By Holly Ramer And Lisa Rathke
Associated Press
Here are the latest developments regarding the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic throughout New England:
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a step closer to getting back to pre-pandemic life with the closing of its emergency and information centers, and its state-run vaccination sites on Wednesday.
The State Emergency Operations Center, which was activated on March 13, 2020, procured and distributed 42 million items of personal protective equipment; supported testing and vaccination missions; coordinated quarantine and isolation for first responders and health care workers; and analyzed data, among other functions.
The Joint Information Center, which opened on March 9, 2020, was a central point of contact for news media and coordinated incident information during large-scale emergencies.
“With minimal community transmission, we no longer find ourselves in an immediate emergency situation,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement.
The COVID Call Center remains available daily from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. by calling 2-1-1 or 603-271-5980 if people live near a bordering state.
Also, all of the state-managed COVID-19 vaccination sites are closing Wednesday. The vaccine is still being offered at doctor’s offices, clinics, and pharmacies.
The numbers: More than 99,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 28 cases announced Wednesday. One new death was reported, for a total at 1,372.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire decreased over the past two weeks, going from 33 new cases per day on June 14 to 19 new cases per day on Monday.
Vermont
The state and Vermont Legal Aid are giving people who are facing a loss of emergency hotel rooms 14 days to show they can remain eligible for emergency housing, officials said Wednesday.
The agreement, signed Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss, came a day after Legal Aid sued the state over the end of the emergency program set up to help the homeless during the pandemic.
The program was to have stricter eligibility requirements starting Thursday about who will be able to stay in state-supplied hotel rooms.
Current beneficiaries may still choose a $2,500 one-time payment.
The lawsuit alleges the state’s changes violate Vermont law and have a restrictive definition of what qualifies as a disability. About 700 people could lose their hotel rooms.
“On July 1, hundreds of Vermonters with disabilities will be ousted from their motel shelter to live in vans, barns, campsites, and our city streets,” said Vermont Legal Aid Staff Attorney Mairead O’Reilly. “Our clients are anxious and fearful about what comes next, and our local communities are scrambling to develop the infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of this population.”
O’Reilly said there is a more responsible and lawful way for the state to transition from the pandemic-era emergency housing program, which would exclude a large population of people who also experience substance use disorders and mental health disabilities.
The program has a price tag of more than $100 million. Gov. Phil Scott and other administration officials say the program isn’t sustainable, but the state has expanded housing eligibility from before the pandemic.
“We feel as though we have protections in place, we have taken steps to ensure that people are protected that are coming out of the program,” Scott during the regular Tuesday virus briefing. “It has expanded tremendously since pre-pandemic.”
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said the state expanded the definition of disability and they are giving homeless Vermonters $2,500 stipends and up to $8,000 for housing assistance.
“We’re not dropping services for people, we’re wrapping services around people to help them in this transition,” he said.
The numbers: On Wednesday the Vermont Department of Health reported four new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to more than 24,400.
There were seven people hospitalized, including two 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 6.29 new cases per day on June 14 to 5.00 new cases per day on June 28.
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