NHPR Staff

NHPR is continuing to cover the developing story around coronavirus in New Hampshire. Bookmark this page for the latest updates.

Governor Sununu is asking the Executive Council to waive a public hearing for Eddie Edwards to serve as the director of the state’s Office of Professional Licensure and Certification.

Edwards, who ran for congress as a Republican in 2018, was nominated earlier this month.

Sununu is requesting the confirmation be fast-tracked so that Lindsey Courtney, who has been serving as interim executive director, can return to her full-time position overseeing public health licensing.

New Hampshire identified its first case of COVID-19 on March 2. NHPR has been tracking new developments since then, as the number of confirmed cases and testing capacity — at public and private labs — has expanded.

Gov, Chris Sununu said New Hampshire is prepared to handle the expected surge in coronavirus cases, but that some local hospitals will need help from the state to remain open.

At a press conference Friday afternoon, Sununu said the state now has more than 5,200 beds ready to handle COVID-19 patients and others needing care when the coronavirus peaks here. That includes nearly 1,700 new beds the state has set up at 14 temporary sites across the state.

Health officials and journalists are offering information and guidance about the new coronavirus and best practices for staying safe. We’ve gathered some of what we’ve found most useful for people in New Hampshire here. 

Note: Bookmark this page - we will be updating it as we get more information about coronavirus.

President Trump and the White House coronavirus task force are holding regular briefings on the coronavirus. Bookmark this page to watch them live. 

[Click here for all of our coverage, including our updated FAQs and the latest guidance about coronavirus in New Hampshire.]

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates.

Watch the briefing via this video livestream:

This post gathers NHPR's past updates on coronavirus in New Hampshire with a date range beginning on March 20th, 2020. Click here for updates from March 3-19th.

NOTE: Some of the stories below may contained outdated guidance and stories that have since evolved. Please click the links below for the most up-to-date coverage and guidance. 

Update, March 24: The winter storm that picked up in New Hampshire overnight has caused thousands of power outages.

Eversource reports about 15,000 customers without electricity, as of 7 a.m. Tuesday. Hopkinton is one of the hardest-hit towns, with nearly 1,200 customers affected at that hour. There were 489 in Derry, 433 in Auburn, 748 in Hollis, 557 in Hooksett, and 1,675 in Merrimack.

Unitil had 76 outages (on the seacoast), N.H. Electric Cooperative 30, and Liberty Utilities 2, as of 7 p.m.

The White House coronavirus task force has a press briefing scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 18. NHPR will air live coverage. Listen on air, online at NHPR.org, or on your smart speaker.

Click here for all of our coverage, including our updated FAQs and the latest guidance about coronavirus in New Hampshire.

Help inform NHPR's coverage of coronavirus. Fill out the brief survey below to let us know what you're wondering about, whether you've been affected, and how (or if) you're preparing for the virus.

President Trump announced new guidance today to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, including avoiding groups of more than 10 people.

The guidelines he unveiled at the White House coronavirus task force today (March 16) also recommends Americans avoid discretionary travel, and eating at restaurants, bars, and food courts.

[Click here for all of our coverage, including our updated FAQs and the latest guidance about coronavirus in New Hampshire.]

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be the only two candidates on stage for the Democratic presidential debate Sunday night, March 15.

The CNN-Univision debate was relocated from Arizona to Washington, D.C., and it will not have an in-person audience due to growing concerns about the coronavirus.

Coronavirus update: President Trump declared a national emergency Friday, March 13, to combat the coronavirus pandemic. 

He said it would allow the White House to release the full power of the federal government, and release access to up to $50 billion to support response efforts for states.

President Trump, in a live address from the Oval Office about coronavirus, announced the U.S. will suspend travel from Europe for 30 days, starting Friday. His remarks come hours after the World Health Organization labeled the outbreak a pandemic.

The president said there would be an exception for the United Kingdom in the travel suspension. Trump added that the U.S. is expanding its testing capabilities.

Voters in six states are casting ballots in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries in what is being called "Big Tuesday." The race for the Democratic nomination has come down to former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Michigan is the big prize Tuesday, with 125 delegates at stake.

[Subscribe to Primarily Politics, NHPR's weekly politics newsletter]

The head of the Community College System of New Hampshire will be stepping down after nine years in the role to become president of Bryant University in Rhode Island.

Ross Gittell says he's been able to accomplish a lot with the help of a strong faculty and staff at the state's seven community colleges.

Update, 11 p.m. - Voters in 14 states - including Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont - cast ballots on Super Tuesday, a possible watershed moment for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Former Vice President Joe Biden scored wins in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Sen. Bernie Sanders is projected to win California, Colorado, Utah, and his home state. 

State health officials said Sunday evening that a person in New Hampshire who recently traveled to Italy is being tested for coronavirus.

Democratic presidential hopefuls are vying to win South Carolina's primary on Saturday, Feb. 29. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who was leading in polls, is looking to capture his first victory of the 2020 primary season. 

Follow along below for NPR's live coverage as the primary unfolds, and the results:

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A winter storm warning is in effect for northern New Hampshire, with a weather pattern that will begin affecting the Granite State Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service also issued a winter weather advisory for central New Hampshire into Thursday afternoon, and Thursday night. The forecast calls for heavy, wet snow in parts of Carroll, Coos, and Grafton counties.

President Trump is holding a news conference about the coronavirus, alongside CDC officials and others, amid criticism of the government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The press conference is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. New Hampshire Public Radio will air it live on the radio and streaming online, and over this video livestream below:

Bernie Sanders may be the big target when Democratic presidential candidates debate tonight in South Carolina ahead of the Palmetto State's primary on Saturday.

The Vermont senator is coming off a victory in the Nevada caucuses, following his New Hampshire primary win. 

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NASA is looking to hire astronauts for the Artemis program, the mission to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024.

The space agency expects to pick the next group of candidates by mid-2021, to begin training as the next class of the Artemis generation astronauts.

On Saturday, Feb. 22, NHPR will carry NPR live special coverage of the Nevada Caucuses. 

Coverage is expected to run from 5 to 7 p.m. NPR's Michel Martin and Susan Davis will co-host, and will be joined by members of the NPR Politics Team, newsmakers, and other guests. 

This coverage will be in place of Weekend All Things Considered. 

Programming note: NHPR will air a delayed feed of Live From Here from 7 to 9 p.m.

The New Hampshire House has again voted to legalize recreational marijuana.

Last year, the House passed a different bill for cannabis legalization, before it eventually died in the Senate.

The significance of the vote today is that legislators approved it by a veto-proof majority, said Rep. Renny Cushing, a Hampton Democrat who is co-sponsor of the bill.

Six Democratic presidential candidates will debate tonight in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses Saturday.

The candidates on stage are: Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg. Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. 

Bloomberg made the debate based on a second-place showing in a recent national poll, but the former New York City mayor is not on the ballot in Nevada, or in South Carolina's primary.

Editor's note: This post was updated on Feb. 27 to reflect newly released election data.

After a messy caucus in Iowa last week, the pressure was on for New Hampshire to avoid making any serious mistakes in Tuesday's presidential primary. And for the most part, it seems like New Hampshire succeeded.

Governor Chris Sununu delivered his 2020 State of the State address on Thursday. 

Bookmark this page for updates, including audio and text of the governor's address when they are available, news items, and more.

Watch the broadcast of NHPR's special coverage: