Churches, Businesses, and the County Budget

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Rep. Steven Smith

Contact

I have received some messaging via Facebook. Please do not do that. First, they are too difficult to track for complying with RSA 91-A. Second, if we haven’t corresponded before, your message may be filtered and I may never see it. Email is the best way. If I receive multiple questions on the same topic, I can send the answer to everyone at once.

  • Steve – nhfirst@gmail.com or 603-826-5940

Churches

I received some inquiries about why the “government closed churches”. I’m not sure how this rumor got started, but it is not true. The government did not close churches. They are, however, under the large gathering restriction. They can hold services with 10 people in attendance and stream the service. If a church has 100 members, the church can hold 10 services, 10 people at a time, etc. There are restrictions and inconveniences, but there are options. Personally, I think that a formula for attendee density should be arrived at. Ten people in St. Patrick’s Cathedral is different than 10 people at the Congregational Church. We’ll get there. ~ Steve

GOFERR

Businesses

Plans to reopen NH are being conducted not by the Governor’s staff, but through meetings with stakeholders of the various industries. There is a lot of public sentiment either way on how to proceed, but the truth is that plans are being made in conjunction with the business owners. They have a wide range of sentiments ranging from “let us open now” to “we’re not ready yet and need safe harbor rules in place”. If you are in business and want to participate, let me know or begin dialing in to the GOFERR meetings. There also other commissions that I can connect you with. ~ Steve

County Budget

Budget review is happening now. To hear for yourself, you can join in a variety of ways

Sullivan County, NH Board of Commissioners Business Meeting and EFC session.

Monday, May 18, 2020, 12:00 PM

Open to public through Zoom

  • Phone 1-312-626-6799
  • Webinar ID 914 0997 6740
  • Passcode 731655

GOFERR Meeting of the Legislative Advisory Board

Monday, May 18, 1:00 PM

  • Call-in: 800-356-8278
  • PIN: 389388

Anyone having difficulties connecting to the conference should call: 603-271-7840

Pursuant to RSA 91-A:2, this meeting is open to the public.

https://www.goferr.nh.gov/

GOFERR Stakeholder Advisory Board

Tuesday, MAY 19. 1:00 PM

Meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Board

  • Call-in: 800-356-8278
  • PIN: 194655

Pursuant to RSA 91-A:2, this meeting is open to the public.

https://www.goferr.nh.gov/

WMUR: Employment official Richard Lavers answers questions

Deputy New Hampshire Employment Security Commissioner Richard Lavers answered questions from viewers during News 9 at 5:30.

Union Leader: Closely watched model now predicts more NH deaths 

“An independent health research center has sharply increased its predictions for deaths in New Hampshire, as the Granite State experiences its worst run of COVID-19 deaths.

Granite State deaths could run about 10 a day the rest of May and could go as high as 16, according to May 12 projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. That is up significantly from last Friday, when the center projected an upper range of seven daily deaths.”

Link: Closely watched model now predicts more NH deaths

Click to access covid-19-update-05162020.pdf

 

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Business Aid and Drive Through Voting

Posted on May 16, 2020 by Rep. Steven Smith

Governor Sununu announced $595 million in new funding commitments for areas and industries across New Hampshire affected by the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The Governor has authorized the allocation and expenditure of an initial $400 million in emergency funding from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (“flex funds”) to provide emergency financial relief to New Hampshire small for-profit businesses due to the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.  However, in order to provide the most effective relief as quickly as possible, New Hampshire small businesses desiring to obtain relief will first be required to provide information concerning their possible COVID-19-related lost revenues and receipt of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans or any other federal relief.  This information will be used to determine appropriate relief criteria and amounts to meet the needs of eligible small businesses, including whether the initial $400 million is appropriate or needs to be changed.  In order to be eligible, a business must have its principal place of business in New Hampshire and must have generated less than $20 million in revenue during the 2019 tax year.  In addition, healthcare, childcare, and agriculture businesses will not be eligible for the program, as those businesses are or will be addressed through other programs.

To get more details go to: https://www.goferr.nh.gov/covid-expenditures/main-street-relief-fund

  • Healthcare Relief Fund: $50 M
  • Non-Profit Relief Fund: $60 M
  • Child Care: $25 M
  • Main Street Relief Fund: $400 M
  • Farm and Food: $15 M
  • Public Higher Education Relief Fund: $15 M
  • Business Finance Authority Safe Harbor Forgivable Loans: $30 M

The presentation can be found at the link below

https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt336/files/documents/goferr-roadmap.pdf

Governor Sununu signed Executive Order 2020-09, which is the third extension of the State of Emergency declared in Executive Order 2020-04.

https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt336/files/documents/2020-09.pdf

GOFERR Meeting of the Legislative Advisory Board

  • Monday, May 18, 1:00 PM
  • Call-in: 800-356-8278
  • PIN: 389388

Anyone having difficulties connecting to the conference should call: 603-271-7840

Pursuant to RSA 91-A:2, this meeting is open to the public.

https://www.goferr.nh.gov/

GOFERR Stakeholder Advisory Board

Tuesday, MAY 19. Meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Board

  • 1:00 PM
  • Call-in: 800-356-8278
  • PIN: 194655

Pursuant to RSA 91-A:2, this meeting is open to the public.

https://www.goferr.nh.gov/

WMUR: Conway holds town election with absentee, drive-thru voting

“A first-of-its-kind town election day took place Tuesday in Conway. To comply with COVID-19 guidelines, town officials successfully got about 1,000 people to vote absentee. Drive-thru voting was also available for the few hundred people who showed up at the polls.”

Link: Conway holds town election with absentee, drive-thru voting

Summary

May16 Case Map

0516dash

 

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Rumors, Meals, Schools and Tests

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Rep. Steven Smith
rumorsRumors
Lately I have been hearing about plans for the fall, unemployment policies, etc. that are not accurate. If you have a question, it is pretty easy to get the right answer from the source. If you need help with that, or verifying something, please contact me or your town officials. ~ Steve
USDA Extends Flexibilities, Paves the Way for Meals for Kids to Continue through Summer
(Washington, D.C., May 15, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the extension of three nationwide waivers, giving child nutrition program operators the flexibility they need to continue to feed children while promoting social distancing and keeping families safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“USDA has been extremely aggressive in expanding flexibilities to ensure Americans who have been impacted by the coronavirus continue to receive the food they need for themselves and their families,” said Secretary Perdue. “As our nation reopens and people return to work, we want to continue to be flexible since there is not a one size fits all approach to feeding kids. Extending these waivers throughout the summer ensures local operators can make plans that best suit their communities and keep children fed.”
oday, FNS is extending the following waivers nationwide through August 31, 2020:
  • Non-Congregate Feeding: FNS is allowing meals to be served to children outside of the normally-required group setting to support social distancing.
  • Parent Pickup: FNS is allowing parents and/or guardians to pick up meals and bring them home to their children.
  • Meal Times: FNS is waiving requirements that meals be served at certain standard times to allow for grab-n-go options. This also allows for multiple days-worth of meals to be provided at once.
In addition to granting significant program flexibilities through both nationwide and individual state waivers, FNS is rapidly approving states for Pandemic-EBT, which provides food-purchasing benefits, equal to the value of school meals, to households with children who would otherwise be receiving free or reduced-price meals at school. FNS has approved 26 plans and continues to review new plans as they are submitted.
These actions and more are part of FNS’s critical response to the COVID-19 outbreak. To learn more, visit www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus and follow FNS on Twitter at @USDANutrition.
Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force
  • 1:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Public Comments
  • Call-in: 1-800-356-8278 or 1-857-444-0744
    Pin: 194499 or 600744
As N.H.’s Remote Learning School Year Nears End, Planning For Fall Takes Shape
https://www.nhpr.org/post/nhs-remote-learning-school-year-nears-end-planning-fall-takes-shape
NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – May 14, 2020 
antitest
On Thursday, May 14, 2020, DHHS announced 84 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 3,382 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 57% being female and 43% being male. The new cases reside in Rockingham (19), Strafford (14), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (9), Merrimack (5), Belknap (2), Carroll (2), and Grafton (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (20) and Nashua (4). The county of residence is being determined for eight new cases.
Hospitalizations
 
Four new hospitalized cases were identified for a total of 330 (10%) of 3,382 cases.
Community Based Transmission
Six of the new cases have no identified risk factors
Deaths
 
DHHS has also announced one additional death related to COVID-19 in a female resident of Hillsborough County who was 60 years of age and older.
Cumulative Positive Tests by County
 
Belknap 49

Carroll 39
Cheshire 45
Coos 2
Grafton 59
Hillsborough – Other 542
Hillsborough – Manchester 770
Hillsborough – Nashua 312
Merrimack 261
Rockingham 1040
Strafford 215
Sullivan 14

County TBD 34

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(data updated May 14, 2020, 9:00 AM)
NH Persons with COVID-191 3,382
Recovered 1,247 (37%)
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 151 (4%)
Total Current COVID-19 Cases 1,984
Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19 330 (10%)
Current Hospitalizations 115
Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories 39,148
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL 14,257
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL 543

Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) 3,425

Number of Specimens Tested by Date of Report to NH DHHS
tests
patienttesst
Information above, and archived daily updates are available here: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/news/updates.htm
 
Look-back period is 1 week.
 
NH: 3,382 positive test results 151 deaths  (1 week ago: 2,843 positive test results 114 deaths) (+539/+37)
MA: 82,182  positive test results 5482 deaths (1 week ago: 72,025 positive test results 4420 deaths) (+10157/+1062)
ME: 1,565 positive test results 69 deaths (1 week ago: 1,330 positive test results 62 deaths)
VT: 932 positive test results 53 deaths (1 week ago: 916 positive test results 54 deaths)
CT:  35,464  positive test results 3219 deaths (1 week ago: 31,784 positive test results 2792 deaths)
RI: 12,016 positive test results 468 deaths (1 week ago: 10,530 positive test results 388 deaths)
NY:  348,192 positive test results 27,617 deaths (1 week ago: 332,931 positive test results 26206 deaths) (+15261/+1415)
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