Gov. Chris Sununu reached out to New Hampshire residents Tuesday with ways they can help as the state prepares for a long fight against the novel coronavirus.
Sununu and Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette outlined several ways that residents can volunteer, including providing or supporting health care and helping ensure that hospitals are stocked with personal protective equipment.
"We need more volunteers to step up and help mitigate this pandemic," Sununu said.
He explained that New Hampshire, which topped 100 coronavirus cases as of Monday with one death, may not see its peak number of cases for several weeks.
Here's the information on volunteering, as released by Sununu's office.
NHResponds.org: This effort will serve as a secure online registration system for medical and non-medical volunteers who can quickly mobilize if needed. NHResponds is part of a nationwide volunteer management system that was established after 9/11 to get medical professionals quickly, and properly deploy them during a public health emergency or disaster.
VolunteerNH.org: New Hampshire is blessed to have many amazing non-profits which do critical work 365 days a year – and especially in times like these. Individuals interested in volunteering for a local non-profit can visit volunteernh.org to be connected with an organization in their area.
NHEconomy.com/PPEHelp: This portal will allow for all businesses to see what products the State needs, and reach out to offer assistance. The State has already heard from nearly 100 companies who are ready to adapt and adjust their operations to provide the protection, equipment, and knowledge base to stop the spread of COVID19 by either donating or producing PPE.
The fatal case announced Monday was a man over the age of 60 from Hillsborough County.
On Tuesday, state health officials announced that 7 more people in New Hampshire had tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 108. Thirteen of those people had been hospitalized.
They also issued a warning for anyone who rode certain Concord Coach Lines buses earlier this month to monitor themselves for coronavirus symptoms and isolate if they see them. The buses are:
- March 11: 3:15 a.m. bus from Concord, N.H. – Boston Express Londonderry – South Station – Boston Logan Airport
- March 13: 5:40 p.m. bus from Boston Logan Airport – South Station – Concord, N.H. – Tilton – Plymouth – Lincoln – Littleton
- March 14: 5:00 a.m. bus from Concord, N.H. – Boston Express Londonderry – Boston Express Salem – South Station – Boston Logan Airport
- March 16: 1:40 p.m. bus from Boston Logan Airport – South Station – Concord, N.H.
Also Tuesday, Sununu visited Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, where a "clinical flex area" was created to house overflow patients in case hospitals exceed capacity.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig tweeted a photo of the flex area Tuesday.
The majority of cases in New Hampshire have been related to domestic or international travel. However, officials say some patients had no "clearly identified" contact with people with confirmed cases of coronavirus or who had traveled, adding that community transmission was occurring in parts of the state.
Sununu on Monday urged people to practice social distancing and said if this didn't happen on a widespread basis, "further action may be necessary to ensure the health and safety of our neighbors."
New Hampshire was the fourth New England state to report a death connected to the outbreak, following Connecticut, Vermont and Massachusetts.
