MANCHESTER — Approximately 91,000 pounds of personal protective equipment from China arrived in New Hampshire on the tarmac of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Sunday afternoon.
The shipment consisted of 6.6 million masks, 50,000 face shields and 24,000 Tyvek coveralls, according to Gov. Chris Sununu.
“The state of New Hampshire received a great Easter present this morning,” Sununu said during a press conference at the airport.
The State of New Hampshire purchased the entire $5 million shipment of PPE and will distribute supplies to “the areas of greatest need across the state,” officials said, like residential care facilities and hospitals. The state will not charge those that receive shipments.
“One month ago, New Hampshire wasn’t even in the business of PPE procurement, and today we secured 45 metric tons of this critical lifesaving equipment for our state,” Sununu said in a statement. “We worked around the clock, scoured the earth, and left no stone unturned to ensure New Hampshire has the resources it needs to combat this pandemic.”
Sununu said the effort was spearheaded by New Hampshire inventor Dean Kamen, creator of the Segway, who called on his connections with manufacturers in Asia and FedEx CEO and founder of Fred Smith.
FedEx’s cargo plane departed Shanghai, China, on Saturday night, stopped in Alaska on Sunday morning, and landed in Manchester around 3:45 p.m. The equipment will be transported throughout the state by the National Guard. It will be distributed based on need. Resources also may also be shared with surrounding states, Sununu said.
“We’ve gotten a couple of smaller shipments in, and those are wonderful, but today is truly a jumping-off point, not just for the state, but for all the individuals who can actually start benefiting from getting this PPE,” Sununu said. “We’re going to get it out the door as fast as we can.”
Statistics released Sunday by the state Health Department show Vermont has a total of nearly 730 cases of COVID-19. The number of deaths stand at 27. There are 34 people currently hospitalized.
New Hampshire officials announced 57 new positive test results for COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s total diagnosed cases up to 985. Rockingham County accounted for 31 of the new cases. One woman in Rockingham County died over the weekend. As of Sunday, 23 people had died in New Hampshire of COVID-19.
The Appalachian Mountain Club announced Sunday that any mountains summited between April 13 and continuing until stay-at-home orders are lifted throughout New England, will not count toward the completion of any of the organization’s various 4,000-footer lists.
Those lists include the White Mountain 4000-footer list (including the four-season award), the New England 4000-footer list, and the New England Hundred Highest list, AMC said.
“While we have been encouraged by the excellent response from the hiking community to the ‘hike low and local’ recommendation, we feel this additional step is necessary to address the large numbers of people who are not heeding the recommendation and continue to risk spreading the virus in communities that may not have the resources to deal with the result,” the AMC Four-Thousand Footer Club announced in a statement Sunday morning.
In addition to the risks posed to local mountain communities by hikers traveling from other areas, spring conditions on the trails are especially hazardous, AMC officials wrote.
“First responders may not be available should an accident occur, and would be potentially exposed to the virus if called out for a rescue,” the statement read.
The current stay-at-home orders are in effect through May 4 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts; May 15 in Vermont; and May 1 in Maine.
AMC officials asked that hikers do not go out in groups, that they avoid busy trailheads and practice social distancing with a minimum of six feet. Hikers should wash their hands before and after going out on trails. Hikers should not use shelters or privies; they are not sanitized and could facilitate the spread of the virus, they said.
“We are all in this together, and together we will get through it,” officials wrote. “Please stay safe and stay local. The mountains aren’t going anywhere.”
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, more than 150 New Hampshire guardsmen are assigned to support missions across the Granite State.
The citizen soldiers and airmen are serving communities on multiple fronts: They are visible working at alternate care sites, food banks and in warehouse management, sorting Strategic National Stockpile supplies.
But one small, centralized mission, tucked away in the basement cafeteria of the state Fire Academy, is making an impact of equal magnitude, officials say.
Nineteen airmen are working in the makeshift center, supervised by New Hampshire Employment Security, which has been fielding thousands of claims per day made by people in desperate need of unemployment benefits. As the unemployment rate rises, calls pour in from residents checking on pre-existing claims and from those experiencing difficulty applying online.
“Some people just need help applying,” said Senior Airman Connor Martin, a 23-year-old crew chief at Pease Air National Guard Base, who has been on state active duty at the center since the mission started April 2. “Some people don’t have access to a computer, so we have to do everything for them.”
Fielding these types of calls requires a certain mindset, Martin said.
“You’re going to get yelled at,” he said. “People are upset. People are distraught. But you have to understand that there’s a single mom with two kids on the other end of the line who’s lost her only source of income.”
Many of the service members taking calls are bilingual and able to assist callers in a variety of languages. Martin, for example, speaks Russian. He said the response from callers who feel like their needs are being met has been positive.
With the state under a stay-at-home order until May 4 to prevent the spread of the virus, a high call volume is projected to continue at the fire academy’s small cafeteria call center. Tens of thousands will need help applying for benefits.
“We’re trying to help these people get their money,” Martin said. “The war is here right now.”