NH State Representative Steven Smith

New Emergency Orders – August 12

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Rep. Steven Smith

Masks for events with over 100 attendees

This afternoon, I am issuing an Emergency Order to help minimize health and safety concerns around large scheduled events and gatherings, requiring scheduled gatherings of 100+ people to wear masks, effective immediately.‬

‪New Hampshire citizens have been diligent in social distancing and mask wearing, and we continue to see very positive numbers. We know a spike could occur at any time, and we know that large events that gather over 100 individuals often have folks coming from out of state.

‪Education is always the first step, but we won’t hesitate to enforce penalties and fines on event organizers who willfully, and dangerously, disobey these rules.‬

‪Of course, while smaller events don’t pose the same risks, we strongly encourage mask usage for everyone, every time they cannot socially distance.

https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt336/files/documents/emergency-order-63.pdf

An order protecting pre-existing non-conforming use status for summer camps unable to operate due to COVID-19 during the summer of 2020

https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt336/files/documents/emergency-order-62.pdf

21 new cases of COVID-19 reported in NH; no new deaths for 5th day in a row

https://www.wmur.com/article/21-new-cases-of-covid-19-reported-in-nh-no-new-deaths-for-5th-day-in-a-row/33577609

Test turnaround times improve, health commissioner says

https://www.wmur.com/article/test-turnaround-times-improve-health-commissioner-says/33578076

NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – August 11th, 2020

On Tuesday, August 11, 2020, DHHS announced 21 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 6,861 cases of COVID-19 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, all are adults with 33% being female and 67% being male. The new cases reside in Rockingham (7), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (3), Cheshire (2), Strafford (2), Grafton (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (3) and Nashua (2).

Hospitalizations

One new hospitalized case was identified for a total of 705 (10%) of 6,861 cases.

Community Based Transmission

Three of the new cases had no identified risk factors.

Deaths

No additional deaths were reported by DHHS.

Cumulative Positive Tests by County

Belknap 115
Carroll 94
Cheshire 101
Coos 17
Grafton 104
Hillsborough – Other 1,246
Hillsborough – Manchester 1838
Hillsborough – Nashua 779
Merrimack 466
Rockingham 1698
Strafford 362
Sullivan 41

Map of Cumulative Positive Cases Map of Current Positive Cases Summary

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

(data updated August 12th, 2020, 9:00 AM)

NH Persons with COVID-191 6,861
Recovered 6,126 (89%)
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 419 (6%)
Total Current COVID-19 Cases 316
Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19 705 (10%)
Current Hospitalizations 21

Total Persons Tested at Selected Laboratories,

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) 175,399
Total Persons Tested at Selected Laboratories, Antibody
Laboratory Tests 28,105
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL 38,825
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL 769
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) 2,850

Number of Specimens Tested by Date of Report to NH DHHS

Information above, and archived daily updates are available here: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/news/updates.htm

Regional Information (total positive test results, deaths)

Look-back period is 1 week.

NH: 6,861 positive test results 419 deaths (1 week ago: 6,693 positive test results 418 deaths) (+168/+1)

MA: 121,707 positive test results 8751 deaths (1 week ago: 119,203 positive test results 8657 deaths) (+2504/+94)

ME: 4,050 positive test results 126 deaths (1 week ago: 3,975 positive test results 123 deaths)

VT: 1,472 positive test results 58 deaths (1 week ago: 1,431 positive test results 57 deaths)

CT: 50,684 positive test results 4,444 deaths (1 week ago: 50,110 positive test results 4,437 deaths)

RI: 20,053 positive test results 1016 deaths (1 week ago: 19,390 positive test results 1011 deaths)

NY: 426,713 positive test results 32,372 deaths (1 week ago: 422,296 positive test results 32,422 deaths) (+4,417/-50)

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Program Deadlines and Kids – Aug 11

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Rep. Steven Smith

NH Agriculture COVID-19 Relief Program Expansion

Additional Funding Round Application Available
Application Deadline: August 31, 2020

Concord, NH — The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief & Recovery and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food announce that the New Hampshire Agriculture COVID-19 Relief Program has been expanded to include farms that did not qualify initially, or missed the registration deadline (“Expanded Farm Program”). The Expanded Farm Program supports smaller farms with less than $50,000 of 2019 gross sales which were ineligible initially.

Governor Chris Sununu has authorized the allocation and expenditure of $2.5 million from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (“flex funds”) to support non-dairy farms, in order to ease the burden of substantial new COVID-19-related costs like extra cleaning and sanitizing, ensuring social distancing, and lost sales. This includes $1.5 million previously allocated to specialty crop producers that had at least $50,000 of 2019 gross sales and registered for the program by June 22, 2020, and an additional $1 million to allow the Expanded Farm Program. https://nhpublichealth.force.com/nhgoferr/Proposal_Core_Listing_Page

Back to School

Updated Aug. 10, 2020 NY Times

The latest highlights as the first students return to U.S. schools.

- Admissions tests for many graduate schools have gone online. But not the MCAT, the exam for aspiring doctors, which must still be taken in person, pandemic or not.
- Republicans and Democrats agree that schools need billions of dollars to reopen, but policy fights have Congress at loggerheads, with educators growing desperate.
- Focused on trying to reopen classrooms, many schools didn’t do all they could this summer to fix remote learning. Here’s how families can help fill in the gaps.
- A high school freshman tested positive after two days in class. A yearbook editor worries about access to sporting events. We spoke to students about what school is like in the age of Covid-19.

Children May Carry Coronavirus at High Levels, Study Finds

It has been a comforting refrain in the national conversation about reopening schools: Young children are mostly spared by the coronavirus and don’t seem to spread it to others, at least not very often.

But on Thursday, a study introduced an unwelcome wrinkle into this smooth narrative. Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/health/coronavirus-children.html

NH National Guard delivering PPE to polling stations

https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-national-guard-delivering-ppe-to-polling-stations/33568737

NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – August 10th, 2020

On Monday, August 10, 2020, DHHS announced 13 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 6,840 cases of COVID-19 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 three individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 46% being female and 54% being male. The new cases reside in Cheshire (2), Merrimack (2), Strafford (2), Coos (1), and Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (4) and Nashua (1).