Governor To Curb NH's New Coronavirus Briefings To Once A Week

CONCORD, NH — With the new coronavirus pandemic in New Hampshire stabilized and campaign season fully underway, Gov. Chris Sununu said he and health officials would be curbing news conferences back to once a week.

The governor made the announcement at the beginning of a 30-minute session with a handful of reporters Thursday while also presenting information about a new emergency order concerning a remote learning verification program and other miscellaneous items.

The verification program, which was coordinated with the New Hampshire Department of Education, would provide "safe options" for students while they participate in learning pods and remote centers. The verification process would put "safety measures in place" so parents would know their children were safe while under remote learning plans. It would differentiate between learning pods and daycare centers, he said.

"We just to make sure we are promoting a safe and innovative way for communities to respond to remote and hybrid learning models," Sununu said.

Sununu made a pitch to the unemployed as well as those who are under-employed or looking for other work to visit the state's jobs portal. The governor said there were thousands of jobs available from hundreds of employers including many openings at schools around the state listed online.

Sununu also thanked Jerry Little, the state's banking commissioner who has been directing the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR), who will move back to banking now that most of the state's $1.25 billion CARES Act funds have been dispersed and the org is up and running. Little, he said, had done an "incredible job" and worked "tirelessly" to get funds out to residents and businesses in New Hampshire.

"He and his team have done, and continue to do, a great job," Sununu said.

Taylor Caswell, the commissioner of Business and Economic Affairs, will be taking over for Little, the governor said.

Sununu also asked everyone, "regardless of political party," to get out and vote Sept. 8. He noted there would be different times and processes at the polls but the Granite State had a consistent history of high voter turnout — and this election season should not be the exception.

The once a week COVID-19 briefings, he said, will start Sept. 10.

Health Update

Lori Shibinette, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, during a short health update, said the state had another 43 new positive test results but no new hospitalizations or deaths.

She also announced the closure of the last long-term care facility outbreak at Evergreen Place in Manchester.

Questions And Answers

Sununu was asked if the state had received the vaccine letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and he said it had. Officials were preparing for the availability of the vaccine, he said. Sununu added, by preparing, he meant the state would find a vendor or network and prepare for distribution throughout the state. There are 13 public health agencies around the state, so that is not an issue, but Sununu did not expect to get 1.3 million doses right away. There might be some priority setting, too, to be equitable and also help the most in need.

"If it comes in early November, we will be ready, Sununu said.

Shibinette later agreed and said preparing for the vaccine would not be unlike the H1N1 vaccine in 2009.

The governor was asked if he thought the Sept. 8 primary would be smooth and he said, Yes, because officials had been working together to make sure it would be seamless and constitutional. A working group started in May and bills were approved to allow for absentee ballots and mail-in balloting, too. The federal government is also chipping in funds for some parts of the election to offset costs, Sununu said. The governor added he expected primary and general elections would have no problems in 2020.

The governor was asked about teachers requesting a sick time waiver for more than one quarantine incident and he said every district was different due to varying union contracts. Instead of opining on it, Sununu said he thought districts were "doing right by their teachers" and he had heard "very few complaints" about this issue. He added, if funding was an issue for districts, "they need to pick up the phone" or use the monies already made available to the districts — since many have not used all their CARES Act funds.

Sununu was asked if he expected to put together permitting or licensing for the COVID-19 vaccine and he thought current systems in place in New Hampshire would be able to deliver the vaccine.

When asked if he thought the vaccine letter was "being politicized, in any way," Sununu said, No.

"I don't see it being politicized at all," he said.

Sununu was asked about the NH GOP absentee ballot requests and mailers being sent out illegally and he said he had no part of the issue and did not know if it was a mistake by a mail house or somewhere else.

Sununu was also asked about his previous comments concerning the state being a light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic and what that really meant — especially when some communities appeared to be looking backward not forward. The city of Concord approved a mask ordinance Monday while, during the course of six months, there have been 150 cases in a city of 43,000. The city of Manchester tabled what many considered a draconian $1,000 mask mandate fine until October. What is the end-game in New Hampshire with COVID-19?

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Sununu said he was supportive of cities and towns making their own decisions and thought they were being proactive because things could get worse. Cities, he added, were diverse compared to more rural areas of the state, small towns, and communities outside the southern tier.

"So, obviously, what happens in a small, rural town like Warner might be different than stipulations and measures taken in Downtown Nashua," he said. "Those are two very different situations."

Sununu said he thought numbers would rise in the fall — especially as children and students return to school at all levels. The governor called the "light at the end of the tunnel" analogy accurate because, while riding in a train tunnel, the rider is never sure how far it is before the daylight approaches again. Sununu said during the next few months, the state would prepare for the vaccine, continue to take steps to keep the numbers low, and brace for the next six to nine months or even another year. Aspects of life, he said, will come back but will look a little different.

"But it will take some time," Sununu said.

The governor expects the economy to turn around in 2021, with a "giant national mentality" to move forward while the state tackles "a lot of challenges" in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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• Concord City Council Approves Face Covering Ordinance: Update
• 22 More COVID-19 Cases Reported In New Hampshire: Update

Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus 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.
• When you can't practice 6 feet of social distancing, wear a face covering.
• Anyone who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic and underlying health conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers should work from home as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that the virus can survive for hours or possibly days on surfaces. 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.
• Wear a face covering.
• 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.
• To access the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, click on this link here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 Interactive Map Dashboard, click on this link here.

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