Gov. Chirs Sununu has asked visitors to New Hampshire for extended stays to voluntarily self-quarantine to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus. New Hampshire announced 27 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday for a total of 214.
A look at developments related to the coronavirus around New England.
MAINE
Authorities are investigating a report that several people with guns had cut down a tree on the island of Vinalhaven to block a road so that some people would be quarantined in their home.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that when law enforcement arrived, they found the felled tree and said it had been dragged into the road to block it. They said deputies learned that some island residents believe the people staying in the home are supposed to be quarantined because they came from out of state. The sheriff’s office said the trio had been staying on Vinalhaven for about 30 days and none have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
____
CONNECTICUT
Police and firefighters who are awaiting coronavirus test results or have relatives who have been exposed to the virus will be able to move into a University of New Haven dormitory in the coming days, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
Yale University, which initially declined his request to make rooms available promptly, said Saturday that the university would make 300 beds available for first responders and hospital personnel by the end of this coming week.
____
RHODE ISLAND
Gov. Gina Raimondo on Saturday ordered residents to stay at home until April 13, unless getting food, medicine, gas or going to work. She also ordered anyone coming to Rhode Island for a non-work related reason to self-quarantine for 14 days. Public health, public safety and healthcare workers are exempt.
_____
VERMONT
The Vermont National Guard has set up an additional COVID-19 patient test site at Landmark College in Putney, the state Health Department announced. The site was expected to start testing referred patients on Sunday. The site is in addition to a number of temporary pop-up, drive-through and other facilities that have been set up around Vermont for testing, the Health Department said.
_____
MASSACHUSETTS
Patients are being moved out of a nursing home in Worcester so that the facility can be turned into a treatment and recovery center for COVID-19 patients. The residents of Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center are being moved to other Salmon Health and Retirement facilities.
“We’ve made the decision, along with UMass Medical (Center) and the Department of Public Health, and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, that the best course of action is to create COVID-specific care and treatment centers,” said Matt Salmon, CEO of Salmon Health and Retirement. “I can’t, in my role, think of any other solution that doesn’t put all of our seniors at risk.”
For most people, the virus 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. The vast majority of people recover.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)