Author: The Hippo Press

Covid-19 news

On Feb. 3, Gov. Chris Sununu issued a statement in response to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky’s announcement earlier that day that data shows returning to in-person learning can be done safely and successfully. “I urge the Union leadership in New Hampshire that have been resistant to follow the science, to embrace the Biden administration’s call for schools to reopen,” Sununu said in the statement. “The will of the students is there, the will of the parents is there, and the science is there. It’s time to get these kids back in the classroom.” All K through 12 school and child care staff will be eligible to receive their first doses in Phase 2A of the state’s vaccination administration plan, beginning around the March to May timeframe.

During a Feb. 4 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, on average, there have been between 400 and 450 new cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire per day, “down significantly” from a few weeks prior. Both the test positivity rates and the number of active infections in the state also continue to be on the decline.

Later during the same press conference, Sununu announced changes to the state’s scheduling process for Covid-19 vaccines in New Hampshire. As of Feb. 7, everyone will automatically be given a date and time for their second dose appointment as they leave their first dose appointment, he said. The state is also moving away from the federally run Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) website in favor of a new state run online system that is currently in development. If you’ve already received your first dose and the date of your second dose has been pushed back, you can go back into the VAMS system and reschedule for an earlier appointment within one week of your recommended window.

Opioid settlement

New Hampshire will receive $3,332,762 over five years as part of a $573 million multi-state settlement with McKinsey & Co. for the company’s role in promoting the opioid crisis, according to a press release from the state Attorney General’s Office. New Hampshire will share the settlement with 47 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories. The settlement “resolves investigations into the company’s role in working for opioid companies, helping those companies promote their opioids, and profiting from the opioid epidemic,” according to the release. The complaints against McKinsey claimed that the company helped opioid manufacturers, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, promote their opioid products to maximize profit. Proceeds from the settlement will go into a fund that will be used to abate problems caused by opioids.

Health insurance

Following President Joe Biden’s recent executive order to reopen enrollment on the Federal Affordable Care Act Exchanges, New Hampshire residents will have a chance to buy health insurance for 2021 during a special enrollment period from Feb. 15 to May 15, according to a press release. Any residents who are uninsured can sign up for coverage without waiting until open enrollment at the end of the year by visiting healthcare.gov. New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Chris Nicolopoulos said in the release that the premiums available on the Exchange are lower than they have been in the past. Plans are available from three insurance companies on the New Hampshire Marketplace: Anthem, Ambetter from NH Healthy Families and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. “Given that New Hampshire insurance companies are offering significantly lower average premium rates for the third year in a row and given the Covid-19 pandemic, this is an important opportunity for individuals to get an affordable health insurance plan,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release.

Budget concerns

Last week, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen hosted a virtual meeting with New Hampshire mayors and municipal leaders, including Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess, to discuss severe budgetary shortfalls, according to a press release. The budget issues, which are due to a drop in state revenue stemming from the pandemic, could affect the ability to provide essential services within the state’s communities, and teachers could face layoffs, the municipalities’ leaders told Shaheen. Shaheen said she’s working with the Biden administration to get direct local and state aid and funding for vaccinations, schools, housing and nutrition programs in the upcoming relief package, according to the release.

The NH Audubon team “Birding with Impunity” in Rye took home the Rockingham County Award for the most points in the county during the Semi-Superbowl of Birding that was held Jan. 30, according to a press release. During the competition, which is run by Massachusetts Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, teams look for as many bird species as possible in 12 hours.

The Old Academy Building at Pinkerton Academy in Derry has been named to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places. According to a press release, it was the school’s first building when it opened in 1815.

Nashua high school seniors are invited to apply for the Rotary Club of Nashua’s annual scholarship. According to a press release, applicants must plan to attend an accredited technical college, trade school or two- or four-year college. Visit nashuarotary.org.

A Salem resident rescued a neighbor from a burning home on the morning of Feb. 5, according to a post on the Salem Fire Department’s Facebook page. The department thanked all of the neighbors on Lou-Al Lane who helped prior to the arrival of rescue personnel. The patient was transported to Parkland Medical Center with serious burns and smoke inhalation injuries and was later transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, according to the post

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 26, the first vaccine doses to Granite Staters in Phase 1B of the state’s distribution plan began. “New Hampshire’s rollout of Phase 1B has been very successful with over 300,000 individuals registering to receive their vaccine in just one week,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a Jan. 29 press release. According to that release, the state sent out emails to people in Phase 1B who have received their first dose of the vaccine but had not yet scheduled a second dose, or scheduled an appointment that is several weeks away. “We are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to speeding up the process, including opening up additional appointments for individuals to receive their second dose,” Sununu said in the release.

As of Feb. 2, additional second dose appointments were made available at vams.cdc.gov. “In order to accommodate the entire statewide vaccination campaign, we’ve added additional locations in partnership with our hospitals,” Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during a Jan. 26 press conference, “so we currently have 22 sites that are open to the public.” During the same press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, while the test-positivity rates and hospitalization numbers due to Covid-19 continue to be on the decline over the last several weeks, the overall level of community transmission remains very high statewide. The following day, Jan. 27, New Hampshire surpassed 1,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic last March, according to the daily public health update.

On Jan. 29, Sununu and the governors of each of the five other New England states and New Jersey issued a joint statement extending the suspension of all interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private schools through at least March 31. A regional suspension had previously been in place through Dec. 31 before it was then extended to Jan. 31. The prohibition does not impact interstate collegiate, professional or national hockey team activities, according to the statement.

Details on Sununu’s emergency orders, executive orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Support local

The state has launched a marketing campaign called “Support Local: Go the Extra Mile” to help boost the local businesses as they struggle through the economic fallout of the pandemic, according to a press release. Economic development and tourism officials will run the campaign through March via ads on billboards, television spots and social media. The ads encourage residents to eat, shop and stay local, and there’s a new website with listings of New Hampshire businesses: supportlocal603.com. “While the resiliency, resourcefulness, and fierce determination of our industry has been on full display during these challenging times, we need the support of everyone in the state right now,” Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, said in the release.

Housing assistance

On Jan. 26, the City of Manchester launched the Manchester Emergency Housing Assistance Program, which will allow residents with low or moderate incomes who have lost income due to the pandemic to receive grants of up to $4,500 to cover rent, mortgage payments or utilities, according to a press release. “Preventing and ending homelessness starts with making sure that those who are struggling to make ends meet remain housed,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. Eligible applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the release, the program is being funded with a Community Development Block Grant and federal funds provided to the city through the CARES Act.

Interim supers

The Nashua Board of Education voted last week to hire Garth McKinney as Superintendent of Schools and Mario Andrade as Assistant Superintendent for Elementary, according to a press release. They are both serving in an interim capacity until June 30. McKinney is taking the place of Jahmal Mosley, who has taken a job as a superintendent in Massachusetts; he will continue in an advisory capacity to the Office of Superintendent until the end of the school year. McKinney is the current Assistant Superintendent for Elementary for the Nashua School District, and Andrade started the school year as Principal of Elm Street Middle School in an interim capacity, according to the release.

The Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon announced last week that registration is now open for the 40th annual Prouty, a fundraising event that combines cycling, walking, rowing, golfing and more. According to a press release, this year’s event will be virtual, with potential in-person options depending on safety and health guidelines. In honor of its 40th year, the Prouty will take place over the course of 40 days — June 1 through July 10 — and virtual participants can do whatever activity they want anywhere at any time. Visit theprouty.org.

The Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin became available for pre-order on Jan. 28, the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, at catalog.usmint.gov. According to a press release, the coin honors Christa McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, and proceeds will promote STEM education.

The SEE Science Center in Manchester is hosting its adult science discussion series, Science on Tap, virtually on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The informal discussion this month is Covid-19: Lessons Learned. According to a press release, local science and health care professionals will talk about the virus and the vaccines, and how the response to this virus will impact the medical field in the future. Admission is free, but sign-up is required at see-sciencecenter.org.