms since March 15. The only exception is high schoolers, who currently have a flex day, which allows for student/teacher meetings, club activities or time for students to catch up on their studies. "We haven't seen the written order from the governor to see what he means by schools being in five days a week, but I know there are a lot of districts that have implemented some sort of flex day, so when we see the written guidance, we'd like to see if we can still do the flex day," said Superintendent Dean Cascadden. The governor's office said there is a waiver process schools can go through, but waivers will only be granted in extreme circumstances where the safety of the students or teachers is at risk. Remote learning will still be an option for parents at all schools. (Source: WMUR)

2. UNH to Hold COVID Vaccine Clinics. Out-of-State Students Left Out. The state has selected the University of New Hampshire to host two COVID-19 vaccination clinics for all in-state university students, staff and faculty late next week. Out-of-state students will be excluded, per Gov. Chris Sununu's state policy that only residents are eligible for vaccines in New Hampshire. The clinics, taking place Thursday, April 8 and Friday, April 9, both from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Whittemore Center, will distribute first shots of the vaccine. The clinics exclude those who have already received their first shots, as well as students, staff and faculty hailing from out of state. Meanwhile, Sununu told Seacoast Media Group’s editorial board Thursday morning that he would not change his position on allowing out-of-state students to receive the vaccine. "Every vaccine I give to a 19-year-old out-of-state student from Colorado is a vaccine I'm not giving to a New Hampshire resident," he said. (Source: Seacoast Online)

3. Administrators and Mayors in NH College Towns Ask Sununu to Open Up Vaccinations for Out-of-State Students. Officials from Manchester, Nashua, Hanover, Durham, Henniker, New London, and Keene have sent a letter to Gov. Chris Sununu asking to work with him to develop a plan to extend vaccinations “to roughly 20,000 temporary New Hampshire residents who are densely congregated and interspersed with our residents in several college communities throughout the state.” The letter notes that the NH.Gov COVID webpage says that if NH students attending college or university elsewhere obtained their first shot out of state, they are eligible to obtain their second shot in NH. The officials ask, “Why do we not extend the same courtesy to out-of-state students that other states have extended to our own students?” Concern was also expressed that the logistics of students leaving the state for vaccinations and returning to college communities creates the potential for increased spread of the virus among our citizens. You and your public health team have emphasized the importance of vaccinating as many people as possible, as soon as possible, and we agree,” their letter says. (Source: Manchester Ink Link)

4. Vaccine's Efficacy in Teens is Big Step in Fighting Pandemic, Experts Say. Health experts are touting Pfizer-BioNTech’s announcement that its COVID-19 vaccine was 100 percent effective in a recent study of 12- to 15-year-olds as a huge step in fighting against the pandemic. “Given that they are very social animals, these teenagers, they are likely big spreaders of this virus in our community, so if we can inhibit that spread, that would be a major contribution,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. The trial involved 2,260 children between 12 and 15 in the United States and included people who had contracted COVID-19 and those who hadn’t, according to a news release Wednesday from Pfizer. In the vaccine’s trial among 12- to 15-year-olds, 18 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the group that did not receive the vaccine, while no infections were found in those who did. While that works out to an efficacy of 100 percent for this age group, the trial’s sample size is relatively small, so the efficacy rate could go down over time, according to Dr. Aalok Khole, an infectious-disease physician at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. “But with the efficacy we saw in adults, it isn’t surprising that we are seeing that be mirrored in the younger age groups,” he said. (Source: Keene Sentinel)

5. As Vaccine Sign-ups Continue, Some Want to Choose Which Vaccine They Receive. With vaccinations in New Hampshire now open to all residents age 16 or older, many are eager to sign up for a shot, while others are being more cautious. The governor's office said 42,000 people signed up for vaccinations Friday. Some residents said they trust the process and have no hesitation about signing up, while others are holding off, even if they've been able to make an appointment for weeks. For some, the ability to choose which vaccine they get is important. "I don't think we should have to take just what is available," said a 67-year-old Granite Stater who asked not to be identified. "I think we should be able to make that choice." State health officials said they will consider giving people an option once federal vaccine allotments increase and are consistent. (Source: WMUR)

6. Some Wait Outside for Hours to Get Their Vaccines in Concord. When Bob Tonkin pulled up to Steeplegate Mall to get his COVID-19 vaccine, he thought he must be in the wrong place. He had heard about the ruthlessly efficient drive-through vaccination sites that had people in and out within a matter of minutes. As he neared the entrance to the old Sears department store in Concord, he saw a line of people huddled under blankets that snaked around the building to the front of the nearby J.C Penney. Jake Leon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the Concord vaccination location immunized about 2,300 residents Thursday, hundreds more than they would on a typical day. About four weeks ago, a vaccine site at Southern New Hampshire university closed due to an overnight windstorm, which sent hundreds of people to the Concord site instead. On Thursday, that large group of people returned for their second dose. While increased traffic was anticipated, many people showed up at the same time, causing a backlog. Many of the people waiting in line around Tonkin were decades older, waiting to get their second dose. Several people struggled to stay on their feet long enough to get their shot. An older man whom Tonkin chatted with ended up leaving before he could get his shot. “He was beside me; he lasted for maybe an hour,” Tonkin said. “And he said, ‘I can’t stand up anymore.’ I felt awful.” Leon said anyone who was unable to wait to get their shot can bring their appointment confirmation to Concord or SNHU over the next few days and their appointment will be honored. (Source: Concord Monitor)

7. Churches Preparing for Easter Services with Safety Precautions. For most churches, this will be the first time the doors are open on Easter since 2019. The state allows churches at 100% capacity but many cannot have that many people attending because of social distancing requirements. "We've had to be cautious and we've certainly wanted to keep people healthy and safe," said Fr. Jason Jalbert, rector at Saint Joseph Cathedral. Catholic churches have been open since the end of May last year, with the dioceses making changes to traditions like: Spacing and screening the congregation, hymnals removed from pews, no holy water in fonts, the sign of the peace suspended, limited singing, and livestreams. (Source: WMUR)

8. Unemployment Benefits for Some N.H. Parents to End with Full School Reopening. New Hampshire parents who are currently collecting unemployment benefits to take care of kids during remote learning will no longer be eligible once schools fully reopen this month. According to the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, about 2,600 Granite Staters are accessing unemployment benefits to take care of kids where schools are hybrid or day care facilities are closed. Another 2,500 say this is one of several issues keeping them from working during the pandemic. The benefits come from the CARES Act’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Stephanie McKay, of Plaistow, says many parents like her have relied on it as they left or lost jobs and began to oversee remote and hybrid learning. “Many are terrified that with schools going back full time - if they remove that option from the form, they're going to be immediately shut off from benefits,” says McKay, who administers a Facebook support group for close to around 4,500 parents on unemployment. (Source: NHPR)

9. Student Loan Relief for NH Nurses May Be Coming. New Hampshire has long grappled with a shortage of qualified nursing professionals, an issue that has been laid bare by the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the health crisis, Gov. Chris Sununu has issued several orders aimed at helping shore up the gap, including one that made some nursing students eligible for temporary licenses to aid with the state’s COVID-19 response, and another that provided $300 per week stipends to health care workers. Now, the governor is trying to provide another incentive to bring health care professionals to the state and encourage local graduates to stay: Expanded student loan repayment. According to spokesman Ben Vihstadt, the proposed Student Debt Assistance Plan, which is outlined in the governor’s budget request for the 2022-23 biennium, would allocate roughly $10 million annually to support loan repayment for graduates in health care, biotechnology, social work and other related fields. Recipients would be required to stay and work in New Hampshire for at least five years. The governor’s budget request also includes an increase in funding for the state’s existing student loan repayment program for health professionals, roughly tripling the program’s budget. Sununu plans to fund the new program without taxpayer dollars by using 60% of the revenue the state receives from sponsoring college saving plans. This is the governor’s second attempt to mount such an initiative. A similar proposal was removed from the 2021-22 budget by the Legislature, and this latest version is still under discussion in the Statehouse. (Source: Concord Monitor)

10. Granite Staters Who Lost A Loved One To COVID-19 May Qualify For FEMA Funeral Assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering up to $9,000 in financial relief for funeral expenses of those who died of COVID-19. Over 1,200 Granite Staters have lost their lives to COVID, and their families may stand to qualify for the aid. Buddy Phaneuf, president of Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium, said while most who died of COVID were older, and their families may have already been expecting a funeral in the coming years, for others, the death was completely unplanned for and caused financial hardship. The FEMA call line for the program is 844-684-6333. (Source: NHPR)

11. COVID-19 Threat Not Enough to Get Murder Conspirator Early Release. One of the men convicted in the 2005 murder-for-hire of Derry handyman Jack Reid won’t be getting out of prison early despite his argument that he’s been a good prisoner and that a surge in COVID-19 cases in prison has put him at risk. A Rockingham County Superior Court judge this week denied the request by Jesse Brooks, who is incarcerated in Arizona and has spent months arguing that the court should suspend some of his sentence for his role in Reid’s brutal slaying. Brooks cited the pandemic as one of the reasons for early release, but Judge Daniel St. Hilaire didn’t buy it. Brooks is the son of multimillionaire businessman John “Jay” Brooks, who is serving a life sentence after he was convicted of two counts of capital murder in the death of Reid, who was killed inside a Deerfield barn. (Source: Union Leader)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 2, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Friday, April 2

Starting today, New Hampshire residents age 16 and older can schedule a vaccination appointment. The news comes as New Hampshire’s spring surge took a turn for the worse on Thursday as the state announced seven additional COVID-19 deaths, 433 new cases, 3,287 active infections statewide, and 81 residents hospitalized with the virus. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Friday.

1. Vaccination Registration Opens Today for Residents Age 16-29, State Issues Guidance for Parents. As of Friday, nearly all New Hampshire residents age 16 or older will be able to get a vaccination appointment. Only the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for 16- and 17-year-olds, so teenagers won't be able to get vaccinated at any location in the state. But all state-managed sites, all Walgreens locations and other selected sites will have the Pfizer vaccine in stock. Daly said a teen's parent or guardian must accompany them to the vaccination appointment. Teenagers who don't have a driver's license or non-driver's state ID must bring a birth certificate or passport that confirms their age. Parents or guardians must also bring documentation to prove their residency, Daly said. (Source: WMUR)

2. Cases Increase, New Variant Emerges as COVID Vaccine Rollout Moves Ahead in NH. Even as New Hampshire’s COVID-19 vaccination program shifts into high gear, a highly contagious variant of the virus is spreading, overall case numbers are increasing and a significant segment of the population doesn’t want to be inoculated. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 72 people in New Hampshire and more than 11,000 across the country have contracted the so-called U.K. variant, which was first documented in the state in February. Two members of the University of New Hampshire Durham community are among those who have contracted it. A study by the British Medical Journal found that this variant, also known as B.1.1.7, had a higher mortality rate than previous versions of the virus — an increase in deaths from 2.5 to 4.1 per 1,000 cases. British studies have shown the U.K. variant to be 50% more infectious and transmissible. Because of that, the U.K. variant could soon be the norm in New Hampshire and throughout the U.S. Meanwhile, New Hampshire health officials are reporting a surge in new Covid-19 cases, with an average of 346 reported per day from March 22-28, a 21% increase compared to the previous week. (Source: NH Business Review)

3. Sununu Says All N.H. Schools Must Reopen Later This Month. Governor Chris Sununu announced a new mandate Thursday, that all New Hampshire K-12 schools must reopen for full-time, in-person learning five days a week by April 19, a week before districts break for April vacation. Sununu called the mandate the “next step,” as it comes almost a month after his last order requiring schools to offer in-person learning at least two days a week, which went into effect March 8. (Source: Concord Monitor) School leaders in New Hampshire say they were caught off guard by Sununu's order. "Reopening schools and getting kids back to school: a very passionate issue for a lot of individuals, a lot of parents," he said. "We just want to provide some clarity and assurances and transparency as we start to get kids into the classroom." Dr. Carl Ladd, director of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, said school districts have been kept out of the state's planning process for executive orders. "This came completely out of the blue. We were not informed, consulted, asked," Ladd said. Ladd said many districts are trying to figure out how to maintain social distancing of three feet on buses, in classrooms, and during lunch. Other school leaders said that teachers will not be fully vaccinated by the date Sununu is ordering schools to reopen. (Source: NHPR)

4. NH College Towns Push Sununu to Give COVID Vaccine to Out-of-State Students. As New Hampshire is about to open COVID-19 vaccine appointments to all residents age 16 and over, community leaders are voicing concerns over Gov. Chris Sununu's decision to exclude out-of-state college students. Sununu said last week only New Hampshire residents would be eligible for the vaccine when eligibility expands to the 16-29 age group Friday. Out-of-state college students should return to their home states to get vaccinated, he said. In defending his policy Thursday, Sununu said "no state in New England is giving out-of-state college students vaccine because no state is given vaccine for them." Contradicting the governor's claim, all other New England states have made out-of-state students eligible for the vaccine or are in the process of doing so, according to Associated Press reports and state policies. (Source: Seacoast Online) New Hampshire is now the only state in New England refusing to vaccinate out-of-state college students. Out-of-state students at the University of New Hampshire think they should be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine along with the rest of Granite Staters 16 years old and older on Friday. “If we all got it, it would make it safer for everyone in New Hampshire,” said UNH senior Matthew Walter, who is from Maine. “People are paying to be here, they are part of the community, so it’s important,” said UNH Freshman Maddy Thorne. But Sununu says if you’re not a permanent resident, you’ll have to go home to get your vaccine. Since the allotment from the Feds only accounts for New Hampshire residents, Sununu says he must prioritize Granite Staters over college kids. Thursday, eight different leaders of college towns across the state signed a letter urging Sununu to reconsider his approach, they say to protect people like Franz Guest, who live and work in their communities. “I think everyone should be vaccinated as quickly as possible however convenient that may be,” said Guest, a Durham business owner. “It’s more convenient for them to be vaccinated here.” (Source: NECN) At UNH Durham, 122 people have tested positive in the past seven days. Keene State College on Wednesday reported that 16 students tested positive for COVID-19 last week. (Source: Keene Sentinel) Meanwhile, active cases at Dartmouth have jumped to 35. (Source: The Dartmouth)

5. Mass. Residents Under Age 40 Make Up More Than 60% of New COVID Cases. As vaccination numbers climb in Massachusetts, so too are the number of COVID cases. On Thursday, Massachusetts reported more than 2,400 newly confirmed cases of the virus and nearly 33,000 people with current active coronavirus cases. "We are seeing an uptick in new cases," Gov. Charlie Baker said. "The largest growth of cases in our state is occurring in people under the age of 40." According to the Department of Public Health's interactive coronavirus dashboard, Bay State residents under the age of 40 make up 62% of COVID cases confirmed in the past two weeks. A year ago, it was about 27%. In the last 14 days, the majority of cases -- 6,959 -- have been in those under the age of 19. The 20-29 age group is not far behind with 6,155 cases, followed by people ages 30-39 with 4,318 cases. "We are seeing an increased number of tests from school population as the schools are reopening," said Dr. Cassandra Pierre, of Boston Medical Center. "Previously we weren't as aggressively testing that population so with more tests, we're going to see more positive numbers." (Source: NECN)

6. Town Leaders Link Rise in COVID Cases to Economic Factors. Cases of COVID-19 are increasing across New Hampshire, not just in larger cities, but also in smaller communities. While overall case numbers in places such as Manchester and Nashua are higher, the rate of new cases per 100,000 population is higher in some towns such as Epping and Raymond, for reasons town officials say go beyond nice weather and COVID fatigue. "I think there's realities here," said Raymond town manager Joe Ilsley. "It's not about geographics. It's about economics." Ilsley said his community has been on pace with Manchester for several months. He said communities with lower household income averages tend to be at higher risk for reasons ranging from more congregate living to higher-risk service industry jobs. "You can't telecommute and wire a house," he said. "You can't telecommute and work in the construction industry." Ilsley said he's concerned that numbers take longer to drop back down in less economically advantaged communities. (Source: WMUR)

7. Racial Disparities Persist in N.H.'s Vaccine Rollout, According to New Data. New Hampshire continues to see persistent racial disparities in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, according to the latest data from the state health department. As of March 28, only about 10 percent of New Hampshire’s Black and Latino residents have received their first dose of the vaccine, compared to about 22 percent of white residents. The coverage rate for Asian American residents falls in between, at about 15 percent. The same pattern holds when looking full vaccinations: White residents are much farther ahead than any other group, receiving the vaccine at more than twice the rate of Black and Latino residents. More analysis of the data is available here. (Source: NHPR)

8. N.H.'s Vaccine System Can Be Hard to Navigate For Those Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. When Dan Frye, of Concord, tried to book his vaccine appointment, he ran into a pretty common security step: a CAPTCHA, a tool that asks people to prove they’re not a robot. Some CAPTCHAs ask people to retype a series of letters; the one on the vaccine site asked Frye to identify a word or picture. But that was a problem for Frye, who is blind. “Fortunately, I had an assistant with me,” said Frye, who also serves as the administrator of the Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired program within the New Hampshire Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. “And we simply got through it.” But Frye said this seemingly small hurdle in the vaccine registration process is just one example of the barriers facing people who are blind and visually impaired as they try to access COVID-19 vaccines and testing. Similar issues are showing up across the country. A Kaiser Health News review found that “many covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine.” State health officials say they’re trying to balance security and accessibility on the vaccine website. Ideally, Frye said New Hampshire should consider offering another type of security question that asks someone to complete a simple math equation or otherwise answer a question that would demonstrate that the person using the website is a human being and not a computer. He said he met this week with state officials to discuss the feasibility of setting up this system, and he’s optimistic that his suggestions are being taken seriously by state officials. (Source: NHPR)

9. Outbreak Update: Rockingham County House of Corrections Joins the List. At a Thursday press briefing, Lori Shibinette, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said the state is closing a known outbreak at the Bedford Nursing and Rehab Center. But she also announced three new outbreaks: Coos County Nursing Home in Berlin, Northern N.H. Correctional Facility in Berlin, and Rockingham County House of Corrections in Brentwood. A total of 5 inmates have tested positive at the Rockingham County facility. Meanwhile, the state’s largest active outbreak in a congregate living is at Granite Recovery Centers NFA Behavioral Health in Salem, where 36 residents and 8 staff have been infected. (Sources: NHPR and N.H. DHHS)

10. NH leads in Vaccination of Long-Term Care Staff. More than 80% of staff members at long-term care centers in New Hampshire have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the highest percentage in the nation. Nationwide, only about half of the staff in nursing homes and assisted-living complexes have received all their shots, according to the latest federal data and an independent report. Seven states and the District of Columbia have vaccinated less than a third, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by the Center for Public Integrity earlier this week. Vermont has the second-highest vaccination rate at 78%, followed by Massachusetts and Colorado at 73%, Hawaii at 72% and Maine at just over 70%. (Source: Union Leader)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – April 1, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page

Thursday, April 1

On Wednesday, New Hampshire public health officials announced one additional death and 486 new positive test results for COVID-19. Current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire rose to 3,113 and 77 people were hospitalized. Here is the rest of the pandemic-related state and regional news you need to know to start your Thursday.

1. NH Colleges Push Sununu on COVID Vaccine for Out-of-State Students. Out-of-state college students still appear to be out of luck when it comes to getting the coronavirus vaccine in New Hampshire. Gov. Chris Sununu said last week that only New Hampshire residents would be eligible for the vaccine when eligibility expands Friday to include anyone age 16 and over, and that out-of-state college students should return to their home states to get vaccinated. He said Wednesday that position hasn't changed, despite an announcement from a nonprofit consortium that includes 21 public and private campuses. “The New Hampshire College and University Council has entered into discussions with the Governor’s Office to identify a timeframe for out of state students to be eligible for the state’s VINI registration program,” said Michele Perkins, chair of the council and president of New England College. But Sununu's office said any suggestion that the process is changing is “patently false.” “Our office received a phone call from the NH College and University Council, where we reiterated that New Hampshire residents cannot be put behind out of state, low-risk college students," Sununu spokesperson Ben Vihstadt said in an email. (Source: Seacoast Online) Meanwhile, colleges around the state have become hotspots of infection in recent weeks. State Rep. Jeffrey Salloway, D-Lee, a retired epidemiologist, said the college towns of Hanover and Durham have some of the highest per-capita numbers of cases in the state. “That is a reservoir of disease, and those reservoirs will only expand," said Salloway. (Source: Union Leader)

2. Sherman Urges Sununu To Vaccinate Non-Resident College, High School Boarding Students. Gov. Chris Sununu’s policy against vaccinating college students who are not New Hampshire residents also applies to non-resident high schoolers 16 and older living at boarding schools here as well, according to his spokesman Ben Vihstadt. The statement came as a surprise to state Rep. Dr. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, who has been active in the state’s response to the pandemic. “That’s news to me,” Sherman said after a press conference Wednesday in which he and others gathered to publicly urge Sununu to change his policy and allow vaccinating non-resident college students living in New Hampshire while studying. “Someone needs to let their (boarding high schoolers’) parents know,” Sherman said. “The bottom line is this will make the COVID crisis worse in New Hampshire because unvaccinated people – any unvaccinated people – present a risk to all of us including themselves especially with the rapid rise of these highly contagious variants and the rise in COVID cases. Towns like Durham and Hanover have some of the highest per capita COVID cases in the state,” Sherman said. “Frankly Gov. Sununu’s refusal to vaccinate many college students in New Hampshire and encouraging them to actually fly or drive home to other states to get vaccinated is potentially dangerous public health policy and putting them and all Granite Staters at unnecessary risk. We can and should vaccinate all students. I will continue to advocate that to the governor and his administration in what I see as a misguided policy,” Sherman said. (Source: InDepthNH)

3. Document Sheds New Light on COVID-19 Outbreak at State Veterans Home. A Veterans Administration document obtained by News 9 is shedding more light on the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the state veterans home last year. The document includes information that was not made public in a recent report touted by Gov. Chris Sununu as proof that the pandemic was being handled appropriately at the home. According to an e-mail received by News 9, a Manchester VA Medical Center infection prevention nurse visited the Veterans Home on Dec. 1 to observe operations and provide recommendations. That nurse credits the home with several strong infection control practices. But there were other observations. "Weekly surveillance testing of all veterans is taking several days to result, making it an unreliable tool for decisions about isolating veterans or quarantining employees," the nurse said. The nurse recommended that state public health officials help facilitate testing through a local hospital. It's not clear if that recommendation was followed, as the information was not included in the state report. There were also issues with N95 mask use. "They have received N95 masks from the New Hampshire Public Health Department but are struggling to complete fit-testing on all employees," the nurse said. The nurse also observed infection control breakdowns, saying, "I identified a large gap with employee adherence to infection control recommendations. It is very possible this is contributing to continued transmission and increasing cases." (Source: WMUR)

4. As Vaccination Eligibility Opens to Those 30 or Older, Some Hesitate to Get Shot. Granite Staters age 30 or older could register for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment Wednesday, but there is some evidence younger adults are less likely to sign up. New Hampshire officials said more than 35,000 people scheduled appointments on the first day they were eligible, as the state pushes to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. There is some pushback against vaccination among some younger adults, but doctors said it's not based in science. Experts said the vaccines prevent severe disease, which is possible in any age group and moves society toward herd immunity and the end of the pandemic. "It may be a little bit of a tougher sell to younger people and not unprecedented," said Dr. David Itkin, of Portsmouth Regional Hospital. He said it happens with the flu vaccine, too, but there are real concerns with not getting vaccinated. "Individuals who are 40 and younger still have a risk of getting severe COVID," Itkin said. "I'll add onto that as well, even people that have less severe COVID, it is very common to have a post-COVID syndrome, so-called COVID long-haulers." Doctors said possible side effects are a small price to pay. "If you look at the benefits of having been vaccinated, they far, far outweigh the potential side effects that one might feel for 24 hours," said Dr. Holly Mintz, chief medical officer of Elliot Medical Group. (Source: WMUR)

5. COVID Vaccine for Kids is Vital for Herd Immunity and Kids Do Get Sick, Seacoast Doctors Say. Vaccinating adults has been a major step in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, but health care experts say children account for about 25% of our population and vaccinating them is a key part to reaching herd immunity. “We need at least 70%, and ideally more, to reach herd immunity in the country,” said Dr. Evangeline Thibodeau, an infectious disease doctor at York Hospital. “If we have vaccine hesitant adults, and we do, vaccinating children takes on an even greater importance in getting control of the pandemic. Dr. David Itkin, an infectious disease expert at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, said currently the Pfizer vaccine is rated for people age 16 and older, and the Moderna is for 18 and up. Children who get sick with COVID can get very sick. “Why is it important to look at vaccinating children when it seems the burden of infection is with adults?” Itkin asked. “It’s important because the children who get sick, can get very sick, some severely with conditions like MIS-C (multi-inflammatory syndrome from COVID). To reach herd immunity we need to vaccinate children. To open schools safely this is very important.” (Source: Seacoast Online)

6. Paycheck Protection Program Deadline Moved to May 31. There was a rush of applications by New Hampshire small businesses for Paycheck Protection Program loans in the week before the planned March 31 deadline. But it turns out that deadline was extended yesterday for two months. President Biden on Tuesday signed a bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, to extend the PPP deadline to May 31, after it passed the Senate on a 97-2 vote last week. The House had already passed the bill the week before by a 415-3 margin. But New Hampshire businesses, especially smaller businesses, were taking no chances. The U.S. Small Business Administration approved 1,406 forgivable loans totaling $45.3 million in the week ending March 28. Nationally, 482,551 businesses received $16 billion that week. In both cases, that’s the most loans approved in a single week since mid-January, when this second round of the PPP began. (Source: NH Business Review)

7. State May Soon Transition Vaccinations to More Pharmacies, Health Centers. Granite Staters may soon be able to pick up a gallon of milk and a COVID-19 vaccination at the same time, with 100 new vaccination locations coming online over the next few weeks. State officials said Wednesday they plan to phase out the fixed vaccination sites in the coming months. Perry Plummer, who is leading the state's vaccine response team said the switch is being promoted by increasing supplies of vaccine. "The doses are going up, and we have the capacity to put needles in the arms, so that is just expediting everything." Officials said 56,000 Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, along with a large shipment of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, are coming to New Hampshire this week. Plummer said the large sites will soon transition to the partner locations. "At some point, the supersites and the fixed sites will shrink, and it will go back into health care systems," he said. "This is all a part of that transition and part of that convenience." (Source: WMUR)

8. A Fifth of N.H. Inmates Have Received At Least One Dose. About 19 percent of men and women incarcerated in New Hampshire's prisons have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The state Department of Corrections says it is currently vaccinating inmates in its four facilities aged 50 and above and hopes to start vaccinating inmates above the age of 40 next week. It says that it has requested vaccines for all remaining residents but is waiting for state allocations. (Source: NHPR)

9. Sununu Blasts GOP-Backed $13.67B House Finance Committee Budget Plan. House budget writers are proposing a two-year operating budget about $130 million less than proposed by Gov. Chris Sununu two months ago. Sununu was quick to criticize it as “off the rails.” In a series of 12-9 partisan votes Wednesday with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed, the House Finance Committee approved its budget package — House Bills 1 and 2 — the full House will vote on next week during a three-day marathon at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford. Democrats were not happy, either. Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, ranking Democrat on the committee, said the budget bills passed by House Republicans underfund vital services, programs and positions throughout the state workforce and “included wide reaching and controversial policy matters that should have been worked out with public input in policy committees.” The budget also includes several controversial policy amendments, including amnesty for pandemic scofflaws, defunding Planned Parenthood, and a bill prohibiting including “divisive concepts related to sex and race in state contracts, grants, and training programs,” that were added in an attempt to entice more conservative House Republicans to vote for the budget. (Source: InDepthNH)

10. 2020 Was N.H.'s Deadliest Year In Recent History, With COVID-19 At The Center. There were more deaths recorded in New Hampshire in 2020 than in any year in recent history, a bleak result of a pandemic that has upended how residents of the state live and die since COVID-19 first emerged locally last March. The sharp rise in fatalities is due in large part to the hundreds of people who died from the coronavirus. But it's also fueled, statisticians and public health experts say, by residents likely delaying necessary health care or lifesaving medical attention. According to figures from the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records, 13,585 residents died last year, a jump of 840 deaths from the previous year. According to statistics released by the state health department, 811 residents died of COVID-19 in 2020. With that official death toll, the coronavirus became one of the leading causes of death in the state, outpacing other common fatal illnesses including heart attacks or Parkinson’s disease. The number of COVID-19 deaths recorded last year was more than double the number of drug overdose fatalities. The coronavirus killed more people than pneumonia, motor vehicle accidents and suicide combined. (Source: NHPR)

11. Portsmouth's Restaurant Barriers Signal Start of Outdoor Dining. Department of Public Works crews have begun installing the freshly painted concrete barriers for outdoor restaurant spaces in downtown Portsmouth. Crews on Wednesday morning installed barriers at the Worth Lot and on State Street in what has become a clear signal that outdoor restaurant dining is on the way. Mayor Rick Becksted visited the State Street site as DPW crews installed the barriers and said he was “happy to see it happening.” “I think it will start to convince people we’ve made it through the dark winter as some people have called it, and now things are starting to get back to normal,” Becksted said. At the same time, he acknowledged that “science still says being outdoors is safest” as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The City Council first approved installing the concrete barriers to create safe spaces for outdoor restaurant dining during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. (Source: Seacoast Online)

N.H. STATE DHHS COVID-19 DATA & RESOURCES

• Vaccine Eligibility, Schedule and Registration (register to make vaccination appointments here)

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – March 31, 2021

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Overview Dashboard

• NH DHHS COVID-19 Schools Dashboard

• What To Do If You Are Exposed

• Where to Get a Test

• What To Do If You Test Positive

OTHER DATA/INFORMATION SOURCES (SOME WITH N.H. DATA)

• City of Portsmouth Vaccination FAQs

• Bloomberg News Vaccine Tracker

• KFF COVID Vaccine Attitudes Monitor

• NHPR COVID Tracking Project

• New York Times Interactive Vaccine Tracker

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

• John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center—NH Page