InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/tag/benjamin-chan/)
The state Department of Health and Human Services issued a Health Alert Wednesday to medical providers, but not to the general public, warning about increased respiratory virus activity and the expectation that COVID-19 levels will increase in the coming weeks.
The state moved closer to the construction of a new behavioral health hospital in south-central New Hampshire when the legislative Fiscal Committee voted unanimously Friday to use $15 million in federal funds in a deal with SolutionHealth, a partnership of the Elliot and Southern New Hampshire hospitals.
The BA.2 Omicron variant of COVID-19 accounts for fewer than 10 percent of the infections in New Hampshire, according to state epidemiologist Dr. Ben Chan.
With the number of new COVID-19 cases doubling in a week to about 2,500 a day across the state, Gov. Chris Sununu announced that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain and said hospitalizations will likely continue to be very high for the next two months.
Gov. Chris Sununu said the nine people arrested after being disruptive at the Executive Council meeting earlier Wednesday showed the line of civility has moved in the state as people debate vaccine mandates and federal funding to help with COVID-19 vaccinations.
The state is shifting its COVID-19 vaccine media focus and spokesmen away from political figures like Gov. Chris Sununu to citizens who have received the benefits of receiving the shots, the Executive Council was told on Wednesday.
Parents anticipating a continuation of mask mandates in the Newfound Area School District came to the Aug. 9 school board meeting to protest the school reopening plan, but Superintendent Pierre Couture announced that, contrary to the draft plan posted on the district’s website, “it’s pretty much back to normal.”
State health and education officials are panning the Centers for Disease Control’s latest guidance for opening schools for in-person instruction, saying the new federal recommendations would hold New Hampshire schools back.
Gov. Chris Sununu announced shortening COVID-19 quarantine time, criticized House Republican leaders for lack of transparency related to exposure to the virus Nov. 20, and outlined how the state will prioritize the first shipments of vaccine when they arrive in a matter of days.