NH Coronavirus Update: Infections Increase To 39

CONCORD, NH — State health officials announced Wednesday that 39 people are now positive with the new coronavirus. Thirteen new cases were reported since Tuesday based on positive test results. According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, all the new case were adults — six men and seven women.

Four of the new COVID-19 infections were from Hillsborough County, specifically, Manchester, with three in Rockingham County, three in Carroll County, two in Belknap County, and one in Merrimack County.

"New individuals from Carroll and Merrimack counties have no identified risk factors, indicating additional areas in New Hampshire experiencing community-based transmission of COVID-19," said Jake Leon, a public information office with the department. "Two patients are hospitalized and they are in stable condition; the remaining people are isolating at home."

According to Leon, 891 people in the state have been tested with 231 tests pending. That means that 621 have tested negative. Public health monitoring has increased to 550.

More State Actions

Gov. Chris Sununu has issued three new emergency orders in an effort to provide relief to bars and restaurants in New Hampshire, help school districts with data privacy, and health care workers.

The first order offers temporary authorization for takeout or delivery beer or wine. All restaurants, diners, bars, saloons, private clubs or any other establishment that have both a restaurant license and on premise license from the New Hampshire liquor commission shall be temporarily authorized to allow for takeout or delivery of beer or wine, according to the state.

The second offers "temporary modification of data and privacy to governance plans." The order, Sununu said, would give school districts greater flexibility when developing remote learning software tools.

"Student privacy is paramount, and all applications and software still must meet rigorous Department of Education privacy standards," he added.

The third added a temporary expansion of access to Telehealth Services to protect public and health care providers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has also approved the state's application for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans which should help small businesses in the Granite State overcome lost revenue due to COVID-19.

"New Hampshire is one of the earliest states in the country to be approved, and this is good news for our small businesses who will need this capital to help weather the impact of the coronavirus," Sununu said. "I thank the SBA for making these funds available and for their efforts and support. I encourage New Hampshire's small business owners to take advantage of these loans during this developing public health situation."

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Wendell Davis, the New Hampshire Regional Administrator for SBA, thanked officials in the state for quantifying the impact and gathering the required documentation to move forward.

Taylor Caswell, the commissioner for the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said officials will continue to work with the federal government and others to offer support and ensure there were resources available for businesses impacted by the coronavirus.

The governor also sent a letter to Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma regarding a special open-enrollment period allowing people without health insurance to have a 60 to 90 day window for access to the Affordable Care Act.

Statement from Granite State Progress Executive Director Zandra Rice Hawkins, the executive director of Granite State Progress, thanked Sununu for "listening to the concerns of health care advocates and requesting a special open enrollment period for Obamacare." She said early detection and access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services is critical for our state and others to mitigate the potential for further outbreak and the special open enrollment period would allow more people to obtain health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act — "so we are all better protected against the threat of COVID-19."

The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles is also transitioning to phone and online services starting Thursday and limited appointment only services starting Monday. Walk-in operations at all locations will pause Thursday and Friday, to allow staff to train and prepare facilities for appointment based operations.

Online, phone, and mail services will not be interrupted.

On March 23, walk-in services by appointment will be available in Concord, Dover, Manchester, Newport, and Twin Mountain.

VLACS Offers Free Webinars

VLACS, the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School, is offering a series of free webinars to help parents and students adapt to remote learning, and to help educators adapt to remote instruction and working remotely. Frank Edelblut, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, thanked the organization for assisting parents and students during the remote learning process.

"They are New Hampshire’s experts on remote instruction and remote support," he said. "I'm am thrilled that they can share their expertise as New Hampshire tackles this unprecedented challenge."

The classes include:

Tips for Remote Learners and their Parents: Come learn some basic strategies for supporting your at home, remote students. Topics to be discussed: using the Zoom video conferencing app, the importance of consistency, communicating with school officials, designing space at home, and the importance of movement breaks.

• 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 19
• Noon on Friday, March 20
• 7 p.m. on Monday, March 23

Register here.

Educators: Creating an Academic Helpdesk for Online Learners: Learn how to set-up and run an academic helpdesk to provide students with real-time support as they engage in remote learning. Topics will include set-up, providing access to students, tools to consider using, and staffing ideas. This can be a great resource for students to avoid the frustration of not being able to get support when needed when working remotely.

• 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 19
• 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 20
• 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24
• 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26

Register here.

Essential Virtual Meeting Room Skills for Remote Instructors: As teachers and students move to remote learning, it will be essential that teachers learn to use online meeting software. We will use Zoom to discuss and demonstrate the tools and techniques that allow for effective instruction and support in a virtual meeting. Topics will range from basic features such as using microphones and video cameras to more advanced techniques of sharing screens, using whiteboards, and breakout rooms.

• 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 19
• 2 p.m. on Friday, March 20
• 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25
• 11 a.m. on Friday, March 27

Register here.

Communicating with Remote Learners: With multiple weeks of remote instruction coming, what are the best strategies and helpful tips for communicating with remote learners. Topics will include various communication tools, how to support academic integrity remotely, the importance of regularity and consistency, how empathic communication can help you build relationships with your students, and how those relationships will help support your students now and upon return to school.

• Noon on Thursday, March 19
• 10 a.m. on Friday, March 20
• 1 p.m. on Monday, March 23
• 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25

Register here.

For more information, contact VLACS at 603-778-2500.

What You Can Do

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. 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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