Category: News

To be continued

What to know about the Delta variant

Dr. Jose Mercado, associate hospital epidemiologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, answered questions about the Delta variant of Covid.

How concerned should we be about the Delta variant?

The Delta variant [is] classified as a variant of concern [and] is now the predominantly circulating variant in the United States. One thing that we are quite sure of is the increased transmissibility of the disease — the likelihood of one person infecting other individuals who are so susceptible to the disease — compared to the original strain. The thing that we still don’t know is the likelihood of the Delta variant causing severe disease and hospitalizations. We assume that it is more likely, but we need more data around that.

How prevalent is it in New Hampshire?

We do not routinely test … each positive test to confirm the variant … [but] there is a proportion of [positive tests] that the state [has tested for the variant], just to confirm the epidemiology of the disease … and what we’re seeing thus far is consistent with what we’re seeing in the nation: The Delta variant appears to be becoming, if not already, the predominantly circulating variant in our communities.

Does it spread the same way as the original strain?

The belief is that it still is spread through respiratory droplets. You may catch it when you are close to an individual who has the infection who is breathing out air that you are then inhaling … or is coughing and sneezing around you … or if you have [infected] respiratory droplets in your hands that you then transfer to your nose and mouth. The debate is whether it has the ability to spread as an aerosol — the difference between droplets and aerosol is the distance of how the virus can spread between individuals — and I don’t think we have necessarily confirmed that.

Who is at the highest risk of contracting it?

Unvaccinated individuals are at highest risk for acquiring a virus … and our elderly population and those who may have a weak immune system remain at the highest risk of severe disease.

How effective is the vaccine at protecting against the Delta variant?

The most recent data that we have received [from] the CDC is that the vaccine [initially] provided greater than 90 percent protection, [but] for new infections over time, we did see a slight drop in vaccine effectiveness … to about 80 percent. What is reassuring is that vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations and severe disease has remained above 90 percent over time and with the introduction of new variants.

Does that mean Covid cases are trending up overall?

Most counties in the state are … at high levels of transmission. If you compare where we were back in the spring, where we started to see a drop, we’re now seeing an uptick of cases as we go into the fall.

Should vaccinated individuals continue practicing mitigation strategies?

Yes. … Now is really not the time to completely relax our mitigation strategies. … Data [shows that] even vaccinated individuals have the same amount of viral loads, compared to unvaccinated individuals, meaning they can still transmit the disease. … Following the CDC guidelines of wearing our masks, [practicing] hand hygiene and physically distancing when we’re not able to wear our masks is important for protecting individuals who are not vaccinated or have weak immune systems.

What is the current data on positive cases among children?

We are seeing more cases as well as more cases that lead to hospitalizations in children. This may be driven by [the fact that] kids younger than 12 years old are still part of our unvaccinated population. The hope is that, as the vaccine is approved for the younger population, that will start to help curb the rise in cases in younger individuals.

Are you anticipating a spike in cases among kids as they return to school?

Not if we’re able to follow the mitigation strategies. … When we resumed in-person learning, we were successful in keeping our kids safe, and it didn’t really result in a lot of outbreaks. … Data [showed] that exposures [among children] really came from community exposures, not exposures at school. … That’s why it’s important to continue to follow those mitigation strategies to reduce your risk of exposing yourself [and] potentially bringing it home.

Featured photo: Dr. Jose Mercado. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/08/26

Covid-19 update As of August 16 As of August 23
Total cases statewide 103,462 105,302
Total current infections statewide 1,704 2,324
Total deaths statewide 1,395 1,402
New cases 1,345 (Aug. 10 to Aug. 16) 1,840 (Aug. 17 to Aug. 23)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 457 635
Current infections: Merrimack County 144 185
Current infections: Rockingham County 345 483
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 174 new positive cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire on Aug. 23. The state averaged 281 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an increase of nearly 50 percent over those from the previous week. As of Aug. 23, there were 2,324 active infections statewide and 107 current hospitalizations due to the virus.

On Aug. 23, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19 for people ages 16 and older, according to a press release. The vaccine, which will now be marketed as Comirnaty, also continues to be available under emergency use authorization for people ages 12 to 15, and for the administration of a third dose in immunocompromised recipients. “While millions of people have already safely received Covid-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval … may instill additional confidence to get vaccinated,” acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”

Affordable housing

The New Hampshire Housing Board of Directors approved funding for 16 affordable multi-family rental housing developments during the fiscal year ending June 30, which will produce or preserve almost 1,000 units of affordable rental housing in the state’s communities. According to a press release, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits — a federal program that encourages developers and investors to create affordable multi-family housing for low- and moderate-income families by using tax credits — and other federal and state funding will support these projects. LIHTC-funded housing accounts for about 95 percent of publicly funded workforce housing produced in New Hampshire, the release said. Other funding sources that New Hampshire Housing administers for affordable housing include the federal HOME program and Housing Trust Fund, the state Affordable Housing Fund and tax-exempt bond financing. “The state and federal funding sources that New Hampshire Housing provides are essential financing tools for public and private developers to create and renovate affordable rental housing throughout the state,” Dean Christon, executive director of New Hampshire Housing, said in the release. Local projects include 42 general occupancy units in six townhouse-style buildings on Village Street in Concord, with; 74 general-occupancy units in Woodland Village in Goffstown; and 11 supportive housing units in the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, an adaptive reuse of a former school into units that will provide housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Drive sober

New Hampshire has rolled out this year’s Labor Day impaired driving high-visibility enforcement campaign, where drivers can expect to see increased law enforcement on the road now through Sept. 6 specifically targeting impaired drivers. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative includes education efforts like messages on highway message boards, radio advertisements and social media public service campaigns, according to a press release. The New Hampshire State Police will work with 63 police departments for the border-to-border, statewide saturation patrol effort to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities due to impaired driving. Last year, 39 people died in alcohol-related crashes on New Hampshire roads, the release said. The New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety has several recommendations, including calling 911 if you see an impaired driver on the road; designating a sober driver or using a ride service; acknowledging that buzzed driving is drunk driving; and taking the keys of a friend who is about to drink and drive and making arrangements to get them home safely. The campaign is being funded by the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety and grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Granite Tax Connect

The third and final phase of Granite Tax Connect — the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration’s new online user portal and revenue management system — is now up and running. According to a press release, Granite Tax Connect provides an improved online experience to approximately 148,000 New Hampshire taxpayers, tax preparers and customers of the Tobacco/Smokeless Tobacco Tax, Real Estate Transfer Tax, Private Car/Railroad Tax, Utility Property Tax and Low to Moderate Income Credit. The system allows people to complete tasks online, such as filing taxes electronically, scheduling automated online payments, checking on the status of returns, payments, refund and credit requests and more. It also allows customers of certain tax types to complete additional tasks; wholesalers, manufacturers, taxpayers, practitioners and all DRA customers associated with the Tobacco/Smokeless Tobacco Tax, for example, can renew licenses, pay taxes electronically, view reports such as the Tobacco License lookup and License Additions/Deletions and more, according to the release. The state’s e-file for counties will no longer be available as of Jan. 1, so it is imperative to create an account prior to that date, the release said.

Police oversight

A commission at the New Hampshire State House has formed to try to create an independent police oversight body that would process reports of police misconduct in the state, according to WMUR. The effort has been backed by Gov. Chris Sununu and the Law Enforcement Accountability Commission established last year, but has not yet made it through the Legislature. Chaired by Attorney General John Formella, the commission has until Nov. 1 to work on the proposal.

Cyberthieves

The Town of Peterborough had $2.3 million stolen in two cases of cybertheft, according to NHPR. First $1.2 million was intercepted while being transferred from the Town to the ConVal School District. Investigation by the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force revealed that the thieves had posed as school district staff and used forged documents and email accounts to access the transfer. Several weeks later, the thieves used a similar tactic to intercept funds being transferred to contractors for construction on the Main Street Bridge project. The money cannot be recovered by reversing the transactions as it was converted to cryptocurrency, and it has not yet been determined whether insurance will cover any of the losses. The Town’s total budget for this fiscal year is a little over $15.8 million, according to the article.

Downtown Concord has two new art pieces on North Main Street. According to a press release, “Into the Wind” and “Sunflower from Mars,” both created by Chris Plaisted, have been installed in front of The Works Cafe and near The POST Downtown and Parlor Salon, respectively. The sculptures are part of the 4th Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Art on Main, a free, open-air, 24/7 year-round outdoor art exhibition, the release said.

All online processing fees, including fees for vehicle registrations, taxes and parking tickets, will be waived for Manchester residents for the next year, according to a press release. “By waiving online service fees, we’re hoping more residents who may be nervous about the rise in Covid cases take advantage of the convenience of engaging in city services online, rather than coming into City Hall in person,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release.

More than 275 children swam, biked and ran in the annual Kid’s Try-athlon at the Bedford Town Hall and Bedford High School on Aug. 15, according to a press release. The event benefited Friends of Aine, a nonprofit organization providing bereavement support services to grieving children, teens and families.

New Hampshire’s first finding of West Nile virus this year was detected in a mosquito batch in Salem on Aug. 3. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has elevated the risk from the baseline level to low.

This Week 21/08/19

Big Events August 19, 2021, and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 19

Catch Alli Beaudry & Nick as the live music performance at tonight’s Art After Work at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144). Admission is free on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and you can enjoy live music, free tours and food and drink for sale in the Winter Garden Cafe. Today’s tours are of “Critical Cartography: Larissa Fassler in Manchester” (at 5:30 p.m.) and “The Body in Art: From the Spiritual to the Sensual” (6:30 p.m.) Advance online registration is recommended, according to the website.

Friday, Aug. 20

Team Fire will face off against Team Police during the friendly competition known as the Battle of the Badges Baseball Classic atNortheast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive in downtown Manchester) tonight. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. and benefits programs at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). Tickets cost $10 and are available at chadbaseball.org.

Saturday, Aug. 21

History Alive returns to the town of Hillsborough today and tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by the Hillsborough Historical Society and held at locations on Jones Road and at the Historic Center, History

Alive features presentations about Abenaki music and drums (at noon), a talk on the use of native plants (1 p.m.) and Abenaki stories at 3 p.m., all on Saturday, and a discussion of the Abenaki Trail Project on Sunday at noon, as well as ongoing displays and demonstrations of Abenaki crafts, military reenactors, other historic crafts and on Sunday, a cake walk at 11 a.m. and a children’s parade at 3 p.m. See historyalivenh.org.

Tuesday, Aug. 24

New Hampshire Fisher Cats kick off a run of home games at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive in downtown Manchester; nhfishercats.com) against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies tonight with a game at 7:05 p.m. Tonight is Weather Night, part of the SNHU STEM Series. Games continue through Sunday, Aug. 29. Games tonight through Saturday, Aug. 28, are all at 7:05 p.m.; Sunday’s game starts at 1:35 p.m. Other special theme days include Alex Trebek Tribute Night on Aug. 26, Wrestling Night (with a Sumo Bobble Belly giveaway) on Aug. 27, post-game fireworks on Aug. 28 and a youth jersey giveaway on Aug. 29.

Tuesday, Aug. 24

Tonight it’s our time, down here, when The Goonies(PG, 1985) screens at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) at 7 p.m. Head back tomorrow for another ’80s classic, Gremlins (PG, 1984), on Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets to either show cost $12 with part of the proceeds benefiting Motley Mutts Rescue.

Save the Date! Thursday, Sept. 2

Get two performances in one show on Thursday, Sept. 2, when Bella White and OldHat Stringband co-bill at the Word Barn (66 Newfields Road in Exeter; thewordbarn.com). The show starts at 7 p.m.; general admission costs $25 plus fees.

Featured photo: Ali Beaudry. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/08/19

Mental health matters

The Granite State was well represented during the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s virtual convention last month. According to a press release, New Hampshire’s Kid Governor Charlie Olsen presented the keynote address, sharing his experience with depression and reminding viewers they’re not alone. Meanwhile, NAMI New Hampshire Executive Director Ken Norton received the Richard and Betsy Greer Advocacy Award for his efforts to advance policy and advocacy that impacts people living with mental illness and their families. And Dr. Isabel Norian, who recently completed her term on NAMI New Hampshire’s Board of Directors, was named a NAMI 2021 Exemplary Psychiatrist, one of only six psychiatrists nationally to receive the honor, according to the release.

Score: +1

Comment: Kudos especially to Charlie Olsen for being brave enough to tell his story and help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

Earn while getting EMT certified

As part of an effort to address the national EMT shortage, American Medical Response has partnered with four New Hampshire EMS schools to offer its Earn While You Learn program. According to a press release, participants are hired as employees and compensated while attending AMR’s EMT-Basic certification course, the release said. Upon successful completion of the program and obtaining their state certification, participants are promoted to EMT-B, with a commensurate pay increase. New England EMS Institute in Manchester, NH CPR in Bedford, NH Fire Med in Nashua and Great Brook Academy in Concord will be offering the classes. The 10- to 12-week program starts in September and is for candidates 18 years of age or older who have a high school diploma or GED and all required immunizations, and pass background checks and a drug screening. Visit amr.net/careers.

Score: +1

Comment: This is the first Earn While You Learn program in New Hampshire, the release said.

Gambling for good

After 10 days of charitable gambling at Manchester’s Filotimo Casino, the Community Caregivers of Greater Derry received a check in the amount of $58,696.70 to help the nonprofit with its mission of serving the elderly and disabled. According to a press release, the funds will be used to increase staff and programming. “The funds from charitable gaming are critical for nonprofits in New Hampshire, especially with all of the uncertainty surrounding Covid,” Cindee Tanuma, Executive Director of the Community Caregivers of Greater Derry, said in the release. “We still don’t know when people will want to attend fundraising events again.”

Score: +1

Comment: Raising tens of thousands of dollars without having to organize a major fundraising event is a huge boost for local nonprofits.

QOL score: 86
Net change: +3
QOL this week: 89

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

Next stop Williamsport

You know it’s strange when a Little League team from Manchester and Hooksett gets to the New England Regional Final game and doesn’t even get to use their own name because the team they played was Manchester of Connecticut. At least according to the Hartford Courant. So North Manchester-Hooksett is New Hampshire. But someone tell me why the other guys weren’t called Connecticut? And don’t get me started on a championship game being called after four innings on the mercy rule with North — ah, New Hampshire leading 11-1. How in the name of Frank Malzone can a championship game be decided by the mercy rule? Incredible.

However, that’s the “get off my lawn” portion of this column, so let me add: North Manchester-Hooksett in the Little League World Series — wow! Thrill of a lifetime. Congrats. Looking forward to all those accounts from my one-time broadcasting partner Jamie Staton streaming in on WMUR.

OK, here’s some other stuff that’s going on.

People often forget what a marathon an MLB baseball season is. Latest example is the Yankees being just three games behind the Sox as their crucial series started on Tuesday after being given up for dead on July 24 after falling nine back of the Sox after losing three of four to them at the Stadium.

I don’t get the criticism of Chaim Bloom bringing in Kyle Schwarber over Anthony Rizzo at the trade deadline. The prime objective was to get a productive left-handed bat to balance off the lineup against right-handed pitching. At the deadline Rizzo was hitting .213 with 9 homers and 26 RBI against righties vs. Schwarber’s .258, 23 homers and 46 RBI. So he got a better 2021 hitter for a better price. Thus instead of (now red hot) Bobby Dalbec sitting out, it’s .215 hitting rookie Jarren Duran, with Alex Verdugo playing center, Schwarber and J.D. Martinez splitting time at DH and in left field. Not a defensive enhancement for sure, but half the time it’ll be in left at Fenway, where anyone can play. Dicier on the road, so Duran gets more time as a defensive replacement. True, Schwarber was IL’d at the time of the deal, but after a hot start Rizzo went to the Covid-19 inactive list on Aug. 7.

Ditto on the pitching. True, it’s a bit risky to rely on Chris Sale, but if healthy who got a better starter at the deadline than maybe the Dodgers? As for the relievers he got, I’m guessing with Garrett Richards and Martin Perez now in the bullpen they’re unneeded/mop-up arms stockpiled in case someone gets hurt.

Since we’ve already had a record eight no-hitters this year, my claim micro-managers are taking the drama/thrill out of one of baseball’s great feats by regularly yanking guys with no-no’s in progress sounds a little dumb, doesn’t it? They didn’t even have that many in the Year of the Pitcher in 1968. Though they did see San Francisco’s Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals one day and the Cards’ Ray Washburn come back the next day and no-hit Perry’s Giants.

The best of the best was Arizona’s Tyler Gilbert throwing on Friday in his first major league start. Only the fourth time that’s happened since they started pitching overhand in 1884.

Speaking of first ever starts, Mac Jones made his during the 21-13 win over the Washington Football Team last Thursday. Not bad, but not earth-shattering as some made it sound. Basically, he was Brady 2001 in dinking and dunking his way to a meager 4.6 yards-per-attempt average. Overall he was 13-19 for 87 yards with no TD drives against WFT’s second teamers. In a word: progress.

What a Stupid I Yam Note of the Week: In last week’s column on the biggest Patriots stories as pre-season play began, I left out arguably the most important story: With likely six new starters on offense and six more on D, the key to the season is how quickly the new people assimilate to the system and mesh with their new teammates.

Speaking of dumb, am I the only one who thinks it’s beyond ridiculous that the PGA Tour forbids players from wearing shorts on super hot days? What does that accomplish?

The Celtics fan in me has always hated the newly acquired Dennis Schroder whenever he’s played against them because he plays chippy. But he brings what’s needed most to the oh so placid Celtics, someone who plays with a feisty edge. They haven’t had anyone like that since they foolishly let Marcus Morris walk after 2018. And thanks to a whopper of a business error, they get him for a measly $5.7 million.

Can’t take credit for this as I saw it on one of those dumb internet trade proposal things. It has the Celtics getting the dying to get out of Sacramento Marvin Bagley III for Grant Williams, Romeo Langford and a pair of second-round picks. He’s been disappointing so far, so it’s a risk, but one with a high upside if the former second overall pick gets it together. If he doesn’t, he’s still a 14 and 7 career guy who can come off the bench to play the 4, and even 5 in small lineups, while also making them bigger. Worth the risk — do it.

OK, one more “get off my lawn” comment. Forget Shohei Ohtani, just think of what Tristan Lucier’s 2 home run, 9 strikeout effort would have been if the Final had gone the full six innings vs. the other Manchester! And finally, hey, New Hampshire, er, I mean North Manchester-Hooksett! Everyone back here is pulling for you!

P.S. Whatever you do, next time you see him, don’t ask Staton about our interview with John McCain during a pretty good football game between Dartmouth and Cornell the day of the first GOP debate at Dartmouth during primary season back in 2000.

A disaster.

Back in town

Market Days Festival returns to Concord

Intown Concord executive director Jessica Martin talked about the 47th annual Market Days, a three-day street festival in Concord happening Thursday, Aug. 19, through Saturday, Aug. 21.

How is Intown approaching Market Days this year?

Now that things are back open after being closed for more than a year, this is kind of like our ‘welcome back’ to downtown. … We’ve decided to go back to the basics and keep it classic with things that have worked and been successful in the past. Good food, good music and fun activities — that’s what we’re really trying to focus on.

What’s on the agenda?

We have over 120 different types of vendors attending, with a mix of food, retail and nonprofits … as well as the Concord Arts Market, and the farmers market on Saturday morning as normal. … For kids and families, we have a KidZone, which will be directly in front of the Statehouse stairs. … The library is doing a storytime for kids. … We have a great kids musician, Mr. Aaron, coming. … We have free activities all three days, including workout classes [like] yoga, Zumba and jazzercise; dance demonstrations; all kinds of arts and crafts; face painting; … a touch-a-truck; … and a beer garden. We have a dog training show and a splash zone for dogs. … There are three stages with more than 30 hours of music and entertainment: the Binnie Media Performance Stage, which is the main stage, on South Main Street near Red River; the Homegrown Stage in Bicentennial Square, which features all local talent and musicians; and a variety of different performances happening in Eagle Square, including Tandy’s Idol, which is a singing competition similar to American Idol. … Also on the main stage on Friday, we have our outdoor movie, which is American Graffiti.

What safety precautions are being put in place?

Market Days is usually held in June, and we plan to go back to having it in June. That is, overwhelmingly, the month that people like to have it … but we moved it to August this year because we thought that would allow more time for people to get vaccinated and feel more comfortable being in a larger group. Obviously, the new delta variant has posed some questions for us, but the city hasn’t decided to put a mask mandate back in place or anything, so we’re just encouraging people who attend, especially those who aren’t vaccinated, to protect themselves by wearing a mask, and to social distance whenever possible. We’ll have quite a few hand sanitizer stations around for people as well.

What kind of turnout are you expecting?

We’re thinking it could be anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 people. Everyone we’ve talked to is really excited for it. We think it’s probably going to be one of the highest turnouts ever for Market Days, especially if the weather is good, because people are so anxious to get out and resume going to events.

Why did Intown feel it was important to only postpone rather than skip the event this year?

… After how much small businesses have struggled through this last year, we think [Market Days] is really important … as a revenue-driver and [it] really helps to boost our local economy, especially for downtown businesses, but also for the greater Concord area. … It’s also about morale [for the community]. Market Days has been a part of the community going on its 47th year. People have memories about coming to Market Days from when they were little kids. It really makes things start to feel like there’s some sense of normalcy again.

What’s the best way for people to plan out their day?

This is our first year having a Market Days website — we wanted to make sure that people are really clear about what’s going on and when it’s going on, so they can find a map of activities and all of the entertainment schedules there.

Market Days Festival

Where: Various locations on and off Main Street in downtown Concord
When: Thursday, Aug. 19, through Saturday, Aug. 21, with festivities from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day
Cost: Admission and most activities are free
Covid protocol: Masks are not required but are strongly encouraged, especially for attendees who have not been vaccinated. Social distancing should be practiced as much as possible. Hand sanitizing stations will be available.
More info: Visit marketdaysfestival.com for a map of activities and schedule of entertainment and special events. See facebook.com/intownconcord for updates. For all other questions, call Intown at 226-2150.

Featured photo: Jessica Martin. Courtesy photo.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!