Governor To Transfer State Cash To NH Banks; Urges Local Hiking

CONCORD, NH — Fourteen "surge hospitals," with around 1,600 beds, have been set up in New Hampshire to be used in preparation for an expected swell of new coronavirus cases. The hospitals were set up during the past two weeks by the New Hampshire National Guard. The surge hospitals, which are in all regions of the state with the exception of the Upper Valley, "hopefully, will not be needed," said Major Gen. David J. Mikolaities, the adjutant general for the guard.

At a news conference Friday, Gov. Chris Sununu said, in the coming weeks, health officials expect "a surge in cases" as early as May and lasting through June, and the state needed to prepare, and that's why the alternative case sites were being built. The crest, he added, could be weeks or months. Officials will "narrow down what we are going to see," he said, adding, in some areas of the state, "there may not even be a surge — or it will take a different form." Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont residents also play a role so the amplitude is unknown, Sununu said.

"We hope it's a bell curve … but we don't know," he said. "We're prepared and we can handle it … there will be end."

The end, though, he said, could be as long as three months. Health officials will be unveiling new infection models next week at another press conferences so Granite Staters could prepare for the expanded spread of COVID-19.

Sununu also announced that LRG Healthcare, the company that runs Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia and Franklin Regional Hospital, will be receiving a $5.2 million six-month low interest loan to stay open after the organization temporarily furloughed 40 percent of its workforce. Those employees, he said, would be keeping their benefits from the company while receiving unemployment benefits from the pandemic fund. The loan is coming from the $50 million emergency health care fund Sununu set up at the beginning of the outbreak for hospitals with "an immediate cash crunch" and "backstop in the short term," to help hospitals in danger of going under, he said.

Keeping hospitals open in the Lakes Region as well as the North Country was a concern due to out-of-staters visitors, who might be infected and not know it, coming to the state and putting a strain on those hospitals. The facilities were great, Sununu said, but not built to handle the capacity of an influx of visitors coming from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other states with much higher rates of infection.

Employment Security will also take a lead role in building a health workforce flex system for furloughed health care workers to be moved around to other facilities in the state in need of employees, Sununu said.

The state will be shifting its cash holdings and reserves to New Hampshire banks, Sununu said. Cash reserves in the state amount in the tens and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars. In the 1980s, the state transferred the money from unstable local banks to larger banks. But since the 1990s, Sununu said, banks in the state "grew back" and became "very strong." Sununu expected about $50 million to be shifted from national banks to 16 state banks in the near future. He added there were no issues with liquidity at New Hampshire banks. But the transfer "allows them a stronger asset base for great lending power to local businesses," he said.

Patch takes community journalism seriously and we want to be as much service to our readers as possible at this very uncertain time. If you are a public health worker, medical provider, elected official, patient, or other coronavirus expert — or you simply have a news tip you'd like to share — please fill out this form. We'll keep names and personal information private.

When asked what the risk would be by moving the money to local banks, Sununu said, "None," while adding, "We'll devise a formula to make it fair."

State officials, he said, were also working closely with the New Hampshire Grocers Association to ensure social distancing and safety at the state's stores and a seamless supply chain flow. The association will be setting up emergency operation center, requesting stores to limit customers, provide better and more signage about social distancing, implementing one-way traffic in aisles, installing plexiglass shields, and other initiatives.

"We want people to feel like they are in a healthy and safe environment," Sununu said.

Out-of-staters coming to the state to recreate continues to be a concern for Sununu and raised by media outlets, too. In one case, according to a question from a staffer at a Keene AM radio station, a state official at Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey reported 90 percent of vehicles in the parking lots at the mountain's bases were full of vehicles with registrations from the Bay State. Sununu said he wouldn't and couldn't close the state off to others but, instead, was presenting a new "home hike challenge" for Granite Staters to explore their own community's trails and walks.

"We really want folks to maintain social distancing and avoid the big crowds," he said, adding that people should take pictures and post them on social media sites using the hashtag #HomeHikeChallenge. Sununu added, "Make it fun and reduce crowds in high traffic areas."

You’re healthier at home – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn't get some exercise. I'm challenging Granite Staters to find hikes off the beaten path, close to your home, or a lesser-known trail you’ve been meaning to explore. Post your picture this weekend with #HomeHikeChallenge! pic.twitter.com/LZm9kKI3tN
— Chris Sununu (@GovChrisSununu) April 3, 2020

Don't miss updates about coronavirus precautions and information in New Hampshire as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Other Issues

Sununu will issue an emergency order Friday to allow cities and towns to offer taxpayer abatements on interest and penalties on late property taxes.

When asked about an order issued by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott requiring residents to wear masks, Sununu said he would be waiting for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and then, would consult with state health officials to see if the order would actually assist in improving health.

The state is monitoring about a half a dozen nursing home and other facilities with coronavirus cases to ensure that the virus doesn't spread inside the facilities and cause deadly consequences as it has in other states.

The federal government approved the state's emergency disaster declaration Friday.

The state's 21-day emergency declaration expires Friday and Sununu will be renewing the order — and will continue to renew the emergency order, again and again, "for the foreseeable future."

Around 100 police, firefighters, and first responders around New Hampshire are currently in self-isolation due possible coronavirus exposure or presumptive positives.

Sununu also thanked So-Clean from Peterborough for donating more than 200,000 N95 masks that are being deployed around the state.

When asked about how remote learning was going in the Sununu household, the governor said he was lucky that his wife, Valerie, was a former special education teacher — and was surprised at how many subjects his children were teaching him that he didn't get taught at MIT.

Help Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

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.

ALSO READ:

• NH Attorney General: Beware Of Coronavirus Unemployment Scams
• NH Coronavirus Update: 5th Death Announced; Positives Jump To 479
• Concord Coronavirus: Out Of 565 Tested At Hospital, 19 Positives
• Girl Scouts Earn Silver Awards Making Coronavirus Face Masks
• Coronavirus Leads 27,454 To File For Unemployment In NH

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube channel.