By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – As the COVID-19 continues to spread across the state with 540 sickened and seven dead, Gov. Chris Sununu announced the state now has 14 makeshift medical surge facilities completed to deal with the projected need in the coming weeks.
Sununu said he feels New Hampshire and much of New England is in a relatively good position to handle the expected surge of COVID-19 patients in the next two to three weeks and he announced several initiatives to help the state get through the medical, financial and human crisis now underway, including a $5 million bailout of LRGHealthcare to keep the hospital doors open.
With New Hampshire National Guard Major General David A. Mikolaities, adjutant general, Sununu told the media on Friday during a news conference that “work around the clock” has led to over 1,600 beds ready if they are needed at these surge facilities with an overall hospital bed capacity of more than 5,000 in the Granite State.
The cost of the facilities will not be borne by municipalities, he assured, adding he hoped they would not be needed.
Mikolaities called it a “whole government approach” to the crisis over the past 14 days to build 14 facilities.
He said the first surge facility was built at the University of Southern New Hampshire and a number of stakeholders came together to make that happen, not just the National Guard. They are finishing the last of the facilities today and they will remain in the dark, but available at a moment’s notice to care for patients of COVID-19 in a place near their homes.
Sununu said he has been talking with other states, particularly in New England, about surge capacity.
“We are definitely ahead of the game,” Sununu said of New Hampshire.
Massachusetts, which as of April 2 has experienced at least 154 deaths to the virus and has 8,966 cases, is fortunately a “hospital hub” of the nation with plenty of beds and resources.
“As far as New England is concerned, I think we will be in a very good position,” Sununu said.
Sununu said Massachusetts, given its density and higher rates of infection, is likely going to be very far ahead of New Hampshire in terms of the surge.
“We think we will be about 10 days behind them,” he said, predicting Massachusetts to peak the third week of April while our predicted surge is the first week of May.
“We could be up in the higher eschelon for two or three weeks” with the peak sustaining itself for a while, Sununu said.
The southern part of the state may surge a lot earlier than the northern part of the state and “there may be no surge in the north,” he said hopefully.
“We hope it will be a bell curve,” with a rapid descent, but “there might be a long tail at the end,” Sununu said.
LRGHealthcare
Just as LRGHealthcare in Laconia announced plans Friday to furlough 500 of its
hospital and medical-care employees, Sununu announced a $5.25 million,
zero-interest loan to “keep the doors open.”
This will mean LRGH will only have to temporarily furlough some of its workers – about 40 percent in total – who will still be able to keep their benefits and be able to apply for expanded unemployment benefits, Sununu said.
He said this is the first award from $50 million made available from the Emergency Healthcare Relief Fund to help hospitals, not just with COVID-19 cases but with other needs as well. The Lakes Region health-care system had been dealing not only with the cancellation of elective surgeries due to preparations for COVID-19 but also had a high level of debt that forced the announced furlough on Friday in advance of the governor’s announcement.
Sununu said and that more than 200 health-care facilities have also applied for the rest of that $50 million.
Hike Local
Sununu said that most of the state’s 92 state parks and historic sites would remain open this weekend with the exception of state beaches.
“We have great parks,” said Sununu. “They are going to remain open but we really want …social distancing.”
If they have to close in the future because people are not adhering to social distancing guidelines by staying at least six feet away from each other to reduce the spread of the virus, the gates would close to everyone, not just out-of-staters, he said responding to a reporter’s question.
He urged out-of-staters to stay home. But if they come to their second homes here or rent long-term or stay with friends and family for the duration of the crisis, they should quarantine for the first 14 days, he said.
At the same time, he said, the state is presenting a challenge to citizens to explore their own town open spaces.
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is spearheading a “Local Hike Challenge” asking citizens to explore their own town forest and other outdoor opportunities and post their reviews online. A link to the program could not yet be found online.
Emergency Grocery Operations
Sununu said the state has been working with grocers and the grocery supply chain and later Friday he expected an announcement that an emergency operations center will open for the NH Grocers Association. The center will work to develop new practical guidelines to keep shoppers, staff, and stockers safe during the coronavirus.
One initiative is looking at capping occupancy in a grocery store to 50 percent. Another is to give more space in check-out lines and post reminders of social distancing. There are also plans to install plexiglass shields as much as possible for check-out workers to protect them from the transmission.
NH Banking Local
To help New Hampshire’s already financially strong banks with liquidity, Sununu announced that state government cash reserves will begin to flow into New Hampshire banks as early as next week and by as much as about $50 million to start.
“They are strong and in a position to help,” Sununu said. “We are moving a lot of our cash reserves in New Hampshire to be held in our New Hampshire banks” and hopefully offer more liquidity.
Distance Learning
New Hampshire’s schoolchildren have been distance learning for several weeks and the governor said it seems to be going pretty well.
“A lot of the teachers are adapting their curriculum,” and he gave credit to them and their new surrogates – parents and others.
Currently, the plan is to have schools closed until May 4 but Sununu said it is possible New Hampshire could go all the way to the end of the school year with distance learning at home.