| Covid-19 update | As of October 4 | As of October 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Total cases statewide | 8,645 | 9,143 |
| Total current infections statewide | 492 | 685 |
| Total deaths statewide | 443 | 456 |
| New cases | 437 (Sept. 29 to Oct. 4) | 498 (Oct. 5 to Oct. 11) |
| Current infections: Hillsborough County | 250 | 349 |
| Current infections: Merrimack County | 43 | 94 |
| Current infections: Rockingham County | 91 | 127 |
Covid-19 news
On Oct. 5, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Exhibit S to Emergency Order No. 29, which had been issued on April 9. Emergency Order No. 29 requires state agencies, boards and commissions t
o submit recommendations to Sununu if any regulatory deadlines should be adjusted in response to the state of emergency. Per Exhibit S, emergency waiver of attendance and leave rules previously adopted by the New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services’ Division of Personnel to provide flexibility to state employees impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic will continue for the duration of the state of emergency.
During an Oct. 8 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that public health officials will start to modify the way numbers are reported going forward, focusing “less on the extraneous numbers and more on numbers relative to the current situation in New Hampshire.” Even though the number of new positive test results of Covid-19 has continued to increase over the last several weeks, Dr. Chan said the percentage of positive results relative to all tests remains stable. “We believe that this is, in part, due to the large increase in testing that is being conducted statewide in many communities, both PCR and antigen testing,” he said. Dr. Chan added that there is also, however, evidence of increased community transmission, especially in Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford counties, likely due to a decrease in the relaxation of social distancing restrictions in some areas of the state.
On Oct. 9, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-20, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the Covid-19 pandemic for another three weeks through at least Oct. 30. It’s the 10th extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency on March 13.
Details of Sununu’s Executive Orders, Emergency Orders and other announcements are available at governor.nh.gov.
Voter alert
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office is alerting voters that an unidentified source has sent out mailers that contain an absentee ballot application form, a return envelope addressed to the recipient’s town or city clerk, and an allegedly handwritten note that says, “You are needed please fill this out and mail it in.” According to a press release, state law requires that such mailings include the identity of the entity mailing and distributing the form, which is not the case with this mailer. The Attorney General’s Office emphasized that these mailers have not been sent by any New Hampshire town or city clerk or by any state agency, and anyone who received this mailer who had already requested or submitted an absentee ballot does not need to complete another form. Anyone with questions can call the Attorney General’s Election hotline at 1-866-868-3703 or send an email to [email protected].
Opioid settlement
New Hampshire has joined a $1.6 billion global settlement agreement with Mallinckrodt, the biggest generic opioid manufacturer in the U.S., according to a press release from the office of New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald. The settlement comes more than a year after the state filed a complaint in Merrimack County Superior Court against Mallinckrodt alleging that the company failed to disclose risks of addiction, misrepresented the abuse-deterrence qualities of its opioids and failed to report suspicious orders of opioids, all of which violated New Hampshire’s consumer protection laws. The state also claimed that the company allegedly created a public nuisance and that between 2006 and 2014 Mallinckrodt accounted for 21.81 percent of all opioid transactions in New Hampshire; in that time, the company “sold the equivalent of approximately 153.5 million 10 mg opioid pills in New Hampshire, with a population of roughly 1.35 million people. That was enough Mallinckrodt opioids to provide each man, woman, and child in the state with 114 pills,” the release reads. Mallinckrodt, which has filed for bankruptcy, will pay $1.6 billion in cash into a trust, and a large amount of that money will go toward abating the opioid crisis. How much each state will receive will be negotiated during the bankruptcy process. The global settlement agreement includes attorneys general from 50 states and territories and local subdivisions.
NHDRA online
Last week, the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration launched Phase 2 of its new online user portal and revenue management system, for taxpayers of the New Hampshire Business Profits Tax, Business Enterprise Tax, Interest & Dividends Tax and Communication Services Tax. According to a press release, that equates to approximately 139,000 taxpayers who will now have a better online experience. The online user portal, Granite Tax Connect, allows users to file taxes electronically, schedule automated payments, and check on the status of returns, payments, and refund and credit requests. The first phase launched about a year ago, which made the portal available to those who pay the Meals & Rentals Tax, Medicaid Enhancement Tax, and Nursing Facility Quality Assessment. The department expects that by the end of 2021 all tax types will be able to utilize the online portal.
Social Security
AARP NH is hosting a free online discussion about Social Security on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m., according to a press release. Local and national experts will talk about how Social Security affects New Hampshire and its residents, and there will be an opportunity for people to ask questions. The discussion is free but pre-registration is required at aarp.cvent.com/SSProgram1021.
SEE Science Center
The SEE Science Center in Manchester has received a CARES grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services — the only award given to a New Hampshire museum, according to a press release. Only 68 projects from museums and libraries throughout the country were awarded funding out of more than 1,700 entries. SEE’s project, Creating Flexible Field Trips: Reopening Programming by Designing for Uncertainty during the Covid-19 Pandemic, is an effort to transition the Science Center’s in-person field trips to other formats so that teachers and students can continue to use the museum’s educational offerings during and after the pandemic.
The New Hampshire Food Bank will host a drive-through mobile food pantry on Friday, Oct. 16, from noon to 2 p.m. at NHTI in Concord, according to a press release. The food bank will bring the food to people in their vehicles.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was scheduled to visit Catholic Medical Center in Manchester on Tuesday to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the state’s health care providers, according to a press announcement. Shaheen also planned to talk about providing more resources to providers through relief legislation.
There should be no shortage of golden retrievers in Amherst on Sunday, Oct. 18, as the town holds its Goldens on the Green event from 1 to 3 p.m. on the town green. According to a press release, there will be a kissing booth, pool diving and a parade of goldens. Donations will be accepted, with the money raised going to animals awaiting adoption at the Humane Society for Greater Nashua. Everyone is welcome, including people who don’t own golden retrievers.
Starting in the fall of 2021, Rivier University in Nashua will have men’s and women’s ice hockey, according to a press release. The school plans to launch a national search for head coaches this month.
