COVID-19 Tests Now Available At State Liquor Stores: PM Patch NH

CONCORD, NH — More than half a million COVID-19 test kits are now available at 67 New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets, according to state officials.

The Flowflex single antigen rapid test kits, which were made in China, are available for $11.29, with 4 cents each going to the commission as an admin fee. The tests will be on sale while supplies last. State officials said, as more at-home tests become available, the liquor and wine outlets will restock them.

“Since the start of this pandemic, we have been identifying gaps to meet needs to stay ahead of the pandemic,” Gov. Chris Sununu said. “We broke down barriers that other states are facing and quickly procured these at-home tests that we plan to pass along to our citizens at cost. Easy access to at-home tests is one of the most important tools we have at limiting the spread of COVID and I would like to thank all who made this effort a reality.”

The state spent around $5.6 million to obtain the tests.

The same tests, however, are less expensive at some retail outlets. The same test was purchased two days ago at a Rite Aid in Concord for $9.99, plus a $1 off sale, for a final cost of $8.99.

When asked about the surprising price difference between what the state spent and what was for sale at a small regional drug store chain, Jake Leon, of the health department’s public information office, said the state had to pay slightly more in order to buy in bulk and get them immediately.

“The department held a competitive bidding process to procure tests from vendors that had them immediately available,” he said. “The vendor with the lowest price for immediately available tests was selected. Comparable tests recently seen in pharmacies are sporadically available from manufacturers and are on restricted allocation to the pharmacies under their existing contracts.”

Leon did not answer whether the state has "buy American" provisions when it comes to competitive bidding.

The U.S. Post Office also offers four Roche at-home COVID-19 kits, paid for by the federal government. Those testing kits were made in Korea and can be ordered here.

Some employer-sponsored health care companies are allowing reimbursement for eight over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests per 30-day period. Check with your insurance company for details.

COVID-19 at-home tests are now on sale at New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets. Jim Richards, NHLC chief administrator of store operations; Lorrie Piper, NHLC director of sales, marketing, merchandising, and distribution; Sophie Paradise, NHLC program assistant, Stephanie Provost, Pembroke Outlet manager; Mike Dupont, retail clerk at Pembroke Outlet, and Patrick Narbonne, NHLC marketing purchasing specialist. Credit: New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets

Penguin Plunge, Winni Dip ‘DIY’ Again

For 2022, two Special Olympics New Hampshire fundraising events will be “do it yourself.”

Both the Penguin Plunge and Winni Dip will be DIY. Partner Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast will be a sponsor for both events. Plunges will take place the weekend of Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 and Dip Weekend is March 12 and March 13. Participants plunge or dip anytime, anywhere that it is safe to do so, according to organizers, with all fundraising done online.

The org’s president and CEO, Mary Conroy, said last year, they were pleasantly surprised not only by the turnout but the creativity of participants.

“We had everything last year from schools utilizing their local fire departments to help students plunge, to individuals plunging on their own in lots of fun and creative ways,” she said.

Registration can be made online here.

A photo from the last in-person plunge in February 2020. Credit: Special Olympics New Hampshire

Blood Is In Short Supply

Staff and students at Spaulding High School recently hosted a blood drive in the school’s health science technology program along with the Red Cross. Twenty-three pints of blood were donated. Blood is currently in short supply due to omicron infections.

"This was a great opportunity for our whole school community, both for the students who are aspiring to work in the healthcare field and for those who donated blood that will hopefully help fill a critical need," Michele Halligan-Foley, the director of Career Technology Education at the R.W. Creteau Technology Center at Spaulding, said.

Spaulding students Kim Hall, Jaelyn Woodbury, and Megan Kaiser. Credit: Rochester Schools

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