CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — All state of New Hampshire-managed COVID-19 vaccination sites will be closing at the end of June, state officials said Thursday.
The sites will be closed on Monday, Memorial Day. They will reopen on Tuesday, June 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and at that point, will only provide second-dose vaccinations, health officials said in a news release Thursday. Those sites will close on Wednesday, June 30.
“There are more than 350 locations across the state offering first-dose appointments and many locations offer walk-in service without the need for an appointment,” the news release said.
In other coronavirus-related news:
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TAX DISPUTE
The U.S. acting solicitor general has advised the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear New Hampshire’s request to block Massachusetts from collecting income tax from roughly 80,000 New Hampshire residents who are employed by Massachusetts companies, but have been working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
In January, the Supreme Court asked the federal government for its opinion on whether a hearing was needed. Elizabeth Prelogar, acting U.S. solicitor general, told the court on Tuesday, “This is not one of the rare cases that warrants the exercise of this Court’s original jurisdiction,” in which the court can settle inter-state disputes.
Under a temporary rule enacted by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, residents of other states who were working in Massachusetts before the pandemic had remained subject to Massachusetts’ 5.05% income tax while they work from home. Massachusetts officials have said the regulation is similar to those adopted by other states and have declined to comment on pending litigation.
New Hampshire officials argued it represented a permanent shift in underlying policy and amounts to an “aggressive attempt to impose Massachusetts income tax” beyond its borders.
Gov. Chris Sununu and members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation disagreed with Prelogar’s opinion.
“Try as they might, overreach by Washington politicians and efforts by the Biden administration will not deter New Hampshire from fighting against Massachusetts’ unconstitutional attempt to tax our citizens,” Sununu said in a tweet. We remain confident that the Supreme Court will hear our case and that we will win.”
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MASK ORDINANCE-NASHUA
Nashua officials have approved ending the city’s mask ordinance.
The Board of Aldermen opted to end the ordinance on Tuesday, and it awaited a signature from Mayor Jim Donchess, The Telegraph of Nashua reported.
Local businesses could still require workers and patrons to wear masks.
The city’s Board of Health voted to recommend that the city lift its mask mandate. The city has had an ordinance in place since May 2020.
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THE NUMBERS
More than 98,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 67 cases announced Wednesday. Two additional deaths were announced, bringing the total to 1,346.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire decreased over the past two weeks, going from 173 new cases per day on
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