Coronavirus Prompts NH Governor To Issue 'Stay At Home' Order

CONCORD, NH — While calling the fight his administration had taken against the new coronavirus outbreak to be "unprecedented action," Gov. Chris Sununu will place New Hampshire in a "stay-at-home" emergency order Friday. Three executive orders will be released outlining the specifics, which will remain in place until May 4. One order will require all non-essential businesses to end "in-person and public interacting operations by midnight Friday, March 27," the governor said.

Some businesses, he said, had already voluntarily closed.

"Over the past 24 hours," Sununu said, "we've received calls and requests for a mandatory shelter-in-place ... this is not a shelter-in-place. We are not closing down transportation, I'm not closing our borders, and no one will be prevented from leaving their homes. I want to be clear — no governor can shut down the border; no governor can prevent another state's residents from entering another state."

The order, however, aligned New Hampshire with neighboring states, he said.

"We all know New Hampshire and Massachusetts are intertwined ... our businesses, our communities, and our families," Sununu said, adding that the action, was "an effort, to be consistent across the board."

Health care facilities, grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, hardware stores, homeless shelters, food banks, animal health services, restaurants, breweries, "just to name a few, are all considered essential," Sununu said.

Sununu also announced Thursday that remote learning would remain in place through May 4.

Residents "should stay at home, unless absolutely necessary," Sununu said, in an effort to make sure the level of infection of coronavirus in New Hampshire doesn't reach "the level of other states." It was hard, Sununu said, to ask businesses to close but many, like hair salons, bowling alleys, and others, have already closed.

When asked whether local law enforcement would be enforcing the order, Sununu said he did not expect residents to be "harassed" or police to stop people to find out why they weren't at home. He said residents were already staying home now. But as it gets warmer, with the potential for residents in Maine and Massachusetts visiting the state, social distancing and stopping the spread were going to be harder to enforce without an order, Sununu said.

"What we're trying to provide is another tool in the toolbox for locals, to manage their communities," he said, "but it isn't about an enforcement action at all."

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All state beaches will be closed at midnight Friday, he added.

The emergency orders issued by Sununu could go longer than May 4. It could be eight more weeks; it could last 12 weeks, Sununu said.

"It could last a long time … it really could," he said. "It could last through the end of the year. We just don't know."

Around 40,000 people have applied for unemployment benefits and that number could "double or triple," Sununu said.

"It's going to be a very long haul and a very tough journey but we will bounce back," Sununu said.

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Sununu said it was imperative for people over 60 and those with health conditions to remain in their homes.

"This virus is real," Sununu said. "It is state wide and we know the surge is ahead of us."

The governor was asked about death notifications due to the virus, which were delayed and varied from state to state. Sununu said he couldn't speak for other states but added that New Hampshire had one death and a very low per capita rate of infection. Reporting and determining the exact cause of death would be done by the state's medical examiners, he said. Sununu added there wasn't a "significant backlog" with death examinations and notifications, and the department had made some new hires in the last few months.

"We don't anticipate long turnaround times," Sununu said.

The three new orders, which will be released Friday, will be in place until May 4.

What You Can Do To Stop The Spread

COVID-19, not unlike the flu and other respiratory illnesses, is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

• Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.
• Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.
• Anybody who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspect COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic medical conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers need to move to telework as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that this virus can survive for hours or possibly even a few days on surfaces, so people should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e., social distancing).
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.

• Guidance to schools can be found can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.

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• Concord Coronavirus: Hospital Reports Patients Are Recovering
• NH Coronavirus: 108 Positive Cases; Bus Rider Exposure Reported
• NH Governor Calls For Volunteers To Help With Coronavirus

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