New Hampshire’s pandemic state of emergency ends

By Holly Ramer and Wilson Ring
Associated Press
All U.S. adults are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. To register for a vaccine appointment in New Hampshire, please visit vaccines.nh.gov or call 2-1-1. To register for a vaccine appointment in Vermont, please visit healthvermont.gov or call (855) 722-7878.

Here are the latest developments regarding the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic throughout New England:

New HampshireNew Hampshire’s nearly 15-month state of emergency ended Friday night.

Sununu first declared a state of emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic on March 13, 2020. He renewed it every three weeks until two weeks ago, when he indicated he would let it expire June 11 at midnight. The state will operate under a “public health incident” model, he said, but in general, a declared emergency is no longer necessary to manage the pandemic.

“We’ve kind of checked all the boxes and we feel very confident that moving away from it tomorrow still keeps us in a very strong position,” he said.

Sununu thanked public health officials as well as citizens for volunteering during the pandemic, getting vaccinated and balancing safety with maintaining a strong economy.

“The last six months have really gone pretty much as well as we possibly could have expected,” he said. “It’s a big deal.”

Vaccine slowdown: With supply exceeding demand, New Hampshire ordered only half of its allotment of vaccine last week and none this week, health officials said.

Beth Daly, chief of the bureau of infectious disease control, said the state has access to about 50,000 doses per week. It hasn’t sent any back to the federal government, but it cut its order by half last week and didn’t order any this week, she said.

To date, 700,000 people are fully vaccinated in the state, and another 817,000 have received their first dose, she said.

The state’s supply includes about 10,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that were due to expire in the next 10 to 14 days. Though the drug manufacturer said Thursday that U.S. regulators extended the expiration date by six weeks, Sununu said that may not be enough.

“I have doubt that some of it is ultimately going to go bad because we just don’t have that kind of demand right now,” he said.

The company said a Food and Drug Administration review concluded the shots remain safe and effective for at least 4 1/2 months. In February, the FDA originally authorized J&J’s vaccine for up to three months when stored at normal refrigeration levels.

Statehouse complex to reopen: The New Hampshire Statehouse will reopen to the public Monday after being closed for nearly 15 months during the coronavirus pandemic.

With the governor’s state of emergency declaration expiring Friday night, officials are required to provide the public with physical access to committee of conference meetings during which lawmakers reconcile House and Senate versions of legislation passed this session, House Speaker Sherm Packard said Friday.

The Statehouse and Legislative Office Building will be open to the public on Monday to accommodate that requirement, “and take a big step forward in our ongoing return to normal operations,” Packard said in a message in the House calendar.

Remote access will continue to be provided, and the public is strongly encouraged to view the livestreams as room capacity will be limited and standing will not be allowed.

Packard, R-Londonderry, became speaker in January, following the death of fellow Republican Dick Hinch, who died of COVID-19 in December a week after being sworn in. While the 24-member Senate has met several times inside the Statehouse during the pandemic, the 400-member House has met at the UNH ice arena, outside on an athletic field, from their cars in a parking lot, and more recently, inside a Bedford athletic complex.

The numbers: More than 99,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 44 cases announced Friday. No new deaths were announced, keeping the total at 1,360.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire decreased over the past two weeks, going from 75 new cases per day on May 26 to 29 new cases per day on Wednesday.

VermontThe state of Vermont is moving closer toward its goal of vaccinating 80% of the eligible population, a goal that, when reached, will result in the state lifting all restrictions imposed to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, the state reported more than 725 people received their first vaccine Thursday, leaving the state at 79.8%, just under 1,370 vaccines short of of reaching the goal.

To reach the goal the state has scheduled numerous walk-in clinics across Vermont this weekend to help the state reach the goal.

When Vermont hits the 80% threshold, Gov. Phil Scott will lift all remaining restrictions that were imposed because of the pandemic.

Locations where people can get vaccinated are listed on the website of the Vermont Department of Health. In addition to those locations, many Vermont pharmacies are also offering COVID-19 vaccinations without appointments.

“Every person we get vaccinated not only puts us closer to our 80% goal but also puts us in a better position for the fall when we know cases may rise,” Scott said in a statement. “The more people vaccinated means even if that occurs, we can continue to see minimal hospitalizations and deaths, keep variants at bay and keep the pandemic phase of COVID in the rearview mirror.”

Food insecurity: Advocates for homeless Vermonters and people facing food insecurity are urging Scott to delay fully lifting the emergency order used during the COVID-19 pandemic because it authorizes federal aid to the vulnerable communities.

A letter signed by representatives of 130 organizations and businesses across the state says the economic impact of COVID-19 remains widespread.

Levels of hunger have not decreased in the past year, an eviction crisis still looms and housing insecurity disproportionately affects families with children and Vermonters who are members of minority communities, the advocates say.

Scott’s office says they are likely to issue a separate executive order to retain the initiatives that help the vulnerable. They expect to release more details Tuesday.

U of Vermont to require vaccines: The University of Vermont announced Wednesday it would require that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 when at least one of the vaccines currently in use has received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

The school said the requirement would apply to all students entering or returning in the fall of 2021.

The school says officials consulted with public health and infectious disease experts before reaching the decision.

They say a fully vaccinated student population is the best way to protect the health of students, employees and the broader Burlington community against COVID-19.

A number of private colleges in Vermont have already said they will require vaccinations for students this fall.

The numbers: On Friday, the Vermont Health Department reported seven new cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to 24,320.

There were two patients hospitalized with COVID-19, including one in intensive care.

The number of deaths remains at 256.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 22.29 new cases a day on May 26 to 10.57 new cases a day on Wednesday.

The Associated Press is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the United States.