NH State Representative Steven Smith

Crisis sometimes brings out the worst in people

There are two really disturbing things you should be aware. Someone put petal or perhaps razor blades in frozen pizza dough, and a new fake IRS scam that is disturbingly personal. If you ever receive a call allegedly from the IRS, Social Security, or another government agency demanding immediate payment for something, call the police. You would receive letters, not calls. In the event that there were actual papers to serve, the Sheriff’s Dept. would do it or know about it. There is simply no scenario where they arrive ad demand payment for something. When in doubt, call the police.

~ Steve

Dangerous pizza dough

In the last few weeks, razor blades or blade fragments were found in pizza dough made by It’ll Be Pizza (branded as Portland Pie Co.) in Hannaford stores in Saco and Dover. Read more at https://www.eagletimes.com/opinion/facts-too-hard-to-come-by-in-pizza-dough-case/article_441ce024-fc6f-5987-91d9-446808ccadaa.html

‘It was very scary’: IRS scammer shows up at woman’s home, demands $15,000

Lia Michaels, of Lebanon, said she received a call Thursday afternoon from some claiming to be from the IRS.

She said she was expecting a call so she picked up the phone.

“Probably shouldn’t have because it was this person saying that they were from the IRS and that I owed the money and that they were going to come get me because I owed them money.”

She hung up the phone, but minutes later, a white SUV pulled into her Guyer Street driveway. More at https://www.wmur.com/article/it-was-very-scary-irs-scammer-shows-up-at-womans-home-demands-dollar15000/34407075

Grafton County placed on Vermont quarantine list

People living in the Upper Valley region found themselves sorting out a new quarantine order from Vermont this week that restricts travel to and from the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River.

“It certainly caught us off guard,” said Hanover Town Manager Juli Griffin.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced this week that New Hampshire’s Grafton County is considered an elevated COVID-19 risk, and people traveling to or from that county for recreation or extended visits will be required to quarantine for 14 days when entering Vermont. More at https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/coronavirus/grafton-county-placed-on-vermont-quarantine-list/article_3a341e08-0627-5e30-9890-6eda1a327433.html

COVID Metrics

Goal 1: No sustained increase in number of new hospitalizations related to COVID-19. Have we met this goal? Yes.

The two-week average of new hospitalizations has hovered between one-half and one per day all summer. It isn’t going down but it doesn’t seem to be rising, either.

Goal 2: A two-week drop in new cases. Have we met this goal? No.

As mentioned above, the two-week average in daily new cases is rising at a rate not seen since the start of the pandemic, having doubled in less than a month. The average was 35 on Sept. 25 and had risen to 76 by Saturday.

Goal 3: Fewer than four new cases per 100,000 people each day, or 54 new cases a day. Have we met this goal? No.

The average number of new cases was below the per-capita level commonly used as a sign of widespread infection for four months, from mid-June to early October, but is much higher now.

Goal 4: Conducting at least 150 PCR tests per 100,000 people each day, or 2,000 tests per day. Have we met this goal? Yes, easily.

The addition of rapid antigen tests brought the average number of tests over 6,000 for the week.

Goal 5: A positive rate of PCR tests below 5%, indicating that we’re doing enough testing to get a good handle on how widespread the virus is. Have we met this goal? Yes, easily.

As measured by the Department of Health and Human Services, the positive rate for PCR tests has been about 1% recently. Antigen tests have a higher positive rate, sometimes rising above 5%, but fewer exist so the rate fluctuates greatly.

(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313 or dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)

COVID tracker: Sharp rise in cases is alarmingly similar to the Spanish Flu epidemic

Everybody expected a resurgence of COVID-19 when autumn arrived but that doesn’t make it any less alarming that New Hampshire, like much of the Northern Hemisphere, is seeing a rise in cases and deaths. More at https://www.concordmonitor.com/covid-coronavirus-nh-new-hampshrie-36827688

NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 18, 2020

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update on the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

On Sunday, October 18, 2020, DHHS announced 70 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a daily PCR test positivity rate of 0.7%. Today’s results include 58 people who tested positive by PCR test and 12 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 971 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire.

Several cases are still under investigation. Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates. Of those with complete information, there are twelve individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 47% being female and 53% being male. The new cases reside in Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (15), Rockingham (14), Merrimack (9), Belknap (3), Strafford (3), Coos (2), Cheshire (1), Grafton (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (12) and Nashua (6). The county of residence is being determined for three new cases.

No new hospitalized cases were reported. There are currently 17 individuals hospitalized with COVID-

1. None of the new cases had no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to occur in the State and has been identified in all counties. Of those with complete risk information, most of the cases have either had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis or are associated with an outbreak setting.

DHHS has also announced one additional death related to COVID-19. We offer our sympathies to the family and friends.

• 1 male resident of Merrimack County, 60 years of age and older

In New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 9,694 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed with 761 (8%) of those having been hospitalized.

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report

(data updated as of October 18, 2020 – 9:00 AM)

Number of Persons with COVID-19 1	9,694
Recovered	8,256 (85%)
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19	467 (5%)
Total Current COVID-19 Cases	971
Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19	761 (8%)
Current Hospitalizations	17
Total Persons Tested at Selected Laboratories, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)2	313,364
Total Persons Tested at Selected Laboratories, Antibody Laboratory Tests2	31,764
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL	49,584
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3	883
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time)	4,0\100

¹ Includes specimens positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
² Includes specimens tested at the NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL), LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Mako, certain hospital laboratories, the University of New Hampshire and their contracted laboratory, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.
³ Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH PHL. Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.

Like many states in New England, new COVID-19 cases are on the rise. As of Wednesday, there were 787 active cases in the state. Cases are still concentrated in Hillsborough county, though in Warner, which is in Merrimack County, health officials are seeing uncharacteristically high numbers. This is likely because of an outbreak at an assisted living facility, as I reported earlier this week. As of Monday, there are 23 active cases of the virus at the University of New Hampshire, the majority of which are staff and faculty (you can find out why below). There are three current outbreaks: Warde Health Center Windham Pine Rock Manor Bedford Hills Center Stay safe and, as always, I welcome emails and calls. Teddy Rosenbluth trosenbluth@cmonitor.com | @teddyrosenbluth | 484-723-3549

With antigen tests now included, state’s case count jumpsThe state has just started counting positive test results from rapid antigen tests in its COVID-19 tallies and the result is already apparent: 28 such positives were reported Wednesday on top of 43 positives from the slower PCR tests.That combined tally raises the state’s two-week average for new cases to 50, the highest it has been since June 14 and close to the level of 54, or 4 cases per 100,000 people, that the Monitor is using as an indication of statewide community transmission of the virus.READ MORE

Caring for patients with dementia amid COVID-19 is a challenge for elder care facilitiesRay Blanchard lived at the Edgewood Centre for almost 11 years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.He enjoyed summer afternoons sitting on the facility’s large sun porch that overlooked a pond. His wife of 52 years, Maryann, often read to him when she visited – over the span of several weeks they worke…READ MORE Faculty and staff driving COVID-19 cases at UNHFor weeks, administrators at the University of New Hampshire have cautioned students against violating the school’s COVID-19 safety policies. In a video welcoming students to campus, James Dean, the president of UNH, explained that a failure to wear masks could shut the university down mid-semester….READ MOREWarner long-term care facility hit hard by virus The N.H Department of Health and Human Services has announced three new outbreaks of COVID-19 in the last two weeks in long-term care facilities, including one in Warner that reported dozens of new cases over the weekend.For many nursing homes, the new cases could threaten to reverse their reopening…READ MORE

Rent, Electric, Etc. – Make the call

There are many people facing challenges catching up on rent and/or utility bills. There are a variety of programs to help you, but you have to make the call. If you do not know who to go to, contact me if you are in my district. If you’re not, contact your local Representative. You can also call 211. The important part is that the customer has to be proactive. You have to make the call. Please do NOT use Facebook messages. Many of these get filtered. Contact me directly – www.steve4nh.com ~ Steve

Utility shutoff notices begin going out to Granite Staters

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

Several thousand utility customers around the state will soon receive shutoff notices in their mailboxes after the lifting of a moratorium on shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Utility officials said the shutoff notices are being sent out now.

“The residential customer disconnection notices began going out this week,” said Alec O’Meara, of Unitil. “I believe 1,000 letters were sent out this week.”

The next few weeks could be critical for families who have fallen behind on utility payments. Some were previously given leniency because of rules related to the coronavirus crisis.

“For the next few weeks, the moratorium has been lifted and there are people who could be faced with a disconnect, and that’s why it’s important to get ahold of community action agencies in the state,” said Ryan Clouthier, of Southern New Hampshire Services.

For many families, this type of financial stress is new. There are options, but people have to make the call. Eversource and Unitil have expanded payment options, and officials said they want to help.

“We are offering flexible payment options that our customers can call to spread out the remainder of their balance over 12 months, no money down, no fees and no interest,” said Kaitlyn Woods, of Eversource.

“If your income situation has changed, there are income-eligibility programs that may be available to you,” O’Meara said. “There are payment plans available to you. There are a variety of fees that can be waived.”

Community action partnerships work with utility companies to help families make payments, and they expect many more applications this year.

In the wake of the pandemic, community action partnerships statewide adjusted their income guidelines because many more New Hampshire families would likely need help.

“To give you an idea, for a family of four, that would be roughly $69,686,” Clouthier said.

The assistance money does not have to be repaid. It is first come, first served, so residents are advised to file their applications soon.

Winter Disconnection Rules for Electric and Gas Customers

During the winter months, there is increased protection for customers of electric and natural gas utilities. While customers can still be disconnected if they fail to make payments on their gas or electric bills, it is more difficult to be disconnected in the winter time.

From November 15 to March 31, an electric utility may not disconnect a customer’s service:

• If the customer does not use electric service for heating and the balance owed for service provided is less than $225;
• If the customer does not use gas service for heating and the balance owed for service provided is less than $125;
• If the customer has electric, gas, or steam heat, the utility may not disconnect service if the balance owed for service provided is less than $450.

Utilities must seek commission approval before disconnecting the service of residential customers known to be 65 years or older and customers with a known financial hardship.

If you think you qualify for financial hardship status as defined below, please contact your utility for further assistance.

Section Puc 1202.10 “Financial hardship” means a residential customer has provided the utility with evidence of current enrollment of the customer or the customer’s household in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Electric Assistance Program, the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Program, the Link-Up and Lifeline Telephone Assistance Programs, their successor programs or any other federal, state or local government program or government funded program of any social service agency which provides financial assistance or subsidy assistance for low income households based upon a written determination of household financial eligibility.

In addition to the protections described above, no residential customer can be disconnected during the winter period for non-payment of a deposit or portion of a deposit.

If you are having difficulty keeping up with your bills during the winter months, please contact your local utility. Balanced billing or budget billing arrangements are available from most utilities, and payment arrangements are available from all utilities.

https://www.puc.nh.gov/consumer/winterdisconnectionrules.htm

CVS & Walgreens COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Agreement to Protect Seniors in Nursing HomesThe Trump Administration’s top priority throughout the Coronavirus pandemic is protecting our nation’s most vulnerable, and that includes providing our seniors with a safe and effective vaccine.

On Friday, October 16, President Trump  announced the Administration is providing free distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines to seniors in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other settings. The efforts are being coordinated through Operation Warp Speed in partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Both companies will handle every aspect of the incredibly important task of getting vaccines to our seniors and caregivers: getting the vaccines to the facilities, administering the vaccines, and tracking all the data we need to ensure we’re safely vaccinating the vulnerable.

Main Street Relief Fund

Governor Chris Sununu has authorized the allocation and expenditure of CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (“flex funds”) to provide economic support to New Hampshire small businesses suffering from business interruptions as a result of COVID-19.

Main Street Relief Fund 2.0

Governor Chris Sununu has authorized the allocation and expenditure of $100 million from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (“flex funds”) for MSRF 2.0 in order to continue providing economic support to New Hampshire small businesses suffering from business interruptions as a result of COVID-19.

MSRF 2.0 supports both (1) businesses that did not receive grants from the initial round of MSRF or the General Assistance & Preservation (GAP) Fund, and (2) businesses that received grants of less than the maximum $350,000 from the initial round of MSRF or the GAP Fund, if eligible according to the criteria described below. Businesses that received a Self Employed Livelihood Fund (SELF) grant are not eligible for MSRF 2.0.

The $100 million MSRF 2.0 will be shared among new recipients and prior recipients of MSRF and GAP Fund grants using a pro-rata formula based on gross receipts losses adjusted for other COVID-19-related funding received from all sources, including all grants received from GOFERR flex funds programs. MSRF 2.0 grants will be offset by GOFERR program grants previously received on a dollar-for-dollar basis, including, particularly, from the initial round of MSRF and the GAP Fund. The maximum amount received from MSRF 2.0 cannot exceed $350,000, including grants received from the initial round of MSRF and the GAP Fund.

Important Dates & Timeline:

• Application Period: October 19, 2020 – October 30, 2020
• Deadline to Submit Completed Application: 4:00 PM on October 30, 2020

More information at https://www.goferr.nh.gov/covid-expenditures/main-street-relief-fund

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report

(data updated as of October 16, 2020 – 9:00 AM)

Number of Persons with COVID-19 1	9,514
Recovered	8,155 (86%)
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19	465 (5%)
Total Current COVID-19 Cases	894
Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19	761 (8%)
Current Hospitalizations	16
Total Persons Tested at Selected Laboratories, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)2	305,815
Total Persons Tested at Selected Laboratories, Antibody Laboratory Tests2	31,675
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL	49,373
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3	1,328
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time)	4,050

¹ Includes specimens positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
² Includes specimens tested at the NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL), LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Mako, certain hospital laboratories, the University of New Hampshire and their contracted laboratory, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.
³ Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH PHL. Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.

NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – October 16, 2020

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update on the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

On Friday, October 16, 2020, DHHS announced 90 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a daily PCR test positivity rate of 1.1%. Today’s results include 64 people who tested positive by PCR test and 26 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 894 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire.

Several cases are still under investigation. Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates. Of those with complete information, there are sixteen individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 51% being female and 49% being male. The new cases reside in Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (25), Rockingham (19), Merrimack (15), Strafford (6), Cheshire (4), Grafton (2), Belknap (1), Coos (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (10) and Nashua (6).

No new hospitalized cases were reported. There are currently 16 individuals hospitalized with COVID-

1. Seven of the new cases had no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to occur in the State and has been identified in all counties. Of those with complete risk information, most of the cases have either had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis or are associated with an outbreak setting.

DHHS has also announced two additional deaths related to COVID-19. We offer our sympathies to the family and friends.

• 1 female resident of Hillsborough County, 60 years of age and older
• 1 male resident of Hillsborough County, 60 years of age and older

In New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 9,514 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed with 761 (8%) of those having been hospitalized.

At least 5 new coronavirus deaths and 77 new cases were reported in New Hampshire on Oct. 15. Over the past week, there have been an average of 78 cases per day, an increase of 101 percent from the average two weeks earlier.