CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Ventilation systems at nursing homes are getting a closer look, and Dartmouth College is preparing to keep students in their dorm rooms for at least 48 hours after they arrive on campus as New Hampshire responds to the coronavirus pandemic.
NURSING HOME REVIEW
New Hampshire health and fire safety officials will spend the next two weeks investigating whether ventilation systems have contributed to coronavirus outbreaks at nursing homes, Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday.
More than 30 long-term care facilities have experienced outbreaks, and their residents account for 82% of the state’s deaths from COVID-19. As of Tuesday, only four outbreaks remained active, said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette.
The review by her department and the state Fire Marshal began Monday and will initially focus on facilities that have had outbreaks to see whether ventilation and other infrastructure affected how the virus spread.
“And then we’re going to take what we learn from that evaluation and apply it to other facilities that have not had outbreaks,” she said. “We don’t know that we’re going to find anything but we’re leaving no stone unturned.”
Sununu, a Republican, earlier this month vetoed a Democrat-backed bill that would have created an independent review of long-term care facilities. The bill also would have allocated $25 million in federal funding for the facilities, but he noted that $30 million already has been earmarked for long-term care.
ON CAMPUS
Dartmouth College students will face strict quarantine rules when they arrive on campus this fall.
According to guidelines released Monday, students will be tested for the coronavirus upon arrival, and those living on campus will be allowed to leave their rooms only to use the restrooms for the first 48 hours, or until the test results come back. Food will be delivered to their rooms, and no visitors are allowed.
For the rest of their first 14 days on campus, students will be permitted to leave their rooms to pick up meals three times per day, go outside for solo walks or other exercise or participate in college-organized outdoor activities in groups of no more than nine. Students will receive a second test for the virus seven days after their initial tests.
Officials said last month that about half the undergraduate study body will be on campus for each term. The majority of classes will be conducted remotely, given the reduced classroom space because of social distancing requirements. Face coverings will be required in all but private spaces.
Meanwhile, Plymouth State University and Keene State College became the latest campuses to cancel their fall sports competitions because of the virus.
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
New Hampshire is increasing funding for K-12 and college scholarships to help families struggling financially because of the coronavirus, Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday.
Adding $8 million to the UNIQUE college scholarship program fund will allow an additional 3,000 students to receive aid, and the amount allocated to existing scholarships will increase by 25%, Sununu said. Another $1.5 million will go to scholarships for students attending private elementary, middle and high schools.
The boost in K-12 funding comes after minority business owners and community leaders wrote to Sununu saying they are being left behind in efforts to repair the economic damage wrought by the coronavirus. Among the group’s suggestions was spending $1 million for minority student scholarships. While the funding announced Tuesday won’t go to minority students specifically, 22% of current recipients are from minority families, Sununu said.
“Education, we know, is one key factor in the social determinants of health, specifically for minority families,” he said. “So merely addressing the health care system in isolation is not sufficient in decreasing and eliminating racial health disparities.”
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WORKING OUT
The “Judgement Free Zone” won’t be free of face masks starting next month.
Planet Fitness said Monday will require all members and guests to wear face masks starting Aug. 1, joining a growing list of companies and retailers enacting such mandates to prevent spread of the coronavirus.
The New Hampshire-based company already required masks for employees at its 1,450 locations in 46 states, Washington, D.C., Canada and Australia.
“Gyms are part of the solution and a key element of the healthcare delivery system, providing much needed access for people to exercise and stay healthy,” CEO Chris Rondeau said in a statement. “Given our leadership position within the industry, we believe it’s our responsibility to further protect our members, employees, and communities so that we can all safely focus on our health, which is more important now than ever before.”
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IN THE BAG
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu on Monday lifted a ban on reusable shopping bags at grocery stores and other retail outlets.
The bags had been banned since March because of concerns that they’d be a vehicle for transmitting the coronavirus. Stores were required to provide new, single-use bags instead.
“We looked at the latest data, consulted with officials at public health and ask individuals to be courteous and respectful to retail/grocery workers by cleaning your reusable bags,” Sununu said on Twitter.
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THE NUMBERS
As of Tuesday, 6,500 people had tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, an increase of 59 from the previous day. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases has risen to 33 new cases per day on July 27 from 22 new cases per day on July 13. The number of deaths stood at 409.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause more severe illness and can lead to death.
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