Shopping malls, hair salons and golf courses reopened, and lawmakers made recommendations about spending New Hampshire’s coronavirus relief aid.
Details on the developments Monday:
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SHOPPING MALLS
Gov. Chris Sununu said he won’t hesitate to shut down shopping malls again if safety guidelines aren’t followed.
Monday was the first day that nonessential retail stores, hair salons and golf courses could reopen in New Hampshire under restrictions aimed at preventing spread of the coronavirus.
The Republican governor praised efforts by the Simon Property Group to enact safety measures at the Mall at Rockingham Park, the Pheasant Lane Mall, the Mall of New Hampshire and the Merrimack Outlets, but said the state will be closely monitoring them.
“I will not hesitate to reassess my position on allowing shopping malls to open if the guidance is not properly followed,” he wrote to the company’s president.
Mary Sawyer, a United Way of Greater Nashua volunteer, handed out 60 free masks in an hour to a steady stream of shoppers at the Pheasant Lane Mall. Most people were already wearing masks, she said.
“Of those who aren’t, the majority happily take a mask. Of course, some people are refusing or asking if it’s mandatory,” she said. “Some people have also said they’ve been reusing the same mask for a long time now and that they’re hard to find.”
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SPENDING DECISIONS
Lawmakers advising the governor on spending New Hampshire’s $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus relief aid made initial recommendations Monday totaling $345 million.
Together with the $255 million Sununu already has spent, the recommendations from the bipartisan legislative advisory board would account for about half the total the state must spend by Dec. 31.
The largest recommended portion is for health care, with $100,000 for hospitals, $20 million for long-term care facilities and $40 million for other providers.
An additional $100 million would go toward helping small and medium-size businesses, particularly those that did not receive federal loans to cover payroll during the pandemic.
Nonprofit organizations would get $30 million, along with $5 million for the New Hampshire Food Bank. The University System of New Hampshire would get $10 million, while the community college system would get half that amount, as would private colleges and universities.
Child care providers, including after school programs, would get $25,000.
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NURSING HOME WORKFORCE
Nursing homes struggling to retain workers during the pandemic could get help through an emergency order issued Monday.
The order creates a new job position of “temporary health partner” to help residents with tasks such as bathing and grooming, as well as providing end-of-life comfort.
There have been outbreaks at 18 long-term care facilities statewide, including new outbreaks reported Monday at the Hillsborough County Nursing Home and the Community Resources for Justice.
While deaths at such facilities account for more than three-quarters of the COVID-19 deaths in New Hampshire, they represent a smaller fraction of the state’s total nursing home population compared to some nearby states, said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette.
In Massachusetts, nearly 5% of nursing home residents have died, she said, compared with less than 1% in New Hampshire.
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SCHOOL PLANS
New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut on Monday announced the formation of a task force to provide recommendations on bringing back students into school this fall.
The School Transition Reopening and Redesign Taskforce plans to issue preliminary recommendations by June 30.
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THE NUMBERS
As of Monday, 3,160 people in New Hampshire had tested positive for the virus, an increase of 89 from the previous day. There have been at least 133 coronavirus-related deaths in the state.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
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