Category: News

Covid-19 news

With its public health update on July 20, New Hampshire surpassed 100,000 overall cases of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic last year. As of July 26, there were 364 active cases, 23 hospitalizations and 1,385 overall deaths that have been attributed to the virus.

On July 21, Gov. Chris Sununu responded to the federal government’s extension of the non-essential travel ban between the United States and Canada through at least Aug. 21, calling the decision “absurd” to delay the border opening for another month. “It harms our small businesses and families, and does not follow the science,” Sununu said in a statement.

Also on July 21, the University of New Hampshire announced in a press release that it has obtained a federal grant to perform surveillance for Covid-19 variants in the state. The $757,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, according to a press release, enables UNH to perform testing in its lab in partnership with New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories and the state Department of Health & Human Services.

During a July 22 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that the state has averaged about 40 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the previous week. “This is a small increase from about a month ago, when we were averaging around 20 or so new infections per day,” he said. “Similarly, the test positivity rate is also showing an increase, [at] around 1.9 percent over the last week.” Overall, however, Chan added that the level of community transmission statewide has remained low. “Despite some of the increases we’ve seen, New Hampshire has one of the lowest rates of Covid-19 currently in the country,” he said.

Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, also provided an update during the press conference on vaccine distributions in the state. “The number of new people getting vaccinated each day has slowed down over time, [but] we still have about 1,000 new people each week,” she said. While New Hampshire is no longer allocated a weekly amount of vaccine doses from the federal government, health care providers can order them on an as-needed basis.

According to a July 23 press release, Sununu signed HB 220, known as the “medical freedom” immunization bill, into law. Under the new law, New Hampshire residents cannot be required to be vaccinated in order to access public facilities, benefits or services. It also allows mandatory immunizations in prisons and jails. The new law does not apply, however, to county nursing homes, the state psychiatric hospital or other medical facilities operated by the state.

Anti-discrimination

Guidance related to the new discriminatory practice prohibitions for public employers and government programs that were passed as part of House Bill 2 was issued last week by Attorney General John M. Formella, Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut and Commission for Human Rights Executive Director Ahni Malachi. Two frequently asked questions documents are now available at doj.nh.gov that further explain the new anti-discrimination laws, one for public employees and government programs and one for K-12 educational programs.

According to the guidance, HB2 was passed on June 25 and includes sections 297 and 298, Right to Freedom from Discrimination in Public Workplaces and Education. “There has been much discussion about this law and what prohibitions it imposes on public employers, government programs, and schools,” the document reads. “The purpose of these FAQs is to provide guidance to public employers, government program administrators, and school systems as they review their compliance with this new law.”

Questions address things like what public employers and government programs are prohibited from training and advocating: “In short, do not train or advocate that a person or a group is inherently oppressive, superior, inferior, racist, or sexist. Train and treat all equally and without discrimination,” the document reads. In the K-12 educational programs FAQ, one question asks whether the law prohibits teachers from teaching U.S. history. “No. Nothing prohibits the teaching of historical subjects including, but not limited to: slavery, treatment of the Native American population, Jim Crow laws, segregation, treatment of women, treatment of LGBTQ+ people, treatment of people with disabilities, treatment of people based on their religion, or the Civil Rights movement. Nor does anything prohibit discussions related to current events including, but not limited to: the Black Lives Matter movement, efforts to promote equality and inclusion, or other contemporary events that impact certain identified groups.”

The documents note that the term “divisive concepts” is not found anywhere in the new law, and that nothing in the new law prohibits these entities from examining issues related to equity, diversity, inclusion, equality and other related topics. They also recognize that such topics may make people uncomfortable, but that does not mean that the training has violated New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination laws and does not give employees or participants the license to refuse to participate in the training without consequence.

Auto insurance

The New Hampshire Insurance Department has issued a reminder to consumers to notify their auto insurance company immediately after getting a new vehicle. “Recent complaint investigations have shown that not all consumers are notifying their carriers when they are purchasing used or new vehicles,” Keith Nyhan, Director of Consumer Services at NHID, said in a press release. “The failure to notify their carrier has created situations where consumers are unknowingly uninsured.” According to the release, people typically have only a short grace period to notify their carrier. If they miss that window and the vehicle is not insured, they could be held financially responsible for injury and property damage caused while driving that vehicle.

Coppal House Farm in Lee is hosting its annual Sunflower Festival from Saturday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. According to a press release, the 4-acre field of sunflowers is only open during this festival. There will also be live music, food vendors, a wine garden, a craft fair and more. Tickets are available at the farm stand or at nhsunflower.com

On July 22 the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issued an advisory after observing a cyanobacteria bloom on Governors Lake in Raymond. The previous day it issued a cyanobacteria advisory for Marsh Pond in New Durham. According to a press release, the advisories are intended for people who use the water bodies for recreation, as the blooms can release toxins that can cause acute and chronic health problems. See updated advisories at twitter.com/NHDES_Beaches.

Peter Holland, a longtime race team coach at Pats Peak in Henniker, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award during Ski New Hampshire’s annual business meeting earlier this month. According to a press release, the award was presented posthumously to his wife Roberta Holland. Peter Holland began his ski career at Pats Peak as a ski instructor in 1980 and dedicated decades to teaching and coaching skiers of all ages, the release said.

The Merrimack Fire Department was called to the Merrimack Premium Outlets on July 24 after employees of one store received what they thought was a suspicious package, according to a report from WMUR. The hazardous materials team in Nashua was also called in, and the package was determined to be safe, but all shoppers and employees were evacuated, and the outlets remained closed for the rest of the day, the report said.

Rentals needed

Results of the recently released 2021 New Hampshire Residential Rental Cost Survey Report shows that it’s a tough market for renters right now, with low inventory, lower vacancy rates and higher rents. According to the report summary, owners and managers of more than 24,560 unsubsidized rental housing units in the state (15 percent of all units) took part in the survey, which shows that this year’s statewide median gross rent of $1,498 (including utilities) for two-bedroom units is up 6 percent over last year, and the 0.9 percent vacancy rate for all units is lower than last year. According to the report, a vacancy rate of 5 percent is considered a balanced market for tenants and landlords, and comparatively, both the U.S. and Northeast vacancy rates are at 6.8 percent. Meanwhile, there is also a limited supply of homes for sale, making it more difficult for renters to become homeowners, the report said. New Hampshire Housing has committed financing for more than 1,000 rental units over the past year, and those will be available in 12 to 18 months. Still, “To sustain New Hampshire’s economy, additional housing is needed to support our workforce, as well as those who cannot work because of age or disability,” the report summary said. “It is estimated that about 20,000 more housing units are needed to meet current demand and stabilize the market.”

Residential treatment

Children in need of behavioral health residential treatment will soon have more options. On July 14, the New Hampshire Executive Council and Gov. Chris Sununu approved contracts with nine organizations that will provide behavioral health services in residential treatment settings to children and young adults “whose behavioral health needs cannot be met safely in the community without intensive supports,” according to a press release. The contracts will expand clinical services by ensuring that each provider delivers services through a trauma model and developing programming that targets special treatment needs. They will also establish relationships with community providers to determine when residential treatment is appropriate. More contracts with remaining residential treatment providers are expected to be submitted for consideration in the coming weeks. “Residential treatment services vitally help children and young adults with severe emotional disturbances,” Erica Ungarelli, director of the Department of Health and Human Services Bureau for Children’s Behavioral Health, said in the release. “Children and youth have unique mental and behavioral health needs, and a comprehensive system of care is being established to ensure these needs are met. The expansion of residential treatment for children and youth is a critical step in the establishment of the system of care.” Joe Ribsam, director of the Division for Children, Youth and Families, said in the release that children too often end up involved with DCYF if their severe mental health needs aren’t being addressed, and that making residential treatment services more widely available and accessible, along with the recently expanded mobile crisis and wraparound support for families, will keep more kids out of the state’s child protection and juvenile justice systems.

Summer stipend

The New Hampshire Department of Employment Security opened applications for the Summer Stipend Program on Monday, July 19, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office. The program was announced in May following the state’s decision to end federal pandemic unemployment benefits. Individuals who were receiving unemployment benefits the week of May 15 and found and maintained employment on or after May 18 at 20 or more hours a week for at least eight weeks, earning less than $25 an hour, are eligible for a stipend. The stipend amounts are $500 for individuals who worked under 37.5 hours per week for eight weeks and $1,000 for individuals who worked 37.5 hours or more per week for eight weeks. The stipends are first come first served until the $10 million fund runs out. The first wave of potentially eligible people is calculated to be more than 1,700, according to the release.

Filing for mayor

Manchester City Mayor Joyce Craig officially filed for re-election for a third term on Monday, July 19, according to a press release. “I’m running for Mayor in 2021 to ensure our city fully recovers from this pandemic, builds upon our progress and comes out of this stronger than before,” Craig said in the release. “We have a tremendous opportunity in the next two years to continue to tackle issues facing our community,” Craig added. “I’ll continue working to help residents lead better lives with stronger schools, safer neighborhoods, good jobs and a growing economy.”

Victoria Sullivan, former New Hampshire State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader who served two terms on the House Education Committee, has also filed paperwork to officially become a candidate for Mayor of Manchester. “I am running to ‘Make Manchester Shine Again’ — to drastically improve the quality of life and livability of our city now and for future generations,” Sullivan said in a statement. The Manchester mayoral election will take place in November.

And Republican Richard Girard planned to officially file his candidacy for Manchester mayor on Wednesday, July 21, according to a press release.

Homelessness bill

New Hampshire U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen joined two California senators to introduce a bill that would increase federal resources to battle homelessness, authorizing $1 billion in grants to local governments each year for the next five years. According to a press release, the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act would condition federal funds on a grant recipient’s ability to provide not only housing, but also comprehensive supportive services like mental health care, substance abuse treatment and job training. It also requires a 25 percent match for services and housing from non-federal funds, and it requires grantees to report on measures of success, including whether individuals remain housed. “To stem the homelessness crisis that worsened during the pandemic, we need a comprehensive approach that makes families whole again. We must take into account how poverty, mental illness and substance misuse exacerbate cycles of housing insecurity,” Shaheen said in the release.

After spending more than two weeks assisting at the site of the Surfside condominium complex collapse in Florida, Concord Fire Chief Sean Brown has returned home and will be spending some time with his family before returning to work, according to a July 17 report from WMUR. Brown worked in the wreckage of the Champlain Towers South building, which collapsed on June 24 and killed at least 97 people, the report said.

After the recent announcement of a charter school expansion grant from the state, Founders Academy in Manchester has decided to amend its charter to include fifth grade. According to a press release, the school opened in 2014 serving 100 students in grades 6 through 8; for the 2020-2021 school year, 350 students were enrolled in grades 6 through 12.

Last week, the Nashua Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a request to equip police officers with body cameras. According to a report from WMUR, the $1.8 million, six-year contract will provide all 179 officers and 31 patrol cars with cameras with features that include activation with holster draws, opening cruiser doors and turning on lights and sirens.