Engagement Journalism

Update November 19, 2020: Governor Sununu has announced a statewide mask mandate, effective November 20. Local ordinances supercede the statewide mandate and penalties still apply where applicable. We will continue to update the map as local ordinances are passed.

For more on this story, click here.

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

As NHPR tracks the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire, we’ve been asking you to tell us how your life is changing because of coronavirus - and we’ve welcomed your questions. 

Here, we answer some of your questions, and share other important information about the coronavirus and how to stay safe.

Gov. Chris Sununu used his veto pen only a handful of times in his first term, when Republicans held a majority in both chambers of the Legislature.

This session, with Democrats now holding majorities in the House and Senate, Sununu has already set a modern record for the number of gubernatorial vetoes in a single year. 

It’s been about six months since the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed our lives. 

From the beginning, we’ve been asking you to share your experiences with us, to help in our understanding and reporting. 

As families prepare for a new school year and more of us get back to work, it may seem like things are returning to normal. But we’re still hearing plenty of uncertainty from you.

Click here to tell us about what your experience has been like through the pandemic. 

Here is some of what we’ve been hearing in our survey since Aug. 1:

As NHPR tracks the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire, we’ve been asking you to tell us how your life is changing because of coronavirus - and we’ve welcomed your questions. 

Our most frequent questions have continued to be about traveling in and out of the Granite State, especially during the summer months. 

This post was updated on Aug. 11 with new information from the New Hampshire Attorney General's office.

The New Hampshire Republican Party sent mailers out last week with incorrect info on where to send absentee voter registration forms after what it says was a "printing mistake."

Congress is in negotiations to extend federal unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The uncertainty over school reopening plans has more parents in New Hampshire exploring the option of homeschooling for the first time.

Today, Monday, could be one of the hottest days of the year, and with that comes high demand for electricity. Using less power in the heat could lower your bills – as well as carbon emissions.

Electricity bills carry a fee based on the peak demand within the year. Consultant Emily Manns of Nashua-based Standard Power says it’s possible that fee will be set today, at the peak hours: between 4 and 7 p.m.

Businesses and factories may pay a penalty for using more power during that time, but it has an effect on residential customers, too:

In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Chris Sununu issued a series of executive orders in March shuttering huge segments of both economic and community life in New Hampshire. Suddenly, workers and industries were split into two camps: those deemed essential, and those not. 

More than 100 days later, nearly all corners of the state’s economy now have permission to reopen. At 11:59 p.m. on June 15, Sununu’s ‘Stay at Home’ order expired, as did the cap on gatherings of more than ten people. 

What happens when a restaurant doesn’t follow social distancing guidelines? Or when restaurant employees who interact with customers don’t wear their required face masks?

Violations of coronavirus guidelines usually end up in the hands of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office by way of the phone number and email established for concerns regarding executive orders and guidelines.