| Covid-19 update | As of January 25 | As of February 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Total cases statewide | 62,768 | 66,058 |
| Total current infections statewide | 5,627 | 4,662 |
| Total deaths statewide | 990 | 1,059 |
| New cases | 4,904 (Jan. 19 to Jan. 25) | 3,290 (Jan. 26 to Feb. 1) |
| Current infections: Hillsborough County | 1,994 | 1,587 |
| Current infections: Merrimack County | 420 | 389 |
| Current infections: Rockingham County | 1,278 | 1,096 |
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.
