CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s U.S. senators are joining several New England colleagues in seeking federal funding for bus, motorcoach and passenger ferry companies that are struggling because of the coronavirus.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both Democrats, signed a letter Wednesday led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island.
They are seeking $10 billion in emergency funding for the industry. The cancellation of school field trips, tours and college sports seasons has forced motorcoach companies to furlough or lay off thousands of workers, they said, and privately owned school bus companies have faced significant losses as many states and communities move to remote learning.
In other coronavirus-related news:
THE NUMBERS
As of Monday, 7,990 people in New Hampshire had tested positive for the virus, an increase of 38 from the previous day. The number of deaths stood at 438.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire has risen over the past two weeks from 28 new cases per day on Sept. 8 to 35 new cases per day on Sept. 22.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia or death.
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