Covid-19 news

On Jan. 4, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Orders No. 79 and No. 80. Emergency Order No. 79 allows registered and certified pharmacy technicians to administer Covid-19 vaccines under certain conditions. Now through the remaining duration of the state of emergency or until the order is terminated, technicians are authorized to administer vaccines while under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist who ordered it. The technician must also have a current certificate in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Emergency Order No. 80 authorizes Medicaid disaster relief for the continued administration of Covid-19 vaccines in New Hampshire, temporarily waiving certain legislative requirements in order to allow it to move forward.

Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, provided an update on vaccine distributions in the state during a Jan. 5 press conference. She reported that, to date, enough vaccine doses have been distributed to vaccinate about 73 percent of Phase 1A individuals, which include first responders, high-risk health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Those in Phase 1B, including individuals over the age of 75, corrections officers and staff, and people with two or more high-risk conditions like cancer, sickle cell disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are expected to be eligible for their vaccines next.

Dr. Daly said that between March and May, people in Phases 2A and 2B will be able to receive the vaccine. Phase 2A includes K through 12 school and child care staff, as well as people from the ages of 65 to 74. Phase 2B includes people from the age of 50 to 65. Then, from May into the summer and beyond, Phases 3A and 3B will be eligible. Phase 3A will include those who are under the age of 50 but are at a moderate risk of developing severe complications of Covid-19. Phase 3B will include everyone else not already vaccinated.

With its daily public health update on Jan. 8, New Hampshire surpassed 50,000 overall cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic last March. As of Jan. 11, there are 267 people currently hospitalized with the virus, while 45,320 have recovered and are off isolation.

Chief justice nomination

Gov. Chris Sununu has nominated Attorney General Gordon MacDonald to serve as the next Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, to succeed Chief Justice Bob Lynn, who retired in August 2019. Since then, the Judicial Branch has been led by Senior Associate Justice Gary Hicks. “Gordon has served this State with distinction as Attorney General for the last four years, and I am honored to nominate him to lead our State’s highest court,” Sununu said in a press release. Sununu had previously nominated MacDonald for chief justice, but on July 10, the Executive Council voted against the nomination. At that time, Sununu issued a statement saying that he had never seen a nominee who was so supported and that “political extremism” had been behind the vote. “It is clear that we need to take a pause on the judicial nominating process and not move forward with any nominees until I have confidence there’s appropriate perspective from the Council on their responsibilities to the process and to the state,” Sununu said at the time. MacDonald has served as the state’s Attorney General since April 2017, according to the Jan. 6 press release; prior to that, he was a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP in Manchester. “Gordon is exceptionally well-qualified for this important position. He has a long and well-deserved reputation as an outstanding lawyer. … He also brings to the Court a proven record of service in both the private and public sectors, including his admirable performance over the last four years as Attorney General of New Hampshire,” Lynn said in the Jan. 6 release.

Flags at state buildings in Concord and on all public buildings and grounds in New Hampshire were directed to fly at half-staff until sunset on Jan. 13, as a sign of respect for the sacrifice and service of U.S. Capitol Police Officers Brian D. Sicknick and Howard Liebengood and all Capitol police officers, according to a press release. “The American people will never forget Jan. 6, 2021 — a day when domestic terrorists attacked our nation’s capital,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release.

Disability rights activists gathered on Jan. 6 in Durham to protest the state’s House of Representatives drive-in voting session, according to a press release. The session was held in a parking lot at UNH, which activists said was not easily accessible to some. Acting New Hampshire House of Representatives Speaker Sherman Packard had said in a Dec. 28 letter to state representatives that the House had not adopted a rule that allows it to meet remotely, so it was obligated to meet in person.

Though Manchester schools were scheduled to return to in-person learning on Jan. 19, the district announced in a letter to the school community on Jan. 8 that because the number of cases of Covid-19 in the city is “extremely high,” that is unlikely to happen. According to the letter, cases must drop below the high-risk level, which is a rate of 10 or fewer new cases each day, but in recent days Manchester has seen between 65 and 72 new cases each day.

Despite having to cancel its annual plant sale and other fundraisers last year, the Nashua Garden Club voted to continue its tradition of charitable giving to four nonprofit organizations and one that focuses on gardening and landscaping education. According to a press release, the 2020 holiday contributions of $125 each went to Corpus Christi Food Pantry, Marguerite’s Place, Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Nashua Children’s Home and Grow Nashua.