NH's Emergency Ops Center Activated Due To Coronavirus: Update

CONCORD, NH — State officials have activated New Hampshire's Emergency Operations Center in Concord to assist with the state's response to the new coronavirus. The decision was made Friday by Gov. Chris Sununu to partially activate the center "to ensure a level of consistency, coordination, preparedness in order to keep local emergency management officials informed and up-to-date," he said. The proactive measures are being made in case there are "further developments" and needed response to COVID-19.

The center is similar to the operations processed used during other emergencies like major power outages during some of the recent ice storms and other events.

"The SEOC brings together the necessary state agencies to manage response communication, coordination of supply and equipment delivery, monitor response activities and provide essential resources to our local, state and federal partners," said Perry Plummer, the assistant commissioner of the Department of Safety.

Officials said the state is still at low risk for infection. As of 9 a.m. Friday, around 275 residents were under public health monitoring with only two confirmed cases and four presumptive positive cases. The state has taken specimens from 121 people with 94 testing negative. Twenty-one tests are pending.

The state has also launched a new phone 211 phone service to assist with answering the public's questions concerning COVID-19.

"It is important during an outbreak that residents get the information they need to protect their health and the health of their community," said Lori Shibinette, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. "2-1-1 provides that resource for our residents to get the most up to date and accurate information about the presence of coronavirus in New Hampshire."

The phone service is operated by Granite United Way and is replacing a state phone number previously circulated to the public.

School Closures Begin

Schools around the state are beginning to take proactive measures to close next week.

The Nashua School District, the second largest system in the state, announced Friday that it would be closed Monday. In a letter to parents at 10 a.m. Friday, Nashua's Superintendent, Jahmal Mosley, stated he was suspending all field trips, meetings, workshops, and conferences until further notice and also implemented "social distancing measures" by banning fans and audience members, including family members, from attending all athletic games and all performing arts events immediately. At just before 2 p.m., Mosley informed the district that schools would be closing outright. Parents will be receiving future notifications online at the district's website.

Exeter and the SAU 16 school district announced it was closing Monday, too, and would remain closed through March 27. The decision was made, according to Superintendent David Ryan, after significant consideration by district leadership and in consultation with community health partners. The district will implement remote learning during closure "to ensure educational continuity during this uncertain time." Ryan added there were no positive or presumed positive cases in the school community.

"By closing schools as a precaution, we are protecting students and staff, and doing our part to enact social distancing to assist our local and state public health officials with addressing this global pandemic," said Ryan. "A significant number of our parents travel each day by train to the Boston metropolitan area, and we want to be proactive in reducing any risk of spreading COVID-19 to our students and staff."

The Merrimack Valley School District in Penacook has also canceled classes for Monday only, according to Superintendent Mark MacLean.

The Amherst School District, including Souhegan High School, will also be closed on Monday.

The New Hampshire Department of Education does not know how many schools are closed in the state because districts are not required to tell the department.

Remote Learning Gets Green Light

Frank Edelblut, the commissioner of the education department, in a memo to school superintendents, stressed the need to ensure children were learning if parents decided to keep their children home or buildings were closed.

"The basic outline of our response is summarized as: Remote Instruction plus remote support results in remote learning for our students," he wrote.

Edelblut said the state board of education had approved emergency measures Thursday allowing districts to conduct remote instruction "as you see fit." A technical advisory on the new rule will be available shortly.

"We have given consideration to the broad range of learning resources that districts and students might have access to from full online to fully analog and every combination in between," Edelblut said. "Just saying, some of us were around before we had ubiquitous computers and we were able to make it work. When you are making these determinations, consider the resources in your community. If there is a public health disruption, there will be more limitations, however, if there is a temporary disruption for a specific instance in a community, those community resources (clubs, community libraries, etc.) will be very valuable. I have met with some of these nonprofits already and they are eager to help."

The department has also filed a waiver with the U.S. Department of Agriculture requesting flexibility around school food programs to ensure that children who are hungry and get their only meals of the day at school will be fed. However, if schools close, some buildings will not be accessible to those students. Officials are working on a "limited interaction" plan which would allow children to access food at school even during closures.

Market Basket Working To Restock Shelves

The Fort Eddy Road Market Basket in Concord was busier than normal at lunchtime Friday with long lines and a run on some items reminiscent of what the store is like 48 hours before Thanksgiving or Christmas eve.

Non-perishable items such as baked beans, toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and pasta were empty or close to empty. The canned vegetable aisle, frozen pizza, and paper towel aisles were also not as stocked as normal. In the pasta aisle, one employee remarked to another that the shelves they had just restocked two hours before were now empty. Another employee stocking items said they were "flat out" trying to keep up with customer demand.

Around 1 p.m., one store employee apologized across the store intercom for not having all of the items normally available for customers. The man said that rumors that the store was closing were false. Trucks would be arriving with more goods during the weekend and employees are working "24 hours" to replenish shelves, he said. Market Basket will be here today, tomorrow, next week, next year, and a decade from now, the man announced reassuringly.

At Rite Aid on North State Street, the toilet paper and disinfectant shelves were also cleared out. An employee was seen later restocking toilet paper at the store.

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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Editor's note: I was director of communications for the New Hampshire Department of Education between April 13, 2018, and April 16, 2019.

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