By Kathy Mccormack, Holly Ramer And Lisa Rathke
Associated Press
In New Hampshire, any resident 16 years of age or older can register for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at vaccines.nh.gov or by telephone at 2-1-1. In Vermont, any resident 40 years of age or older or those 16 years of age or older who have chronic health conditions that put them at high risk of hospitalization or death can register for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at healthvermont.gov or by telephone at (855) 722-7878. You are also eligible for an appointment if you are: a health care worker, first responder, associated with long-term care, corrections officer, prison staff member, K-12 educator or onsite staff member, or child care staff member.
Here are the latest developments regarding the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic throughout New England:
New HampshireNew Hampshire will remove its residency requirement for the coronavirus vaccination starting April 19.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu had faced some criticism from Democrats and officials in college communities over the state’s initial decision to prohibit college students from other states other non-residents from being vaccinated in New Hampshire. But that restriction is being lifted because the state anticipates having plenty of doses to go around, Sununu said Thursday.
“We just have so much more availability, we’re gonna have a lot of vaccine here, so we want to get it out to anyone might be here in the state,” he said.
All New Hampshire residents age 16 and older have been eligible for the vaccine since April 2. About 60% of that population has either been vaccinated or has scheduled their shots, said Elizabeth Daley, chief of the state Bureau of Infectious Disease Control.
The numbers: More than 87,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 515 cases announced Thursday. One new death was announced, bringing the total to 1,251 in the state.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire has risen over the past two weeks from 334 new cases per day on March 24 to 415 new cases per day on Wednesday.
Vermont
Vermont plans to expand options for summer programs for kids using federal COVID-19 relief funding following a tough school year amid the pandemic, Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday.
A top priority is making the programs affordable and accessible, officials said.
“With the end of the pandemic in sight, we want to do whatever we can to give our kids a great summer to replace some of what they lost,” Scott said during his virus briefing.
The American Rescue Plan tripled funding over the next three years for summer, after-school and enrichment programs, and Vermont will get about $71 million for such programs, on top of the normal funding, said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who spoke at the briefing via video. He urged school districts to make the programs affordable or free.
“Every family in the state of Vermont, regardless of their income, should know that come this summer there are going to be really great programs available for their kids, and no matter what the income of that family is, those kids are going to be able to get into that program,” Sanders said.
Nonprofit organizations, community programs and school-community collaborative endeavors will be able to apply for grant funding to expand or create programs, with affordability and accessibility being priorities, said Deputy Education Secretary Heather Bouchey. More information is coming on how to apply for grants and who is eligible.
To help get the information out to students and families, the state has launched a website called Summer Matters with details about programs, summer jobs and a map showing where opportunities are available.
“We want every child and every adolescent to have access to something fun and engaging this summer,” Bouchey said, while encouraging school districts to collaborate with community groups in designing and offering enriching experiences.
“We know that everyone is tired and certainly needs a rest after navigating this year but this summer also presents a critical, critical opportunity for us to further assist students and their families in healing and well-being,” she said.
Loosening restrictions: Vermont is starting its phased reopening plan as more people get vaccinated with a goal of having only health guidance, and not mandates, by July 4.
Outdoor businesses, low- or no-contact professional services, farmers’ markets, retail operations and campgrounds moved to universal health guidance of masks and physical distancing on Friday.
Vermont’s travel guidance also changed, with a focus on COVID-19 testing instead of quarantining. Unvaccinated Vermonters returning to the state are now required to be tested within three days, and visitors can come to Vermont without quarantining as long as they have a negative test within three days of arriving. Vaccinated people can continue to travel without restrictions.
The numbers: Vermont reported 145 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, for a statewide total of more than 20,800.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont has risen over the past two weeks from 138.29 on March 24 to 163.71 on April 7.
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