Coronavirus Blog: Earlier Updates (April 1 - April 15)

This post gathers NHPR's past updates on coronavirus in New Hampshire with a date range from April 1, 2020 through April 15, 2020.

NOTE: Some of the stories below may contained outdated guidance and stories that have since evolved.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. 

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Earlier updates (Beginning April 1):

Update: Wednesday, April 15, 3:57 p.m.

New Hampshire is reporting an additional five deaths from COVID-19, with three of the five being residents under the age of 60.

The state Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday also announced 53 new positive test results for coronavirus. The total number of confirmed cases is now 1,139 in New Hampshire.

Fifteen new hospitalized cases were identified, bringing the total number of patients requiring hospital care to 178, or 16% of the total known cases.

Of the five deaths announced, two are from Hillsborough County, one male under the age of 60, and one 60 or older; two are from Rockingham County, one male younger than 60, and one man 60 or older; and one from Merrimack County, a male younger than 60 years old.

DHHS says none of the five are from nursing homes.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, April 15, 3:15 p.m.

Governor Sununu is asking congressional leaders to improve legislation designed to help restaurants struggling during the pandemic. 

In a letter sent Wednesday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sununu said more support is needed to keep New Hampshire's 3,200 restaurants afloat.

Sununu is asking Congress to increase the availability of federal funds for loans by $150 million. And he's urging Congress to extend the term for restaurants to repay loans from two years to 10 years. He also wants Congress to extend the timeline for when independent restaurants can get loan forgiveness, after the emergency is over.

Restaurants in New Hampshire were forced to close all on-site dining, under an executive order Sununu announced March 16. Restaurants were ordered to only serve customers by take-out or delivery.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Tuesday, April 14, 6:00 p.m.

New Hampshire has reported an additional four deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 27.

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Dr. Ben Chan, the state epidemiologist, announced the new numbers during a news conference in Concord with Gov. Chris Sununu. He said there are 73 new positive test results, with 30 of those being reported from Massachusetts. The total number of confirmed cases as of April 14 is now 1,091.

"We are going to see these numbers fluctuate up and down," Chan said.

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Lori Shibinette, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said three of the reported deaths were at Hanover Hill Health Care, a nursing home in Manchester, and the fourth was at The Huntington at Nashua, a nursing and assisted-living center.

Sununu also announced what he's calling the Long-Term Care Stabilization Program to provide a weekly $300 stipend to front line workers at New Hampshire's Medicaid-funded residential facilities and social service agencies.

He also said the state will partner with ConvenientMD to make testing available to 6,600 health care workers in long-term care facilities in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties. Sununu says ConvenientMD will conduct mobile testing sites at those long-term care facilities.

Chan said there are signs of progress. For the past week or so, he says the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized each day has been stable at about 70. 

"This is an indication, I think, that our health care facilities are not seeing a massive surge or exponential increase of the number of people who are requiring hospitalization. This is good news."

About 15 percent of COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire have required hospitalization.

- Annie Ropeik and Dan Tuohy

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Update: Tuesday, April 14, 4:20 p.m.

The state of New Hampshire will offer a weekly $300 stipend for people who work at long-term care facilities. The state will use unemployment funds to provide the weekly stipend for employees of the long-term care facilities and some other social service agencies.

Gov. Chris Sununu said he plans to backfill the program's funding with federal money. He said the goal is to keep these workers on the job as they care for the populations that are most at risk of dying from COVID-19.

"New Hampshire must strengthen its commitment to this workforce during the emergency and the additional stipend recognizes the crucial role that these workers play in our overall public health," Sununu said.

He said that employers will be able to apply online to get stipends to pass onto their workers, starting as soon as Wednesday, April 15.

-Annie Ropeik

Update: Tuesday, April 14, 4:11 p.m.

The Manchester school board is asking Governor Sununu to outline how the state will pay for education costs related to the coronavirus.

Districts expect to spend more money this summer and next fall to support students who fall behind during remote learning.

In Manchester, this could include hundreds of students who are learning English as a Second Language, those who are homeless, or those with special education needs that are not being met. In a letter to Sununu on Tuesday, the school board said Manchester likely won't be able to cover the costs of helping these students on its own.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Tuesday, April 14, 3:45 p.m.

New Hampshire airports will receive $15.2 million in emergency funding as they face a steep decline in airline traffic and revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The money, which was announced Tuesday by the congressional delegation, is part of the $2 trillion stimulus package signed into law last month. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport will receive the bulk of the funds, around $12.1 million. 

"On behalf of the employees at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to Senator Shaheen for spearheading the efforts to include airport needs in the CARES Act," Airport Director Ted Kitchens said. "Funds from the grant will help offset the economic losses we anticipate for this fiscal year at MHT due to the unpreceented drop in passenger traffic as a result of the coronavirus."

Portsmouth International at Pease will receive $1.6 million, while Lebanon Municipal will get just over $1 million. In total, 14 airfields in the state will see some level of funding through the stimulus package.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Tuesday, April 14, 11:44 a.m.

New Hampshire's unemployment rate held steady at 2.6% during March. That figure, however, is based on surveys collected during the first half of the month, before huge swaths of the economy were ordered closed due to the coronavirus.

Economic forecasters are predicting an unprecedented spike in the unemployment rate in coming months.

More than  114,000 Granite Staters have registered for benefits in recent weeks, according to a report in the N.H. Business Review. To put that in perspective, at the beginning of March, approximately 760,000 residents were employed.

The national unemployment rate stands at 4.4%, although that figure is also based on data captured earlier in March.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Tuesday, April 14, 8:45 a.m.

The Manchester school board voted last night to modify the district's grading system during remote learning.

The school district, the largest in the state, will temporarily stop giving failing grades to middle and high schoolers. Students who would normally get an F will instead receive a grade of incomplete. Those students will then be expected to develop a plan with their guidance counselor and teacher to complete work over the summer or next academic year.

The move comes after debate in multiple school districts over whether to shift to pass/fail, given the disruption of remote learning brought on by school closures.

The Manchester School Board decided against a pass-fail system, saying it would create problems in GPA and rankings for high schoolers.

-Sarah Gibson

Update: Monday, April 13, 7:00 p.m.

Credit N.H. DHHS

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says 35 more people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in New Hampshire, bringing the state's total cases to 1,020.

The state says that several cases are under investigation, and that results of those investigations will be included in future updates.

Of the new patients with complete information, all are adults, 49 percent female and 51 percent male.

The regional breakdown of the new cases with geographic information is: 14 in Rockingham County, 18 in Hillsborough County (including ten in Manchester and four in Nashua), and one each in Merrimack and Strafford Counties.

No new coronavirus-related hospitalizations were reported.

The state also released new epidemiological and demographic data related to COVID-19 in New Hampshire Monday evening. It showed that nearly a third (32 percent) of all cases in the state are in people over the age of 60, and that the illness is fairly evenly distributed among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The new data also shows that 30 percent of all infections in New Hampshire (311 cases) have occurred in people who work in the healthcare field.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, April 13, 5:10 p.m. 

A group of Upper Valley therapists has started a program that provides free mental health support sessions to healthcare workers in the area.

Elizabeth Gardner, a licensed clinical mental health counselor based in Norwich, Vermont, wanted to find a way to give back to healthcare workers during this pandemic. She's created a website where healthcare workers in the area can sign up for up to six free, 30-minute virtual counseling sessions.

“It’s supportive counseling to help think of tools to help with coping skills at this point," she says.

Twenty Upper Valley therapists are each donating two hours of counseling per week. Some of those therapists, including Gardner, have applied for an emergency license from the state of New Hampshire to practice in the state during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Healthcare workers who may be interested can sign up for a session at uvcovidrelief.org.

- Daniela Allee

Update: Monday, April 13, 4:20 p.m.

Top Democrats in the New Hampshire Legislature want a judge to force Gov. Chris Sununu to get permission from lawmakers before he spends any of the more than $1.25 billion in COVID-19 federal aid earmarked for New Hampshire.

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The suit, filed Monday morning, intensifies a legal and political argument that has been brewing over the past week, as Democrats in the State House claim Sununu is trying to cut them out of a key element of New Hampshire's plan to respond to the financial threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sununu, however, has said that he has greater leeway duing a declared state of emergency to move without the approval of the Legislature.

Read more here.

Meanwhile, the commitee of lawmakers Gov. Sununu is forming to advise him on how to administer the COVID-19 aid met today. During the meeting, which took place in the form of an hour-long conference call, Sununu laid out some guardrails.

"I want to remind people that these dollars can not be used to replace revenue," he said.

States have been awaiting federal guidance on spending of COVID-19 aid. The money could arrive by late April, and Sununu says it must be spend by the end of the year.

- Josh Rogers

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Update:  Monday, April 13, 11:45 a.m.

More than 4,400 businesses and nonprofits in the state have now filed for emergency loans through the federal CARES Act, according to the Small Business Administration.

The value of those loans, which will be forgiven if the money is used for qualified expenses including payroll, tops $1 billion, though it isn’t clear how much money has begun to flow.

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The figures were released Monday by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who helped lead bipartisan negotiations on the Paycheck Protection Program, a $350 billion pool of money aimed at supporting entities with fewer than 500 employees that are facing disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Now the money needs to be delivered to them as soon as possible – time is of the essence,” said Shaheen in a statement. “Unfortunately, there have been unforced errors by the administration in implementing these loans and they need to be fixed immediately.”

Some banks reported a chaotic start to the program, citing late arriving guidance from the federal government.

Under the PPP, small businesses, nonprofits and veterans organizations can apply for loans. Self-employed and independent contractors are also eligible. The loans will be forgiven if a certain percentage of the funds are used on salaries, rent or other approved expenses.

The figures announced Monday are more than twice the amount reported last week by the New Hampshire Bankers Association, as these numbers include banks and credit unions outside of the association.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Monday, April 13, 11:40 a.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu appeared on NHPR's Morning Edition this morning (April 13) and spoke about the state's efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus. 

When asked about school closures and remote learning, Sununu said he'd be deciding later this week if the state's schools were likely to reopen before the end of the current school year.

"It doesn't look likely, to be honest," Sununu said. 

Read or listen to the full interview here.

- Rick Ganley

Update: Monday, April 13, 8:30 a.m.  

Credit Via VisitNH.gov

New Hampshire's office of travel and tourism is retooling its outreach to reflect the new reality where people aren't able to visit many of the state's natural and cultural attractions in person due to COVID-19.

The state's tourism website now includes a directory of virtual experiences people can explore safely from their homes while practicing social distancing. They include videos exploring the lakes and mountains, online exhibits from local museums and live videos from the likes of the Seacoast Science Center, which chronicled its lobster feeding for fans on Facebook last week.

Tourism officials hope these online resources inspire people to plan future adventures in New Hampshire, once it becomes safer to visit in-person.

- Casey McDermott

Update: Sunday, April 12, 6:45 p.m. 

Credit New Hampshire DHHS

Fifty-seven people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in New Hampshire, bringing the state's total coronavirus cases to 985. 

All of the new patients with complete information are adults, according to DHHS; 65% of them are female and 35% are male. The state says six more people have been hospitalized with COVID-19, bringing total hospitalizations to 152, or fifteen percent of the total New Hampshire cases.

The regional breakdown of the new cases is: 31 in Rockingham County, 17 in Hillsborough County (including six in Manchester and two in Nashua), two in Grafton County, two in Merrimack County, two in Strafford County, and one each in Belknap and Cheshire counties. According to the state, the county of residence is still being determined for one of the patients.

The state says community transmission of COVID-19 continues to increase, and is present in all New Hampshire counties.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Sunday, April 12, 5:00 p.m.

New Hampshire received a big shipment of personal protective equipment to aid its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Forty-five tons of gear arrived on a cargo flight from China to Manchester Sunday afternoon. But the tarmac press conference to mark the supplies' delivery, Gov. Chris Sununu said some of the protective gear will also be shared with other states.

But at a press conference on the tarmac where the gear was delivered, Governor Chris Sununu cautioned that more supplies will still be needed.

"As big as these shipments are, you'd think they would last us a year," Sununu said. "They won't - because the burn rate is so high, especially when you're dealing with a viral spread that is so contagious."

The delivery was a joint effort between the governor, Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and New Hampshire inventor Dean Kamen. Those officials say the cost of the supplies will be covered by the state and reimbursed with federal funding.

Sununu said the state conducted a "census" of healthcare facilities across the state to assess the greatest areas of need, based on factors like high incidence rates of COVID-19. The equipment could end up not just at hospitals but also long-term care facilities, nonprofits that provide direct support services, home health aides and more, the governor said.

Some of the equipment might also be shared with neighboring states, Sununu said, "given that so much of what we do here in New England is as a community."

- Annie Ropeik

Gov. Sununu sent this tweet detailing some of the contents of the shipment:

Update: Sunday, April 12, 12:30 p.m.

About a hundred people rallied from inside their cars outside an immigration detention facility in Dover Saturday, calling for Governor Chris Sununu to call for the release of immigrant detainees to protect them from COVID-19.

Click here to read the story

Update: Saturday, April 11, 6:05 p.m.

Another New Hampshire resident has died from coronavirus. The state Department of Health and Human Services reported Saturday night that a woman from Rockingham County, who was older than 60, has died. She is the 23rd person in the state to die from COVID-19.

With another 45 new positive test results, the total number of confirmed cases rises to 929. 

Twelve of the new cases required hospital care.

Of the total known cases, 236 people have recovered.

The state says 2,275 people are currently being monitored, and nearly 10,000 people in New Hampshire have tested negative for coronavirus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Saturday, April 11, 5:45 p.m.

New Hampshire's Office of Travel and Tourism is retooling its outreach to reflect the new reality where people aren't able to visit many of the state's natural and cultural attractions in person due to the coronavirus.

VISITNH.gov now includes virtual experiences people can explore safely from home. They include videos exploring the lakes and mountains, online exhibits from local museums and live videos from the likes of the Seacoast Science Center, which chronicled its lobster feeding for fans on Facebook last week.

Tourism officials hope these online resources inspire people to plan future adventures in New Hampshire — once it becomes safer to visit in person.

- NHPR Staff 

Update: Saturday, April 11, 5:39 p.m.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen is asking the U.S. Department of Justice for a New England task force to combat scams and price gouging related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She made the request to U.S. Attorney General William Barr earlier this week. She says the group could include federal and state agencies, prosecutors and other enforcement officials.

The goal, she says, is to ensure that medical equipment and other supplies to fight COVID-19 can get to those who need them.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Saturday, April 11, 5 p.m.

The state is extending some environmental permits and making other accommodations for towns and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new emergency order covers a range of temporary requirements for programs under the  New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

DES says facilities with air emissions will have until mid-May to submit certain required reports. Annual emission fees won't be due until mid June.

Some kinds of air permits that would expire during the state of emergency are extended six months. DES is also granting extensions for many licenses and certifications that require postponed trainings or are otherwise close to expiring.

These include the licenses for handling asbestos and hazardous waste, or for operating solid waste facilities and underground storage tanks. The agency also says it may delay its own processing of some permit applications on a case-by-case basis.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Saturday, April 11, 11:33 a.m.

The Hillsborough County Nursing Home says a nursing assistant has tested positive for COVID-19, but does not appear to have spread the virus to any residents or other staff.

David J. Ross, the administrator of the 300-bed county facility located in Goffstown, says they are screening workers every day for coronavirus symptoms. Two weeks ago, they sent an employee home with the symptoms. She later tested positive for COVID-19.

"We do recognize that our employees, for us, generate the greatest risk to our residents because they are out in the active community," he said.

Ross says people who had contact with the worker were notified. But since then, he says, no other staff or residents have shown signs of infection. The facility had already been requiring employees to wear masks, which Ross thinks helped prevent transmission.

Half of the state's COVID-19 deaths so far have occurred at just three long-term care facilities.

- Annie Ropeik 

Update: Friday, April 10, 7:21 p.m.

State officials have temporarily banned parking along Route 1A, also known as Ocean Boulevard, in Rye, North Hampton and Seabrook.

The three towns requested the ban, which took effect Friday. They hope it will keep people from accessing closed beaches during the pandemic.

Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh says the restriction also applies to parking lots and roadside parking spaces along Ocean Boulevard. Vehicles that stop on the road or in these parking areas may be towed or ticketed, even if not occupied.

Credit Dan Tuohy / NHPR

Walsh says the ban will stay in place until the Seacoast state beaches are fully reopened.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has installed several mobile roadside signs that highlight the parking restrictions and closures.

Ocean Boulevard along Hampton Beach is also temporarily closed - with barriers, cones and police tape closing off all the parking along the beach.

The Hampton police department has also deployed its mobile surveillance unit on Ocean Boulevard at North Beach.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, April 10, 6:19 p.m.

The New Hampshire National Guard is setting up an alternative care site Friday at West Gym on Dartmouth College in Hanover. The site will be able to accommodate about 125 patients needing low-intensity care.

That would create more room at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for critical care patients, in the event of a surge in COVID-19 patients.

There are 14 such "surge" sites in New Hampshire.

In a news conference Friday, Gov. Chris Sununu said that towns, cities or organizations providing services at these sites would not bear any costs. Instead, he said, FEMA, hospitals and insurance companies will pay the majority of the cost, with the state providing financial support as well.

-Daniela Allee

Update: Friday, April 10, 3:46 p.m.

The state today reported an additional COVID-19 death at Hanover Hill Health Care Center, a nursing home in Manchester. The woman is the 22nd death attributed to coronavirus in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire health officials announced 66 new positive test results, which brings the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 885. There were seven new hospitalizations.

Other case statistics released April 10: the state has had 134 people hospitalized, or 15 percent of those known positive tests. Approximately 9,600 people have tested negative at selected laboratories: New Hampshire Public Health Lab, LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those tests sent to the CDC prior to testing at the New Hampshire Public Health Lab.

The state says 3,350 people are being monitored. CLICK HERE to view a high-resolution town-by-town map of cases.

Nursing homes are bearing the worst of the virus to date, with more than half the deaths from three or four facilities.

Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette said Thursday that four residents at Hanover Hill had died after having COVID-19. At that time, she said 37 residents and 13 staff members had tested positive.

Gov. Chris Sununu said he would propose a plan next week to direct financial support to help the nursing and long-term care facilities deal with coronavirus.

Read more here.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, April 10, 3:30 p.m.

Any New Hampshire voter who has concerns about showing up to vote in person due to COVID-19 will be able to request an absentee ballot in this year's elections, according to a memo released Friday by the Secretary of State and Attorney General. Read the memo

The voter can choose an absentee ballot even if they are not experiencing any symptoms.

Absentee voting in New Hampshire is limited to people who meet state-approved criteria, which includes work or caregiving obligations, as well as having a disability or illness that prevents you from making it to the polls. 

In this case, state election officials determined that because the general public is being advised to practice social distancing, that would qualify any eligible voter here for an absentee ballot. The state said they would be issuing more guidance in the months ahead to help local election officials deal with a potentially significant increase in absentee ballot usage.

- Casey McDermott

Update: Friday, April 10, 2:27 p.m.

The New Hampshire Legislature's Fiscal Committee, meeting today by telephone, voted unanimously to accept $1.2 million in federal funds to pay for at-home meals for low-income seniors. 

State Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, chair of the committee, emphasized that lawmakers are ready to exercise their traditional role of approving the expenditure of federal aid.

Her remarks are in response to Gov. Chris Sununu saying that executive powers during the state of emergency grant him authority to spend funds without involving legislators. That position is backed by Attorney General Gordon MacDonald.

The Fiscal Committee is scheduled to meet next on April 20.

New Hampshire is getting $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus response and recovery funds.

- Josh Rogers

Update: Friday, April 10, 12:10 p.m.

Nearly 2,000 small businesses, nonprofits and independent contractors in New Hampshire were approved for loans during the first week of the federal stimulus program aimed at propping up the economy.

According to the New Hampshire Bankers Association, which represents the three dozen community banks in the state participating in the program, the value of those loans tops $400 million.

Through the Paycheck Protection Program, a piece of the federal CARES Act, roughly $350 billion was set aside for low-interest emergency loans. If an entity uses a certain portion of the money received on salaries, the loan will be forgiven.

The N.H. Bankers Association says based on the applications received, the money will help fund 10,800 salaries across the state. Local banks were initially hindered by a lack of guidance from the federal government when the program went live late last week.

"It was a little rocky in the beginning," says Kristy Merrill, the association's president. "But I think the numbers prove out that the program is working. And that they are committed to helping people that need it right now."

Most businesses, charities and veterans organizations with fewer than 500 employees qualify for the loans.

-Todd Bookman

Update: Friday April 10, 11:40 a.m.

While the housing market is likely to see the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic accelerate in coming months, new figures show limited impact during March.

The New Hampshire Association of Realtors says 1,068 single family homes changed hands last month, a dip of only 1.2 percent from the previous year. The median home price topped $311,000, a record for the month.

But the Association warns that April will likely see a slowdown, with some clear early signs of trouble.

The number of listings at the start of the month was down nearly 25 perfect compared to last year. Survey results show that realtors see both buyers and sellers delaying activity.

“It feels like more of a wait-and-see than an outright stop,” said Marc Drapeau, the association’s president. “The 64,000-dollar question, and one that we aren’t prepared to answer with any certainty at this point, is just how long a pause.”

One challenge is that some buyers are likely hesitant to head out in public at the moment.

Real estate is considered an essential business by the Sununu administration, meaning transactions can still take place, although open houses are currently prohibited.

“We’re doing everything in our power to put the health of buyers, sellers and our members first throughout the process,” said Drapeau. “We believe that it’s not either-or, that you can continue to do business and have everyone involved remain safe.

“But there’s also an appropriate level of caution out there, and caution naturally leads to less movement in the marketplace.”

--Todd Bookman

Update: Thursday, April 9, 9:20 p.m.

In what will be the first official meeting of state lawmakers since New Hampshire entered a state of emergency last month, the Legislature's Joint Fiscal Committee will meet Friday by telephone.

The fiscal committee traditionally approves spending of any federal aid. Top Democrats in the State House say that should include the more than $1.25 billion in COVID-19 aid earmarked for New Hampshire.

But Gov. Chris Sununu says his emergency powers trump that prerogative.

During a meeting of the state Executive Council earlier this week, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald defended Sununu's claim the he can accept and spend federal aid without legislative approval during a state of emergency.

"The governor is exercising the authority delegated to him, by the Legislature,” MacDonald said, “to take such actions as are necessary to protect the public and the safety of the people of New Hampshire.”

Friday’s fiscal committee agenda includes $1.2 million in federal COVID-19. The money would pay for at-home meals for low-income seniors.

-Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, April 9, 8:55 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu has named the state's top bank regulator to lead his office for Emergency Recovery and Relief during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Little, who has served as New Hampshire's Banking Commissioner since 2016, will be Sununu's point person for monitoring the flow of more than $1.25 billion dollars in federal coronavirus aid.

At a press conference in Concord Thursday, Little pledged to carry out a transparent process is distributing the money, which has only just begun arriving in the state.

“We will have a lot of conversations with stakeholders and legislators to make sure that everybody understands where the money is going,” Little said. “We will put metrics in place to make sure we can prove to you that the money went for the purpose that it was intended for.”

Little lives in Weare and is well-known in state political circles. Before leading the banking department he served as a Republican state senator.

He's also been a lobbyist for the banking industry and in the 1980s served as spokesman for the governor's father, John H Sununu, when he held the corner office.

-Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, April 9, 6:10 p.m.

Credit N.H. DHHS

New Hampshire deaths related to COVID-19 have risen to 21.

Dr. Ben Chan, state epidemiologist, announced the state has had three additional deaths since Wednesday, a male resident from Cheshire County, a male resident of Hillsborough County, and a male resident of Merrimack County. All three patients were over 60-years-old.

The state reports 31 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total known caseload in New Hampshire to 819.

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Chan said 127 people have required hospitalization, and nine of the newly announced cases required hospital care. In a news conference with Gov. Chris Sununu in Concord, Chan presented a slideshow of statistical modeling for the possible path of the virus in the weeks ahead.

It's highly likely the state will experience a peak sometime in the next several weeks, he says. 

About half of the fatalities in the state are at nursing and assisted-living facilities, and individuals who are more at risk, according to Chan. "This is exactly the population that we're trying to protect," he said.

Chan says nearly 10,000 people have been tested, and the state has averaged about 400 tests a day over the past week. 

Sununu said social distancing and the state's stay-at-home order are working to contain the spread of COVID-19. He said the data right now indicates the peak for infections could be moved up in the timeline.

Read more here.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, April 9, 5:25 p.m.

A new survey from Dartmouth College and UNH is trying to measure the scope of the coronavirus outbreak in the state by tracking symptoms. Researchers hope that in the absence of widespread testing, the survey can offer important public health information.

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The survey, which launched last Friday, is asking a representative group of more than 3,000 New Hampshire residents every day whether they're experiencing any potential COVID-19 symptoms.

Dartmouth epidemiologist Judy Rees is helping to run the project. She says they can't know for sure whether the symptoms are due to COVID-19 but by tracking responses over time they can watch for patterns in the number of people getting sick.

"If we're still seeing an increase in symptoms," she says, "then it might inform the decisions that the state leaders make about whether to relax or make more strict the stay-at-home regulations."

The researchers plan to release survey results on a weekly basis.

- Jason Moon

Update: Thursday, April 9, 4:50 p.m.

Health insurance companies in New Hampshire are waiving out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries who receive treatment for COVID-19, including long stays in the ICU. The state insurance department says this applies to people on individual plans and many employer-based group plans.

New Hampshire residents on self-funded employer-based plans will need to check with their individual companies to see if they are covered. Self-funded group plans account for about half of the health insurance market in the state.

The state insurance department earlier issued an order requiring insurers to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing.

- Jason Moon

Update: Thursday, April 9, 1:45 p.m.

Rural areas with lots of seasonal housing are experiencing high rates of COVID-19, according to a new study out of the University of New Hampshire. The analysis looked at nearly 200 rural counties, nationwide, where at least a quarter of the housing stock is reported to the Census Bureau as seasonally vacant.

Coronavirus rates in these counties were more than twice as high as in other rural places, and 15 percent higher than in urban areas, as of earlier this week.

Research assistant professor Jess Carson says she's tracking this data for rural areas, in part, because of their limited hospital resources. She says the trend could be due to the early return of seasonal residents during the pandemic – something many residents of New Hampshire's tourist destinations have feared.

Carson says it could also stem from the higher median age in the affected counties, or the spotty availability of testing.

"It's very possible that several or all of these factors are all in the mix at once,” Carson says.

New Hampshire is urging new arrivals to self-quarantine for 14 days. Other states, including Vermont, have made that mandatory.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Thursday, April 9, 12:15 p.m.

New Hampshire circuit courts are expediting emergency guardianship hearings as some Granite State families are facing tough medical and financial decisions.

A court-ordered guardianship could be the only option to get adults, who are unable to make decisions for themselves, to hospitals or rehabilitation facilities. Under the expedited process, people who file for a hearing could get one within 48 hours, a process that usually takes weeks or even months.

The faster turnaround time will only last while a state of emergency is in place. Courts will hold hearings online or by phone.

- Mary McIntyre

Update: Thursday April 9, 10:55 a.m.

State officials say they will announce by the end of next week whether New Hampshire schools will remain closed until the end of the semester.

Governor Sununu has ordered public schools to offer instruction remotely until May 4th in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But the state Department of Education says schools should plan for this to continue until the end of the school year.

On a call Wednesday (April 8) with superintendents, New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said the state is trying to coordinate responses among agencies before making a final decision, but it will announce an updated plan for school closure by Friday, April 17.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Thursday, April 9, 10:50 a.m.

Federal labor regulators are reminding employers that they can't retaliate against workers for reporting unsafe conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says workers have a right to complain to OSHA about unhealthful workplaces.

It's illegal for bosses to punish workers for this, whether through firing, denying overtime, docking pay or other means. Workers can also file protected whistleblower complaints about any retaliation they believe they've experienced.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Wednesday, April 8, 5:05 p.m.

N.H. Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette today announced five additional deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the state's total number to 18. 

Another 41 positive test results, as of 9 a.m. on April 8, brings the total number of confirmed cases to 788. Hospitalizations number 118, and nearly 9,000 tests have come back negative.

During a news conference with Gov. Chris Sununu, Shibinette offered additional details about outbreaks at residential facilities and nursing homes.

• At Hanover Hill, a Manchester nursing home, 37 residents and 13 staff members tested positive, and that facility had four confirmed deaths.
• At The Huntington at Nashua, 19 residents and 11 staff members tested positive, and the facility had five confirmed deaths.
• At Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield, three residents and 11 staff members tested positive, with one death.

"Some of our toughest days are still ahead  of us," Sununu said.
Read the full story here.

Update: Wednesday, April 8, 5 :00 p.m.

New Hampshire Democrats are pushing for answers from Secretary of State Bill Gardner on how he plans to ensure elections can proceed this fall without putting voters' safety at risk, if COVID-19 remains a public health concern.

Executive Councilor Debora Pignatelli asked Gardner to attend Wednesday's council meeting to discuss the issue, but that did not happen. Pignatelli said she wants to hear how the state will use the $3.2 million earmarked through the federal COVID-19 relief package for voting purposes, and whether there are plans to expand absentee or mail-in voting.

"My fear is that this September and November we are going to put people in an untenable situation of having to choose to vote in a very important election, and their health," she said. 

Gov. Chris Sununu said election law falls outside the purview of the Executive Council, but he said Pignatelli's questions were valid and state election officials would likely have more guidance on the issue later this week.

- Casey McDermott

Update: Wednesday, April 8, 4:50 p.m.

More than 100,000 new unemployment claims have been filed in New Hampshire since March 17. That exceeds the number of claims filed in the past three years as a whole, Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis told the Executive Council on Wednesday. 

“In this situation we’re the financial first responders for these people,” Copadis said. “They’ve got no money coming in. We’re basically the lifeline of support for them, and we’ve got to make sure we get these checks out as soon as possible.”

The record demand for unemployment assistance has strained the system and the staff manning the phones, Copadis said, with some callers experiencing delays of up to an hour. Some of that stems from the fact that staff are spending long periods of time on the phone assisting callers who don't have experience using computers. 

Copadis said his department is working with other state agencies to create more tutorials for the public, in hopes of alleviating some of the backups.

To date, more than 67,000 payments worth nearly $19 million in benefits have been distributed since the state expanded unemployment assistance, according to Gov. Chris Sununu.

 
-NHPR staff

  Update: Wednesday, April 8, 10:57 a.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu is creating a new office to oversee the state's share of the federal relief and stimulus funds in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sununu says the office will be charged with the investment and oversight of COVID-19 funds to ensure transparency and accountability.

The announcement came as the state's congressional delegation said New Hampshire's community health centers have been awarded an additional $6.8 million to support their response. 

In a letter to the N.H. House and Senate leaders, Sununu says the office, the Governor's Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, will be similar to what former Gov. John Lynch created to process and dispense federal funds from the 2009 stimulus in response to the great recession.

Given the urgency of responding to the pandemic, Sununu said this new office will not take the route of the state budget process, but will involve a bipartisan legislative advisory board to ensure transparency and  input.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, April 8, 10:12 a.m.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's office will review allegations about non-essential businesses still operating under Gov. Chris Sununu's stay-at-home order.

The AG's office says the state's consumer protection hotline has received about 15 complaints related to the order so far.

The complaints generally refer to retail stores and health clubs.

The AG's office says it will determine what, if any, further action is required.

- Mary McIntyre

Update: Tuesday, April 7, 7:40 p.m.

The state has reported four additional deaths related to COVID-19, raising the total deaths from the disease in New Hampshire to 13.

The total number of known cases is now 747.

Of the new cases announced today, eight are in Rockingham County, 16 in Hillsborough County (including Manchester and Nashua), four in Merrimack County, and three in Belknap County.

So far, 108 of the total cases, or 14 percent, have been hospitalized.  211, or 25 percent, have recovered. 

Of the four deaths announced, three were males and one was female.  All were 60 or older.  Two were residents of Hillsborough County, one was a resident of Cheshire County, and one was a resident of Rockingham County. Click here for a high-resolution map showing cases town by town.

Concord DMV closes after staff member tests positive

The Concord office of the state Division of Motor Vehicles will be closed on Wednesday, April 8, for cleaning, and to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a contact investigation after a Concord DMV staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

In a press release, the New Hampshire DMV said the Concord staff member did not have contact with the public during the business day.  Any person who is identified as a close contact of the staff member will be notified.

DMV phone services will not be available at any location on Wednesday, April 8. Phone services at all locations will resume on Thursday, April 9.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, April 7, 5:35 p.m.  

The New Hampshire National Guard says it has more members deployed in the state now than at any time since the September 11th attacks.

More than 130 guard members have been helping the state with COVID-19 response efforts. This included setting up field hospitals that will take patients if the state sees a surge in coronavirus cases.

Adjutant General David Mikolaities said Guard members completed the final surge site in Colebrook on Friday. A handful of guard members will now go to the state Food Bank in Manchester to help with collection and distribution. Guard members are also helping staff the state's unemployment call center.

86 members of the guard in New Hampshire are still deployed overseas, in the Middle East.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Tuesday, April 7, 5:10 p.m.

New Hampshire Allstate customers will pay less for car insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state announced Tuesday.

Gov. Chris Sununu said the plan - which the state approved in one day - will save Granite Staters about $2.3 million.

Allstate said it wants to lower rates because it's receiving fewer claims as people drive less during the state's staty-at-home order.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Tuesday, April 7, 4:30 p.m.

The Chinese Cultural Society of Greater Nashua has ordered more than 20,000 medical-grade masks to donate to New Hampshire hospitals and nursing homes. Their first shipment arrived from China earlier this week, and has already been distributed between Concord Hospital, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua.

The society’s president, Wei Lin, said they were able to place these orders through donations from community members and local small business owners.

“We also have, like, just ordinary, working-class people who donate 50 dollars, 100 dollars," Lin said. "A lot of them themselves are struggling because of the whole situation, but everyone just wants to chip in.”

Lin said more N95 and surgical masks should be arriving in the coming days, which will be sent to Elliot Hospital in Manchester and Southern New Hampshire Hospital in Nashua.

- Alex McOwen

Update: Tuesday, April 7, 3:48 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu is raising concerns about how a federal aid plan for the airline industry could hurt facilities like Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

The airline industry will get $60 billion from the coronavirus aid package Congress passed last month. As part of that, they will be required to maintain as much service as possible.

To do this, air carriers have urged the Department of Transportation to let them consolidate service into fewer airports within their territories temporarily.

In a letter to the U.S. DOT, Sununu said this could have the unintended effect of funneling service away from smaller regional airports like Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. He said it will be harder for these facilities to bounce back from the pandemic than the larger hubs like Boston-Logan International Airport.

Sununu asked the DOT to make sure any airline industry changes for coronavirus don't lead to permanent shifts in capacity.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Tuesday, April 7, 11:09 a.m.

A civilian employee at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has died from COVID-19.

The Navy says the submarine maintenance worker died Sunday from complications due to the virus. More than 600 people across the Navy are now known to have the coronavirus. Thirty-three are hospitalized and two have died, both of them civilians.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employs nearly 8,000. About a fifth of them are currently working remotely, the Navy says.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Monday, April 6, 9:00 p.m.

The COVID-19 cluster at Manchester nursing home Hanover Hill includes staff as well as patients, according to a notice sent by the facility’s administrator and shared with NHPR.

This news comes as state health authorities report that healthcare workers account for more than one quarter of New Hampshire’s diagnosed COVID-19 cases. People across the healthcare field — including at Hanover Hill and other long-term care facilities — have voiced concerns in recent weeks that they lack adequate supplies of personal protective equipment.

In a note sent April 3, and later forwarded to NHPR, Hanover Hill Administrator Lori McIntire told residents’ families, “although we have had every safety measure in place, we have positive cases involving both residents and staff.” 

“We are notifying you first of our decision to publicly ask for help to aid us in eradicating this virus,” McIntire continued. “Under our local and state agency recommendations, it is felt that with our openness to our community about our needs, we can best continue to care for your loved one during this time.”

It remains unclear how many patients or staff at Hanover Hill are affected by COVID-19, as the facility has not yet responded to multiple inquiries from NHPR seeking additional information. 

As of 8 p.m. Monday, neither Hanover Hill’s Facebook page nor its website explicitly stated that the facility was dealing with multiple cases of COVID-19. The only mention of COVID-19 on Hanover Hill’s website was a page outlining changes to its visitation policy. 

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Hanover Hill expressed gratitude for “a much needed delivery of [personal protective equipment] from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Emergency Services Unit.” 

“We are so thankful but we need more,” read the post, which was followed today by several notes thanking the Rockingham County Nursing Home and other community organizations for additional donations of food and protective gear.

State health officials have acknowledged that the state is providing support to “a number of facilities” experiencing COVID-19. At the same time, Gov. Chris Sununu and state health officials have declined to publicly confirm the existence of COVID-19 at Hanover Hill, or any healthcare facility, citing privacy concerns. In other states, including Vermont and Massachusetts, health officials have disclosed that information publicly as part of their overall response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

NHPR emailed the state with questions about the equipment delivery but has not yet received a response.

- Casey McDermott

Update: Monday, April 6, 4:50 p.m.  

Plymouth State University and Speare Memorial Hospital have been working to convert the school’s ice arena into a supplementary COVID-19 ward.

The nets and the ice are gone from the rink - replaced with 40 oxygen-equipped beds in three rows. This ACS - or Alternative Care Site - is one of eight being developed across the state to deal with an anticipated surge in illnesses linked to coronavirus.

Erik Murdock, Director of Surgical Services at Speare, says retrofitting the arena for delivery of oxygen makes the Plymouth Site the only one in the state designed to handle COVID-19 patients.

"All the other sites in New Hampshire are using these as a step down out of the hospital - 'don't need much, we'd like to watch it for a day before you go home' - so this being the only oxygen providing facility makes us quite unique," he says.

While Murdock says use of the facility remains “theoretical,” he does expect to be working here soon as COVID cases continue to rise.

- Sean Hurley

Update: Monday, April 6, 3:50 p.m.

Credit New Hampshire DHHS

Forty-six more people have tested positive for coronavirus in New Hampshire, the state announced Monday. That brings the total number of positive test results in New Hampshire to 715. Of those, 103 patients have been hospitalized, and nine people have died.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on coronavirus in New Hampshire delivered to your inbox.  

Healthcare workers hardest hit

State Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said that of the state's positive cases, 192 - or about 27 percent - were healthcare workers. Shibinette also said the state expects to receive 15 medical devices that conduct COVID-19 tests within minutes. Last month, the FDA granted emergency approval of the Abbott ID NOW device which reportedly can provide results between five and 13 minutes.

"It's going to help us keep our citizens safe," Shibinette said. "It's going to help us keep our healthcare workers safe."

Recommendation on mask use

At a press conference in Concord Monday, state epidemiologist Dr. Ben Chan sought to clarify the CDC's recent recommendation on wearing cloth masks in public.

Chan stressed that cloth masks are not personal protective equipment. Instead, he said, the masks are intended to protect others from an infected person wearing the mask, and not the other way around. He said the primary way to protect oneself from contracting the virus is social distancing.

New Hampshire hotels restricted to "essential" bookings

In order to discourage out-of-state visitors from coming to New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu on Monday announced an order requiring hotels and Airbnbs in the state to suspend lodgings for non-essential reasons, like vacations. Sununu said the order was issued in response to growing concerns about out-of-state visitors coming to New Hampshire from more populated areas.

The governor explained that current guests in New Hampshire lodgings would be able to complete their reservations, but that going forward, lodgings would be restricted to booking essential stays, such as for victims of domestic violence, healthcare workers, or essential personnel needing a place to stay.

"People are healthier in their own home and their own state," Sununu said. He also said that the order does not apply to the state's campgrounds.

- NHPR staff

NHPR's newsroom is working around the clock to get you the latest updates on coronavirus in New Hampshire. Click here to make a donation to support our reporting.

Update: Monday, April 6, 3:15 p.m.

Four Manchester police officers have tested positive for the coronavirus and an undisclosed number of officers are self-monitoring at home, the department announced Monday afternoon. No additional information was provided on the officers’ conditions.

The police department says it is practicing social distancing inside of its buildings and that officers have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for interactions with the public.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Monday, April 6, 3:10 p.m.

The New Hampshire Food Bank says food pantries, soup kitchens and other organizations are seeing an increase in demand during COVID-19. Eileen Liponis, the food bank's executive director, said the organization plans on doing mobile food pantry drives around New Hampshire.

"As the funding comes in for the mobile food pantries, we're building the boxes and getting right back out there."

Those boxes will include enough shelf-stable food - plus donated items like eggs or yogurt - for a family of four for three to four days. People can drive up and volunteers place the box in the car trunk, minimizing any contact.

- Daniela Allee

Update: Monday, April 6, 2:55 p.m.

New Hampshire grocery stores say they are trying to get masks for their employees. This comes following the CDC’s revised guidelines that all Americans should wear a cloth face covering when they are in public places.

Market Basket says employees have been allowed to wear their own masks, and the company is working to order supplies. Hannaford says it also ordered masks for employees, and is allowing its workers to wear their own until additional ones arrive.

Both companies say they’ve provided gloves for in-store employees.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, April 6, 10:45 a.m.

An employee at New Hampshire's state prison for men in Concord has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Department of Corrections said in a statement today (Monday, April 6) that the employee is now quarantined in their home.

State prisons have been screening all their employees before entering the facilities. This employee was denied entry to the prison on Wednesday based on the screening process.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, April 6, 10:20 a.m.

Starting today (Monday, April 6), the Amtrak Downeaster is further reducing service.

The rail line will operate a southbound train during the morning rush hour, and a northbound train departing Boston's Sounth Station at 5 p.m.

The Downeaster will also only operate two trains on weekends.

Amtrak is waiving change fees through the end of May.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Sunday, April 5, 2020  

48 people have tested positive for coronavirus in New Hampshire, bringing the state's total cases to 669.

In a press release issued Sunday (April 5), the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced the new cases.

"Of those with complete information," the release says, 40% of the new cases are female, and 60% are male. According to DHHS, 16 of the new cases have no identified risk factors, indicating a growth in community transmission of COVID-19 in the state. Six of the patients were reported to be hospitalized.

The regional breakdown of the new cases is: 16 in Rockingham County, 17 in Hillsborough County (including six in Nashua and four in Manchester), five in Merrimack County, one in Strafford County, two in Carroll County, and one in Cheshire County. 

According to DHHS, the county of residence is "being determined" for the six remaining cases.

- NHPR staff

Update: Sunday, April 5, 1:25 p.m.

The city of Portsmouth has laid off half its part-time workforce, from positions in non-essential services.

The 87 short-term layoffs, which took effect Friday, apply mostly to staff at the city’s rec center and pools, as well as library workers and crossing guards.

“We ended up choosing to lay off, temporarily, those positions which cannot perform their duties at home or remotely,” says city manager Karen Conard, “or in those departments that are no longer open to business for the public, or no longer generating revenue.”

She says the workers were given details on applying for unemployment, and the city plans to hire back the laid-off workers once the stay-at-home order lifts.

The decision is less about lost revenue, Conard says, and more about focusing on essential services.

“This is not meant to feel like ‘when’s the other shoe going to drop,’” Conard says. “We don’t intend to comb through on a regular basis and make cuts. We think we’re in a good position right now.”

She says the city is mostly losing revenue from its recreation facilities, which remain closed.

The city has also suspended most parking fees, but with far fewer people driving downtown, Conard says they wouldn’t be losing much revenue there anyway. The city council will discuss next steps for the parking fees at their meeting Monday night.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Saturday, April 4, 7:42 p.m.

Two more people have died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to nine in New Hampshire.

On Saturday night, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced 81 new positive test results. There are now 621 confirmed cases in the state. 

The two additional deaths were men from Hillsborough County, both over 60, according to DHHS.

Six of the new cases are hospitalized.

- NHPR Staff

Credit Dan Tuohy / NHPR

In light of recent studies, the CDC is now recommending Americans wear face masks or "cloth face coverings" when in areas of high community-based transmission for the virus, as well as in public settings where social distancing can be challenging, like grocery stores. Read the CDC guidelines here.

Update: Saturday, April 4, 5:09 p.m.

Governor Sununu has issued his 26th executive order that extends three earlier emergency orders until May 4. They were otherwise due to expire Monday, April 6. The orders continue the ban on gatherings of 10 or more and the prohibition of on-site, dine-in consumption of food and beverages. Restaurants are allowed to offer meals through take-out and deliveries. 

The governor also extends the order allowing restaurants to temporarily offer take-out and delivery of beer or wine during the state emergency.

- Dan Tuohy

  Update: Saturday, April 4, 2:40 p.m.

The first case of the coronavirus in Coös County was confirmed Friday. The case is in Whitefield, but the nearby city of Berlin is urging caution among residents there.

Berlin Community Development Director Pam LaFlamme says people in the North Country should assume the coronavirus is more widespread than yet reported, given the still-limited number of tests.

She says residents should take the same precautions as they would in a larger city.

"Just really be aware of your surroundings," she says. "You can only control the 6 feet around you so if you do your part and everyone does their part then that will help flatten the curve."

Berlin is home to Coos County's largest hospital - it currently has 25 beds, but it has a plan to expand that number, if necessary.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Saturday, April 4, 1:25 p.m.

State emergency officials are asking people to think twice before calling for an ambulance.

People experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough and difficulty breathing, should first call their primary care physician. If a condition becomes life threatening, they should call 911, according to the public service announcement from N.H. EMS.

Officials say those who don't need to be transported to the hospital in an ambulance should find another way. This cuts down on time spent decontaminating ambulances, and keeps them available for serious conditions like cardiac arrest, suspected stroke, or traumatic injury.

- Cori Princell 

Update: Saturday, April 4, 12:17 p.m.

The ACLU of New Hampshire is pushing for the release of an immigrant detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Strafford County House of Correction in Dover.

The ACLU says they're asking the court to move quickly in light of the threat of COVID-19. The emergency federal lawsuit, which was filed Friday, demands the release of a Guatemalan immigrant who the ACLU says came to the U.S. seeking asylum. 

The ACLU has asked ICE to halt immigration enforcement operations and release immigration detainees currently at the Strafford County jail.

- Cori Princell 

Update: Saturday, April 4, 11:32 a.m.

New Hampshire is closing its highway rest stops and welcome centers on Sunday as part of the state's efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Hooksett welcome center on I-93, which is operated by a private company, will remain open.

All the rest, those run by the state, will close Sunday at 4 p.m.

A spokesman for the N.H. Department of Business and Economic Affairs says the state is reassigning about 30 employees from the rest stops to temporarily work in the state's liquor and wine outlets.

- Sarah Gibson 

Update: Saturday, April 4, 10:09 a.m.

Eighty-seven part-time employees of the city of Portsmouth have been laid off due to the coronavirus. All of them worked in public works, recreation, or at the city library.

Portsmouth officials remain concerned about a loss of revenue under the state's stay-at-home order.

The city is helping the affected workers apply for unemployment coverage.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, April 3, 5:55 p.m.

State health officials announced two new deaths and 61 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire on Friday, bringing the statewide total of known coronavirus infections to 540. Among the new cases is the first known case in Coos County, meaning COVID-19 is present in every county in the state.

The Southern Tier continues to be the center of coronavirus activity in New Hampshire, with the bulk of cases located in Manchester, Nashua, and surrounding towns in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties.

To date, 80 people in the state have been hospitalized for COVID-19, or roughly 15 percent of all known cases. The two deaths announced Friday were a man and a woman, each older than 60 and residents of Hillsborough County.

-NHPR staff

Update: Friday, April 3, 5:30 p.m.

Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia is receiving a $5.2 million loan from the state to help it stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. The hospital is just one of more than 250 health care organizations to apply for an emergency loan from the state.

New Hampshire's emergency health care relief fund totals $50 million in state money. But that amount may not even come close to covering what's being asked for.

The fund was established a week and a half ago. The list of applicants obtained by NHPR includes some of the state's largest hospitals, as well as smaller facilities like community health centers, dentist offices, and physical therapy centers. Governor Sununu says federal money may be able to replenish the emergency fund if it runs out.

- Jason Moon

Update: Friday, April 3, 5:25 p.m.

The state will begin helping furloughed health care workers find temporary jobs on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Sununu announced a new "Health Workforce Flex System" Friday to do just that.

Run by the N.H. Department of Employment Security, the program will send furloughed hospital workers to facilities in need of urgent help during the pandemic. "What we don't want is true layoffs to happen, doors to close, because then those frontline workers - you risk losing them out of the state altogether," Sununu said at his news conference. 

His announcement came as Lakes Region General Hospital said earlier it would furlough 500 employees.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Friday, April 3, 3:43 p.m.

Governor Chris Sununu announced today that 14 clinical surge centers are now ready to address a possible surge in COVID-19 patients in New Hampshire. There are 1,662 "surge" beds, bringing the total beds in the state to 5,291, he said during a news conference in Concord.

The governor says he is issuing another emergency order in response to the coronavirus pandemic, an order to empower towns and cities to offer blanket abatement of interest for late property tax payments. 

Sununu is re-issuing his state emergency order, which first took effect on March 13. And in related news, President Trump has approved New Hampshire's disaster declaration in connection with the coronavirus.

Sununu also announced the N.H. Grocers Association will be launching an emergency operations center to support grocery stores, including developing guidelines to encourage safe social distancing and recommending stores cap occupancy at 50 percent.

- NHPR Staff

This is developing, and this will be further updated Friday

Update: Friday, April 3, 3:20 p.m.

Banks in New Hampshire and across the country began getting busy Friday, as businesses harmed by COVID-19 are lining up for a share of $350 billion worth of new federal loans.

Read more here.

Update: Friday, April 3, 2:00 p.m.

Conservancy groups that manage the Appalachian Trail want federal regulators to consider closing the popular hiking route, which runs through New Hampshire's White Mountains, and has been crowded during the pandemic.

The Boston-based Appalachian Mountain Club and the Dartmouth Outing Club are among the groups that sent aletter this week to the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture, as well as the Forest Service and Park Service, which are under the USDA.

The conservancies say they and government partners have closed many service areas along the trail to encourage social distancing - but crowds have persisted. The groups are worried about the spread of coronavirus among hikers, rescuers, trail workers and nearby communities.

The letter asks the federal agencies to close the trail until at least April 30, meeting every two weeks after that to consider reopening it.

The AMC has already closed its shelters, visitor's center, and other services along the trail in the Whites, Many other recreation areas and facilities in the National Forest are also closed.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Friday, April 3, 1:44 p.m.

School districts are weighing whether to cancel April vacation in light of coronavirus-related closures. Some districts are sending out surveys to families and teachers before making a final call next week.

In Amherst, nearly 80% of parents responding to a survey said they want to cancel April break, and instead get out a week earlier in the summer. The Merrimack school board also voted this week to cancel April break.

Officials in Bedford, Milford, and Nashua are reviewing surveys this weekend before a likely decision early next week. Districts say they're developing a routine for remote learning and don't want to disrupt it.

Many families already had to cancel travel plans, so will be stuck home anyway.

"Canceling the vacation would end school a week earlier when hopefully people will be able to venture out," said Gorham Superintendent David Backler, who plans to make a decision about April vacation on Monday. "We are worried that by not having school that week more students and families will leave their houses and come in contact with other people."

He reasons, too, that keeping April vacation could boost people's mental health and give them a needed break from the stressful transition to remote learning.

The state Department of Education says it's up to districts to decide what works  best, and so far, most are continuing with April vacation as planned.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Friday, April 3, 12:11 p.m.

Wastewater treatment plants in New Hampshire are still struggling with massive clogs, despite repeated reminders that the public should not flush anything other than toilet paper.

Shortages of toilet paper, as well as extra home cleaning, are leading more people to flush wipes, paper towels, even rubber gloves, according to an industry group.

Those things don't break down in local pumping systems or septic tanks, even if they're labeled as flushable. They can take extra manpower to remove before the waste can be treated.

Workers say the clog issue is escalating at a time when sewage plants are already running skeleton crews for the sake of social distancing.

- Annie Ropeik

Credit N.H. DHHS

Update: Thursday: April 2, 2020, 6:20 p.m.

A fifth person has died from coronavirus in New Hampshire. In a release issued Thursday (April 2), the state Department of Health and Human Services says the patient was a male resident of Hillsborough County and was younger than 60, with underlying medical conditions.

DHHS also announced 64 new positive test results for COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 479.

The new cases are all adults, 42 females and 22 males. Ten of the new cases resulted in hospitalization.

So far, approximately 15% of the people diagnosed in New Hampshire have been hospitalized, according to DHHS.

37 of the new cases have no identified risk factors, which indicates community transmission of the virus. 

According to DHHS, the regional breakdown of the new cases is: 17 in Rockingham County, 34 in Hillsborough County (including 19 in Manchester and three in Nashua), six in Strafford County, four in Merrimack County, and one each in Cheshire, Grafton, and Sullivan Counties.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, April 2, 5:15 p.m.  

At a press conference Wednesday, state officials acknowledged that they’re aware of cases of COVID-19 at a number of New Hampshire health facilities serving the elderly or medically fragile, but they have declined to identify those facilities, citing privacy concerns.

NHPR has learned that Hanover Hill, a nursing home and skilled rehab facility in Manchester, is among the health facilities in the state dealing with COVID-19. It is unclear how many patients or staff at the facility are affected.

Hanover Hill has not returned repeated inquiries from NHPR seeking additional information.

Click here for more on this story.

Update: Thursday, April 2, 4:50 p.m.

The state took in $667 million in tax revenue during the month of March...that’s only 1.5 percent less than officials forecast.

Because of the normal lag in processing, tax collections from restaurants and hotels remained strong last month.

Charlie Arlinghaus, the commissioner of administrative services, says the numbers aren’t yet showing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it is the last monthly report before the storm, so to speak. A lot of the numbers in it refer to activity that happened before states of emergency,” he says.

The Liquor Commission enjoyed a strong month of sales in March, beating its target by 45 percent.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Thursday, April 2, 4:25 p.m. 

The Manchester VA is planning to set up a 20-bed unit for patients other than those who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The VA can't support patients on ventilators, so it's preparing to take veteran patients who need basic care from CMC, the Elliot, and other VA hospitals to help those hospitals open space for COVID-19 patients.

In a statement, the VA says during emergencies, hospitals routinely shift resources, staff, and supplies as needed to meet demands wherever they arise.

It's unclear when the 20 beds will be ready.

- Peter Biello

Update: Thursday, April 2, 4:01 p.m.

Governor Sununu wants the U.S. Treasury Department to expedite federal coronavirus aid and give states better guidance on how it can be spent.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Sununu said New Hampshire is trying to move fast to use the funding allocated for the state under the federal act recently passed in Washington. He says a lack of clear federal guidelines adds to the challenge.

"It is difficult to move forward when subsequent guidance could unravel those plans," Sununu wrote.

The governor noted that New Hampshire acted to boost unemployment benefits and child protection, and provided money to help local hospitals on "the expectation that the federal government will now assume these costs, but it is unclear when this funding is accessible." 

"What this epidemic has demonstrated is that any delay or failure to take quick action can result in consequences," Sununu said.

New Hampshire is set to receive more than $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus aid.

- Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, April 2, 3:44 p.m.

The Forest Service is shutting down some high traffic recreation areas on Mount Washington. Tuckerman Ravine, Huntington Ravine and the Gulf of Slides will be temporarily closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The order also closes the facilities and grounds around the Appalachian Mountain Club's visitor's center at Pinkham Notch. The area sits on the southeast side of the summit of the mountain, opposite the Mount Washington Auto Road.

It contains popular, high-risk hiking trails that have been packed with visitors in recent weeks.

Officials say the closure is part of their efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus to rescuers, as well as hikers.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Thursday, April 2, 2:49 p.m.

Credit Courtesy of Todd Selig / Durham

The University of New Hampshire has converted its recreation center into a medical site to free up more hospital space for COVID-19 patients. UNH is also using 3D printers to help create medical face shields.

The gym at the Hamel Recreation Center now contains 250 beds. It's one of several overflow sites the state is setting up to boost capacity to treat coronavirus patients. The overflow sites are intended to house patients who have already been treated in hospitals but who need a few more days of care before heading home.

UNH is also deploying a dozen 3D printers to make plastic headbands.

Workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are attaching the headbands - UNH has made 300 so far - to clear plastic masks. And the masks are going to medical workers in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.

- Josh Rogers

Update:Thursday, April 2, 2:10 p.m.

Governor Sununu says he's looking at ways to allow New Hampshire golf courses to reopen. But Sununu says any relaxation of the policy keeping courses closed in New Hampshire would have to involve other states.

In a video posted to Twitter, Sununu says he's looking at ways to reopen golf courses ordered closed by one of his executive orders. He indicated it will take time:

"We're going to explore that in the coming weeks, but please understand it has to be a regional approach. Because if Mass., and Maine and Vermont, don't take the same approach, then everybody from those states, with sometimes higher instances of COVID and the pandemic, are going to be rushing into New Hampshire."

An online petition launched this week urging Sununu to reopen local courses - called Let NH Golf - has collected more than 8,000 signatures. Thirteen governors have explicitly banned golf in COVID-19 executive orders.

- Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, April 2, 12:46 p.m.

The U.S. Census Bureau says the coronavirus pandemic highlights the need for an accurate population count this year.

Regional Census Director Jeff Bahler says the 2020 Census count will inform federal decisions on how to fund health care and emergency systems in each state.

"The way those decisions are made - how many hospitals or ambulances, how many vaccines a community needs - those decisions are made upon Census data," he says.

Over a third of New Hampshire households have filled out the U.S. Census so far - mostly online. The bureau is urging residents to complete the survey online if possible, to avoid getting mailers or a visit from a census worker in the months ahead. [See the Census response rate by state]

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Thursday, April 2, 12:00 p.m. 

Credit Dan Barrick / NHPR

Market Basket is changing store protocols to increase social distancing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Starting today (Thursday, April 2), the grocery store chain will limit the number of customers allowed into its stores at one time.

The store will also designate a single entrances and exit for customers.

Market Basket says its heightened disinfection program continues, focusing on high-touch surfaces including cash registers, countertops and shopping carriages.

- Mary McIntyre

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 9:00 p.m.

A fourth person has died of COVID-19 in New Hampshire. That news came on the day that 48 additional cases of the illness were identified in the state, bringing the total number of cases to 415.

Credit NH DHHS

At a press conference Wednesday, state epidemiologist Ben Chan said the fourth person to die was an adult, but declined to provide further information about them. 

Fifty-nine of the patients in New Hampshire - or roughly 15 percent - have required hospitalization. 

The vast bulk of the state's cases are concentrated in the Manchester-Nashua region, and in towns along the south-east border with Massachusetts (see map, left).

But Chan cautioned that COVID-19 remains “widespread and present in our whole state.” He said the virus may be in New Hampshire for many more months and warned against becoming complacent.

Less than a week since the state's stay-at-home order took effect, Chan said he understands people might be getting restless. But, he said, it's difficult to predict how a pandemic will proceed, and that the coronavirus could be with us for weeks or months to come.

"We understand the difficulties that this outbreak is causing people and families," Chan said, "But it is important not to become complacent in our measures around social distancing.

Sununu orders emergency funding for victims of sexual and domestic violence, child abuse

Governor Chris Sununu announced two new orders to support some of the state's most vulnerable residents at Wednesday's press conference, victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse. 

As families are staying home as part of the state's effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, officials fear incidents of abuse are going unreported.

"We know that calls to law enforcement are down, we know that reporting of child abuse is down," Sununu said at Wednesday's press conference. "What is not down is the actual instance of occurrence."

Sununu has ordered $600,000 in emergency funding to support sexual and domestic violence crisis centers, as well as $2 million in funding to boost protections for children in the state. Sununu said that some part-time staff members at DCYF will be made full time, and that the age cap for children served by the state's "Strength to Succeed" program will be increased from 6-years-old to 10-years-old.

Sununu encouraged all residents of the state to act as "mandatory reporters" for domestic and sexual violence and child abuse.

- NHPR Staff

N.H. domestic violence hotline: 1 (800) 277-5570

N.H. child abuse hotline: 1 (800) 894-5533 or knowandtell.org

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 4:10 p.m.

Three New Hampshire hospitals are now requiring all staff who work in patient care areas to wear a mask at all times.

The decision by the Hospital Corporation of America affects Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Frisbie Memorial Hospital, and Parkland Medical Center in New Hampshire.

Dr. David Itkin is Chief of Infectious Disease at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. He says the decision was driven in part by emerging evidence that suggests some people with COVID-19 are spreading the virus before they begin to show symptoms.

"If somebody is incubating the virus and not yet symptomatic and working, the presence of the mask will limit the amount of virus that they shed into the environment," Itkin says.

The move comes as the CDC is reportedly considering changing its recommendations over whether the general public should use masks.

- Jason Moon

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 3:20 p.m.

The Crotched Mountain School in Greenfield is battling an outbreak of COVID-19 on its campus that has killed one resident and infected five others. The facility, which offers residential and day programs for people living with disabilities, says the outbreak is traced to a group home on its campus.

So far, three residents and three staff members have tested positive.

The resident who died on March 29 was a 46-year old male with significant disabilities and a history of respiratory problems, according to the school.

“The Crotched Mountain family mourns the loss of one of our residents,” said Ned Olney, president and CEO of Crotched Mountain Foundation in a statement. “As an individual with a challenging medical profile he was particularly susceptible to the insidiousness of this virus. Together we grieve and remain vigilant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

State health officials are working with the facility as it implements a quarantine on the residence hall.

Visitation is currently prohibited, and meals are being served in rooms, rather than the cafeteria. It isn’t clear why the Department of Health and Human Service’s town-by-town map of coronavirus cases shows zero for Greenfield.

Crotched Mountain says it is facing a dwindling supply of personal protective equipment, and is requesting donations from the public.

The picturesque mountain-top school opened in 1953. It currently serves 66 residents on its campus and employs approximately 200 people.

In 2017, Crotched Mountain shuttered its medical facility citing financial strain.

(This story will be updates as more information is made available.)

- Todd Bookman

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 2:05 p.m.  

Credit Courtesy of ConvenientMD

A new drive-through testing site for COVID-19 opens today (Wednesday, April 1) at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth.

Right now, the site will only take patients referred by a telehealth provider with the urgent care chain Convenient MD. The company worked with the state and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to set up the testing facility.

Anthem is currently covering all coronavirus testing costs for its members.

A Convenient MD spokesman says the testing site could expand to take referrals from outside the company if more testing supplies and protective gear become available.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 1:50 p.m.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen says she's asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC to expedite COVID-19 test results for first responders.

Police, firefighters or emergency medical technicians who come into contact with potential cases have to quarantine for 14 days. Senator Shaheen says this has been a huge challenge for emergency workers across New Hampshire.

"Prioritize those tests, let’s get those tests back and find out if those people really tested positive. If they did, then we know we have to quarantine the first responders. But if they didn’t then we don’t need to take first responders off the job for that long a period of time," she said.

Nine firefighters in Concord were placed under quarantine earlier this week after coming into contact with a potential case of COVID-19. The firefighters were released Wednesday after the patient received a negative test result.

- Alex McOwen

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 11:50 a.m.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is set to begin testing a potential treatment for COVID-19. The hospital is one of nearly hundred sites involved in the clinical trials worldwide.

Researchers are testing an intravenous anti-viral medication that was used during the West African Ebola outbreak several years ago. The drug has also shown promise in treating diseases caused by other coronaviruses, such as SARS.

The medication will be tested in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Researchers will test 5- and 10-day courses of the medication in people with severe and moderate infections.

Across the globe, about a thousand patients are participating in the study. Researchers say this kind of trial typically takes weeks to organize. Dartmouth-Hitchcock got ready for theirs in six days, including by fitting personal protective equipment for around two dozen nurses who’ll administer the drug to patients.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 11:45 a.m.

Correctional facilities across the state are releasing some inmates accused or convicted of non-violent crimes to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Social distancing is nearly impossible to maintain in jails or prisons, and some inmates could be at risk for serious or life-threatening symptoms from the coronavirus.

On NHPR's The Exchange this morning (Wednesday, April 1), Belknap County Corrections Superintendent Keith Grey said his jail population is the lowest it's been in 20 years after releasing inmates. Grey says his officers are still monitoring many of those who have been released, sometimes electronically.

Read more on this story here

-Mary McIntyre

Update: Sunday, April 5, 2020  

48 people have tested positive for coronavirus in New Hampshire, bringing the state's total cases to 669.

In a press release issued Sunday (April 5), the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced the new cases.

"Of those with complete information," the release says, 40% of the new cases are female, and 60% are male. According to DHHS, 16 of the new cases have no identified risk factors, indicating a growth in community transmission of COVID-19 in the state. Six of the patients were reported to be hospitalized.

The regional breakdown of the new cases is: 16 in Rockingham County, 17 in Hillsborough County (including six in Nashua and four in Manchester), five in Merrimack County, one in Strafford County, two in Carroll County, and one in Cheshire County. 

According to DHHS, the county of residence is "being determined" for the six remaining cases.

- NHPR staff

Update: Sunday, April 5, 1:25 p.m.

The city of Portsmouth has laid off half its part-time workforce, from positions in non-essential services.

The 87 short-term layoffs, which took effect Friday, apply mostly to staff at the city’s rec center and pools, as well as library workers and crossing guards.

“We ended up choosing to lay off, temporarily, those positions which cannot perform their duties at home or remotely,” says city manager Karen Conard, “or in those departments that are no longer open to business for the public, or no longer generating revenue.”

She says the workers were given details on applying for unemployment, and the city plans to hire back the laid-off workers once the stay-at-home order lifts.

The decision is less about lost revenue, Conard says, and more about focusing on essential services.

“This is not meant to feel like ‘when’s the other shoe going to drop,’” Conard says. “We don’t intend to comb through on a regular basis and make cuts. We think we’re in a good position right now.”

She says the city is mostly losing revenue from its recreation facilities, which remain closed.

The city has also suspended most parking fees, but with far fewer people driving downtown, Conard says they wouldn’t be losing much revenue there anyway. The city council will discuss next steps for the parking fees at their meeting Monday night.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Saturday, April 4, 7:42 p.m.

Two more people have died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to nine in New Hampshire.

On Saturday night, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced 81 new positive test results. There are now 621 confirmed cases in the state. 

The two additional deaths were men from Hillsborough County, both over 60, according to DHHS.

Six of the new cases are hospitalized.

- NHPR Staff

Credit Dan Tuohy / NHPR

In light of recent studies, the CDC is now recommending Americans wear face masks or "cloth face coverings" when in areas of high community-based transmission for the virus, as well as in public settings where social distancing can be challenging, like grocery stores. Read the CDC guidelines here.

Update: Saturday, April 4, 5:09 p.m.

Governor Sununu has issued his 26th executive order that extends three earlier emergency orders until May 4. They were otherwise due to expire Monday, April 6. The orders continue the ban on gatherings of 10 or more and the prohibition of on-site, dine-in consumption of food and beverages. Restaurants are allowed to offer meals through take-out and deliveries. 

The governor also extends the order allowing restaurants to temporarily offer take-out and delivery of beer or wine during the state emergency.

- Dan Tuohy

  Update: Saturday, April 4, 2:40 p.m.

The first case of the coronavirus in Coös County was confirmed Friday. The case is in Whitefield, but the nearby city of Berlin is urging caution among residents there.

Berlin Community Development Director Pam LaFlamme says people in the North Country should assume the coronavirus is more widespread than yet reported, given the still-limited number of tests.

She says residents should take the same precautions as they would in a larger city.

"Just really be aware of your surroundings," she says. "You can only control the 6 feet around you so if you do your part and everyone does their part then that will help flatten the curve."

Berlin is home to Coos County's largest hospital - it currently has 25 beds, but it has a plan to expand that number, if necessary.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Saturday, April 4, 1:25 p.m.

State emergency officials are asking people to think twice before calling for an ambulance.

People experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough and difficulty breathing, should first call their primary care physician. If a condition becomes life threatening, they should call 911, according to the public service announcement from N.H. EMS.

Officials say those who don't need to be transported to the hospital in an ambulance should find another way. This cuts down on time spent decontaminating ambulances, and keeps them available for serious conditions like cardiac arrest, suspected stroke, or traumatic injury.

- Cori Princell 

Update: Saturday, April 4, 12:17 p.m.

The ACLU of New Hampshire is pushing for the release of an immigrant detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Strafford County House of Correction in Dover.

The ACLU says they're asking the court to move quickly in light of the threat of COVID-19. The emergency federal lawsuit, which was filed Friday, demands the release of a Guatemalan immigrant who the ACLU says came to the U.S. seeking asylum. 

The ACLU has asked ICE to halt immigration enforcement operations and release immigration detainees currently at the Strafford County jail.

- Cori Princell 

Update: Saturday, April 4, 11:32 a.m.

New Hampshire is closing its highway rest stops and welcome centers on Sunday as part of the state's efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Hooksett welcome center on I-93, which is operated by a private company, will remain open.

All the rest, those run by the state, will close Sunday at 4 p.m.

A spokesman for the N.H. Department of Business and Economic Affairs says the state is reassigning about 30 employees from the rest stops to temporarily work in the state's liquor and wine outlets.

- Sarah Gibson 

Update: Saturday, April 4, 10:09 a.m.

Eighty-seven part-time employees of the city of Portsmouth have been laid off due to the coronavirus. All of them worked in public works, recreation, or at the city library.

Portsmouth officials remain concerned about a loss of revenue under the state's stay-at-home order.

The city is helping the affected workers apply for unemployment coverage.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, April 3, 5:55 p.m.

State health officials announced two new deaths and 61 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire on Friday, bringing the statewide total of known coronavirus infections to 540. Among the new cases is the first known case in Coos County, meaning COVID-19 is present in every county in the state.

The Southern Tier continues to be the center of coronavirus activity in New Hampshire, with the bulk of cases located in Manchester, Nashua, and surrounding towns in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties.

To date, 80 people in the state have been hospitalized for COVID-19, or roughly 15 percent of all known cases. The two deaths announced Friday were a man and a woman, each older than 60 and residents of Hillsborough County.

-NHPR staff

Update: Friday, April 3, 5:30 p.m.

Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia is receiving a $5.2 million loan from the state to help it stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. The hospital is just one of more than 250 health care organizations to apply for an emergency loan from the state.

New Hampshire's emergency health care relief fund totals $50 million in state money. But that amount may not even come close to covering what's being asked for.

The fund was established a week and a half ago. The list of applicants obtained by NHPR includes some of the state's largest hospitals, as well as smaller facilities like community health centers, dentist offices, and physical therapy centers. Governor Sununu says federal money may be able to replenish the emergency fund if it runs out.

- Jason Moon

Update: Friday, April 3, 5:25 p.m.

The state will begin helping furloughed health care workers find temporary jobs on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Sununu announced a new "Health Workforce Flex System" Friday to do just that.

Run by the N.H. Department of Employment Security, the program will send furloughed hospital workers to facilities in need of urgent help during the pandemic. "What we don't want is true layoffs to happen, doors to close, because then those frontline workers - you risk losing them out of the state altogether," Sununu said at his news conference. 

His announcement came as Lakes Region General Hospital said earlier it would furlough 500 employees.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Friday, April 3, 3:43 p.m.

Governor Chris Sununu announced today that 14 clinical surge centers are now ready to address a possible surge in COVID-19 patients in New Hampshire. There are 1,662 "surge" beds, bringing the total beds in the state to 5,291, he said during a news conference in Concord.

The governor says he is issuing another emergency order in response to the coronavirus pandemic, an order to empower towns and cities to offer blanket abatement of interest for late property tax payments. 

Sununu is re-issuing his state emergency order, which first took effect on March 13. And in related news, President Trump has approved New Hampshire's disaster declaration in connection with the coronavirus.

Sununu also announced the N.H. Grocers Association will be launching an emergency operations center to support grocery stores, including developing guidelines to encourage safe social distancing and recommending stores cap occupancy at 50 percent.

- NHPR Staff

This is developing, and this will be further updated Friday

Update: Friday, April 3, 3:20 p.m.

Banks in New Hampshire and across the country began getting busy Friday, as businesses harmed by COVID-19 are lining up for a share of $350 billion worth of new federal loans.

Read more here.

Update: Friday, April 3, 2:00 p.m.

Conservancy groups that manage the Appalachian Trail want federal regulators to consider closing the popular hiking route, which runs through New Hampshire's White Mountains, and has been crowded during the pandemic.

The Boston-based Appalachian Mountain Club and the Dartmouth Outing Club are among the groups that sent aletter this week to the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture, as well as the Forest Service and Park Service, which are under the USDA.

The conservancies say they and government partners have closed many service areas along the trail to encourage social distancing - but crowds have persisted. The groups are worried about the spread of coronavirus among hikers, rescuers, trail workers and nearby communities.

The letter asks the federal agencies to close the trail until at least April 30, meeting every two weeks after that to consider reopening it.

The AMC has already closed its shelters, visitor's center, and other services along the trail in the Whites, Many other recreation areas and facilities in the National Forest are also closed.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Friday, April 3, 1:44 p.m.

School districts are weighing whether to cancel April vacation in light of coronavirus-related closures. Some districts are sending out surveys to families and teachers before making a final call next week.

In Amherst, nearly 80% of parents responding to a survey said they want to cancel April break, and instead get out a week earlier in the summer. The Merrimack school board also voted this week to cancel April break.

Officials in Bedford, Milford, and Nashua are reviewing surveys this weekend before a likely decision early next week. Districts say they're developing a routine for remote learning and don't want to disrupt it.

Many families already had to cancel travel plans, so will be stuck home anyway.

"Canceling the vacation would end school a week earlier when hopefully people will be able to venture out," said Gorham Superintendent David Backler, who plans to make a decision about April vacation on Monday. "We are worried that by not having school that week more students and families will leave their houses and come in contact with other people."

He reasons, too, that keeping April vacation could boost people's mental health and give them a needed break from the stressful transition to remote learning.

The state Department of Education says it's up to districts to decide what works  best, and so far, most are continuing with April vacation as planned.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Friday, April 3, 12:11 p.m.

Wastewater treatment plants in New Hampshire are still struggling with massive clogs, despite repeated reminders that the public should not flush anything other than toilet paper.

Shortages of toilet paper, as well as extra home cleaning, are leading more people to flush wipes, paper towels, even rubber gloves, according to an industry group.

Those things don't break down in local pumping systems or septic tanks, even if they're labeled as flushable. They can take extra manpower to remove before the waste can be treated.

Workers say the clog issue is escalating at a time when sewage plants are already running skeleton crews for the sake of social distancing.

- Annie Ropeik

Credit N.H. DHHS

Update: Thursday: April 2, 2020, 6:20 p.m.

A fifth person has died from coronavirus in New Hampshire. In a release issued Thursday (April 2), the state Department of Health and Human Services says the patient was a male resident of Hillsborough County and was younger than 60, with underlying medical conditions.

DHHS also announced 64 new positive test results for COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 479.

The new cases are all adults, 42 females and 22 males. Ten of the new cases resulted in hospitalization.

So far, approximately 15% of the people diagnosed in New Hampshire have been hospitalized, according to DHHS.

37 of the new cases have no identified risk factors, which indicates community transmission of the virus. 

According to DHHS, the regional breakdown of the new cases is: 17 in Rockingham County, 34 in Hillsborough County (including 19 in Manchester and three in Nashua), six in Strafford County, four in Merrimack County, and one each in Cheshire, Grafton, and Sullivan Counties.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, April 2, 5:15 p.m.  

At a press conference Wednesday, state officials acknowledged that they’re aware of cases of COVID-19 at a number of New Hampshire health facilities serving the elderly or medically fragile, but they have declined to identify those facilities, citing privacy concerns.

NHPR has learned that Hanover Hill, a nursing home and skilled rehab facility in Manchester, is among the health facilities in the state dealing with COVID-19. It is unclear how many patients or staff at the facility are affected.

Hanover Hill has not returned repeated inquiries from NHPR seeking additional information.

Click here for more on this story.

Update: Thursday, April 2, 4:50 p.m.

The state took in $667 million in tax revenue during the month of March...that’s only 1.5 percent less than officials forecast.

Because of the normal lag in processing, tax collections from restaurants and hotels remained strong last month.

Charlie Arlinghaus, the commissioner of administrative services, says the numbers aren’t yet showing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it is the last monthly report before the storm, so to speak. A lot of the numbers in it refer to activity that happened before states of emergency,” he says.

The Liquor Commission enjoyed a strong month of sales in March, beating its target by 45 percent.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Thursday, April 2, 4:25 p.m. 

The Manchester VA is planning to set up a 20-bed unit for patients other than those who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The VA can't support patients on ventilators, so it's preparing to take veteran patients who need basic care from CMC, the Elliot, and other VA hospitals to help those hospitals open space for COVID-19 patients.

In a statement, the VA says during emergencies, hospitals routinely shift resources, staff, and supplies as needed to meet demands wherever they arise.

It's unclear when the 20 beds will be ready.

- Peter Biello

Update: Thursday, April 2, 4:01 p.m.

Governor Sununu wants the U.S. Treasury Department to expedite federal coronavirus aid and give states better guidance on how it can be spent.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Sununu said New Hampshire is trying to move fast to use the funding allocated for the state under the federal act recently passed in Washington. He says a lack of clear federal guidelines adds to the challenge.

"It is difficult to move forward when subsequent guidance could unravel those plans," Sununu wrote.

The governor noted that New Hampshire acted to boost unemployment benefits and child protection, and provided money to help local hospitals on "the expectation that the federal government will now assume these costs, but it is unclear when this funding is accessible." 

"What this epidemic has demonstrated is that any delay or failure to take quick action can result in consequences," Sununu said.

New Hampshire is set to receive more than $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus aid.

- Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, April 2, 3:44 p.m.

The Forest Service is shutting down some high traffic recreation areas on Mount Washington. Tuckerman Ravine, Huntington Ravine and the Gulf of Slides will be temporarily closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The order also closes the facilities and grounds around the Appalachian Mountain Club's visitor's center at Pinkham Notch. The area sits on the southeast side of the summit of the mountain, opposite the Mount Washington Auto Road.

It contains popular, high-risk hiking trails that have been packed with visitors in recent weeks.

Officials say the closure is part of their efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus to rescuers, as well as hikers.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Thursday, April 2, 2:49 p.m.

Credit Courtesy of Todd Selig / Durham

The University of New Hampshire has converted its recreation center into a medical site to free up more hospital space for COVID-19 patients. UNH is also using 3D printers to help create medical face shields.

The gym at the Hamel Recreation Center now contains 250 beds. It's one of several overflow sites the state is setting up to boost capacity to treat coronavirus patients. The overflow sites are intended to house patients who have already been treated in hospitals but who need a few more days of care before heading home.

UNH is also deploying a dozen 3D printers to make plastic headbands.

Workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are attaching the headbands - UNH has made 300 so far - to clear plastic masks. And the masks are going to medical workers in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.

- Josh Rogers

Update:Thursday, April 2, 2:10 p.m.

Governor Sununu says he's looking at ways to allow New Hampshire golf courses to reopen. But Sununu says any relaxation of the policy keeping courses closed in New Hampshire would have to involve other states.

In a video posted to Twitter, Sununu says he's looking at ways to reopen golf courses ordered closed by one of his executive orders. He indicated it will take time:

"We're going to explore that in the coming weeks, but please understand it has to be a regional approach. Because if Mass., and Maine and Vermont, don't take the same approach, then everybody from those states, with sometimes higher instances of COVID and the pandemic, are going to be rushing into New Hampshire."

An online petition launched this week urging Sununu to reopen local courses - called Let NH Golf - has collected more than 8,000 signatures. Thirteen governors have explicitly banned golf in COVID-19 executive orders.

- Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, April 2, 12:46 p.m.

The U.S. Census Bureau says the coronavirus pandemic highlights the need for an accurate population count this year.

Regional Census Director Jeff Bahler says the 2020 Census count will inform federal decisions on how to fund health care and emergency systems in each state.

"The way those decisions are made - how many hospitals or ambulances, how many vaccines a community needs - those decisions are made upon Census data," he says.

Over a third of New Hampshire households have filled out the U.S. Census so far - mostly online. The bureau is urging residents to complete the survey online if possible, to avoid getting mailers or a visit from a census worker in the months ahead. [See the Census response rate by state]

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Thursday, April 2, 12:00 p.m. 

Credit Dan Barrick / NHPR

Market Basket is changing store protocols to increase social distancing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Starting today (Thursday, April 2), the grocery store chain will limit the number of customers allowed into its stores at one time.

The store will also designate a single entrances and exit for customers.

Market Basket says its heightened disinfection program continues, focusing on high-touch surfaces including cash registers, countertops and shopping carriages.

- Mary McIntyre

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 9:00 p.m.

A fourth person has died of COVID-19 in New Hampshire. That news came on the day that 48 additional cases of the illness were identified in the state, bringing the total number of cases to 415.

Credit NH DHHS

At a press conference Wednesday, state epidemiologist Ben Chan said the fourth person to die was an adult, but declined to provide further information about them. 

Fifty-nine of the patients in New Hampshire - or roughly 15 percent - have required hospitalization. 

The vast bulk of the state's cases are concentrated in the Manchester-Nashua region, and in towns along the south-east border with Massachusetts (see map, left).

But Chan cautioned that COVID-19 remains “widespread and present in our whole state.” He said the virus may be in New Hampshire for many more months and warned against becoming complacent.

Less than a week since the state's stay-at-home order took effect, Chan said he understands people might be getting restless. But, he said, it's difficult to predict how a pandemic will proceed, and that the coronavirus could be with us for weeks or months to come.

"We understand the difficulties that this outbreak is causing people and families," Chan said, "But it is important not to become complacent in our measures around social distancing.

Sununu orders emergency funding for victims of sexual and domestic violence, child abuse

Governor Chris Sununu announced two new orders to support some of the state's most vulnerable residents at Wednesday's press conference, victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse. 

As families are staying home as part of the state's effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, officials fear incidents of abuse are going unreported.

"We know that calls to law enforcement are down, we know that reporting of child abuse is down," Sununu said at Wednesday's press conference. "What is not down is the actual instance of occurrence."

Sununu has ordered $600,000 in emergency funding to support sexual and domestic violence crisis centers, as well as $2 million in funding to boost protections for children in the state. Sununu said that some part-time staff members at DCYF will be made full time, and that the age cap for children served by the state's "Strength to Succeed" program will be increased from 6-years-old to 10-years-old.

Sununu encouraged all residents of the state to act as "mandatory reporters" for domestic and sexual violence and child abuse.

- NHPR Staff

N.H. domestic violence hotline: 1 (800) 277-5570

N.H. child abuse hotline: 1 (800) 894-5533 or knowandtell.org

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 4:10 p.m.

Three New Hampshire hospitals are now requiring all staff who work in patient care areas to wear a mask at all times.

The decision by the Hospital Corporation of America affects Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Frisbie Memorial Hospital, and Parkland Medical Center in New Hampshire.

Dr. David Itkin is Chief of Infectious Disease at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. He says the decision was driven in part by emerging evidence that suggests some people with COVID-19 are spreading the virus before they begin to show symptoms.

"If somebody is incubating the virus and not yet symptomatic and working, the presence of the mask will limit the amount of virus that they shed into the environment," Itkin says.

The move comes as the CDC is reportedly considering changing its recommendations over whether the general public should use masks.

- Jason Moon

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 3:20 p.m.

The Crotched Mountain School in Greenfield is battling an outbreak of COVID-19 on its campus that has killed one resident and infected five others. The facility, which offers residential and day programs for people living with disabilities, says the outbreak is traced to a group home on its campus.

So far, three residents and three staff members have tested positive.

The resident who died on March 29 was a 46-year old male with significant disabilities and a history of respiratory problems, according to the school.

“The Crotched Mountain family mourns the loss of one of our residents,” said Ned Olney, president and CEO of Crotched Mountain Foundation in a statement. “As an individual with a challenging medical profile he was particularly susceptible to the insidiousness of this virus. Together we grieve and remain vigilant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

State health officials are working with the facility as it implements a quarantine on the residence hall.

Visitation is currently prohibited, and meals are being served in rooms, rather than the cafeteria. It isn’t clear why the Department of Health and Human Service’s town-by-town map of coronavirus cases shows zero for Greenfield.

Crotched Mountain says it is facing a dwindling supply of personal protective equipment, and is requesting donations from the public.

The picturesque mountain-top school opened in 1953. It currently serves 66 residents on its campus and employs approximately 200 people.

In 2017, Crotched Mountain shuttered its medical facility citing financial strain.

(This story will be updates as more information is made available.)

- Todd Bookman

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 2:05 p.m.  

Credit Courtesy of ConvenientMD

A new drive-through testing site for COVID-19 opens today (Wednesday, April 1) at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth.

Right now, the site will only take patients referred by a telehealth provider with the urgent care chain Convenient MD. The company worked with the state and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to set up the testing facility.

Anthem is currently covering all coronavirus testing costs for its members.

A Convenient MD spokesman says the testing site could expand to take referrals from outside the company if more testing supplies and protective gear become available.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 1:50 p.m.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen says she's asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC to expedite COVID-19 test results for first responders.

Police, firefighters or emergency medical technicians who come into contact with potential cases have to quarantine for 14 days. Senator Shaheen says this has been a huge challenge for emergency workers across New Hampshire.

"Prioritize those tests, let’s get those tests back and find out if those people really tested positive. If they did, then we know we have to quarantine the first responders. But if they didn’t then we don’t need to take first responders off the job for that long a period of time," she said.

Nine firefighters in Concord were placed under quarantine earlier this week after coming into contact with a potential case of COVID-19. The firefighters were released Wednesday after the patient received a negative test result.

- Alex McOwen

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 11:50 a.m.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is set to begin testing a potential treatment for COVID-19. The hospital is one of nearly hundred sites involved in the clinical trials worldwide.

Researchers are testing an intravenous anti-viral medication that was used during the West African Ebola outbreak several years ago. The drug has also shown promise in treating diseases caused by other coronaviruses, such as SARS.

The medication will be tested in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Researchers will test 5- and 10-day courses of the medication in people with severe and moderate infections.

Across the globe, about a thousand patients are participating in the study. Researchers say this kind of trial typically takes weeks to organize. Dartmouth-Hitchcock got ready for theirs in six days, including by fitting personal protective equipment for around two dozen nurses who’ll administer the drug to patients.

- Annie Ropeik

Update: Wednesday, April 1, 11:45 a.m.

Correctional facilities across the state are releasing some inmates accused or convicted of non-violent crimes to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Social distancing is nearly impossible to maintain in jails or prisons, and some inmates could be at risk for serious or life-threatening symptoms from the coronavirus.

On NHPR's The Exchange this morning (Wednesday, April 1), Belknap County Corrections Superintendent Keith Grey said his jail population is the lowest it's been in 20 years after releasing inmates. Grey says his officers are still monitoring many of those who have been released, sometimes electronically.

Read more on this story here

-Mary McIntyre

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