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Democrats say governor, administration not doing enough to support vaccination effort
With vaccination rates lagging and COVID-19 cases climbing in New Hampshire, a group of Democratic lawmakers and public health advocates called on Gov. Chris Sununu to step up the state’s push to get more residents immunized. Promoting videos of himself and public health officials urging residents to get vaccinated is not enough, they said. “In […]
Hospital association supports mandating vaccinations for health care workers
The New Hampshire Hospital Association called Tuesday for mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers in hospitals and all health care settings, citing state data showing unvaccinated people make up 99 percent of COVID-19 cases and 98 percent of COVID-19 deaths. “The COVID-19 vaccine prevents people from becoming seriously ill, requiring hospitalization, or dying from […]
School leaders carry a heavy burden as they prepare to welcome back students
With the Delta variant spreading, vaccination rates plateauing, and mask-wearing increasingly divisive, school leaders have an unenviable job this year: write pandemic safety plans using inconsistent public health guidance and interpret local transmission rates to decide when to scale up or scale down safety measures, such as masks. Then, they must sell it to staff, […]
Contracts aim to address shortage of mental health crisis beds in state
State health officials have long said the shortage of mental health crisis beds at the state hospital is a “back door” problem, meaning there are too few places to discharge patients who are ready to leave but still need some care. That backup would be reduced under tentative agreements the state Department of Health and […]
For many in New Hampshire, earned income tax credit is a missed opportunity
The “earned income tax credit” is a big tax break that could use a better name. One in four eligible New Hampshire residents failed to claim it in 2018, giving up nearly $50 million, a problem many attribute to poor marketing by the IRS. There are fears those numbers will grow this year under expanded […]
American Rescue Plan money setting town and city projects in motion
This story was updated July 29, 2021 at 3 p.m. with information about Claremont’s plans for its federal aid. Nearly 70 New Hampshire cities and towns have received the first half of the nearly $112 million coming to them as part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed in May. Sixty others have submitted requests […]
Latest UNH poll shows opposition to state’s new abortion ban is growing
Opposition to the state’s new 24-week abortion ban, which mandates ultrasounds and carries criminal penalties for doctors who violate it, grew by 10 percentage points in a month, according to the UNH Survey Center’s most recent Granite State Poll. The ban has gotten significantly more attention in the last four weeks, and new wording in […]
In push for pricing transparency, state’s hospitals stumble
This story was updated June 27, 2021 at 8 a.m. to include a comment from HCA NH, which includes Frisbie Memorial Hospital, Parkland Medical Center, and Portsmouth Regional Hospital. Under a new federal law, hospitals are required to post prices for hundreds of procedures on their websites and make those costs easy for patients to […]
Sununu signs ‘immunization freedom’ bill into law
This story was updated June 26 at 8:30 p.m. to clarify that the state can continue mandating immunizations but has not added the COVID-19 vaccination to its required immunizations. With less than 50 percent of the country fully vaccinated, California and New York City announced Monday that all public workers will be required to get […]
As end to federal eviction moratorium approaches, relief applications pile up
With the federal moratorium on evictions ending July 31, there are more than 3,000 rental relief applications pending and about $175 million still available to tenants who need help with utilities, heat, rent, internet, and other housing bills, according to the program’s website. Marta Hurgin, a lawyer with 603 Legal Aid, said her office is […]
Here’s what you need to know about the monthly child tax credit payments
Big changes to the child tax credit, especially new monthly payments for each child, have made child care bills, rent, and car repairs easier to cover. But they’ve also triggered questions among parents and even fears that the government will try to recoup the money, as the state did with some unemployment benefits. “A lot […]
Officials report 22 current hospitalizations, three deaths this week related to COVID-19
Over 99 percent of COVID-19 deaths in a several-state study over the last six months were unvaccinated people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported the number while urging more people to get vaccinated. In New Hampshire, that data is not being closely tracked for deaths or hospitalizations, Gov. Chris Sununu […]