HANOVER — Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Dartmouth College received an all-time high of more than 28,000 undergraduate applications this year, according to the provost.
Undergraduate applications to Dartmouth are up 32% over the prior year, while applications for graduate programs also were up about 16%, Dartmouth Provost Joseph Helble said in a virtual community conversation on Feb. 3.
The college attributed the jump in applications to its digital recruitment initiatives, as well as the pandemic-related decision to pause the college’s standardized testing requirement for one year and Dartmouth’s promise to meet the financial need of accepted applicants. Admissions decisions are set to be released on April 6.
On Wednesday, Helble announced that the college will not relax its travel policies this summer, so study abroad programs will not take place. During another virtual community conversation, Helble attributed this decision to the slowness of the vac cine rollout nationwide, as well as emerging more-infectious variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. He said he was “hopeful” that travel programs might resume in the fall should the vaccine rollout accelerate over the summer.
He also announced that the college has delayed course selection for the fall, which usually takes place in the spring, until the summer to allow the college to plan for a return to more normal operations.
As of Tuesday, the college was down to just four active cases of COVID-19, including one student case and three employees, according to the school’s virus dashboard. Seven members of the Dartmouth community were in quarantine and 15 in isolation.
CLAREMONT — Two Claremont schools shifted to remote learning after school officials identified five COVID-19 cases affecting the city’s schools, according to the assistant superintendent.
Disnard Elementary School students will be learning remotely on Thursday after one case was identified there, Assistant Superintendent Donna Magoon said in a Wednesday message to families. In addition, Stevens High School will shift to remote learning for the remainder of this week after two cases were identified there, Magoon wrote.
Though Magoon said there were two cases at Claremont Middle School, it was slated to remain open for in-person learning on Thursday.
In advance of the district’s upcoming vacation, Magoon asked that students, families and employees remain in New England, avoid large gatherings and otherwise adhere to safety precautions. COVID-19 cases in Claremont have dipped to about 30 of late, after a high of more than 100 last month.
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Springfield Hospital is hiring per diem workers to staff its COVID-19 vaccination clinics, according to a job posting.
The hospital in southern Windsor County is looking for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and emergency medical technicians with current licenses in Vermont. Candidates must be able to perform injections, assess for signs and symptoms of reactions to the shots, and evaluate vital signs.
Elsewhere in the Upper Valley, the White River Junction VA Medical Center on Saturday gave out 400 first doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine during a walk-in clinic for veterans enrolled in VA care. No other walk-in clinics were scheduled as of Wednesday, spokeswoman Katherine Tang said.
Veterans can still get vaccinations through appointments, she said. More information is available online at https://www.whiteriver.va. gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp or by calling 866-687-8387.
CONCORD — The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services received nearly $20 million from the federal government as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to support child care programs across the state, according to a news release.
The DHHS Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration will distribute the funds to family child care providers, child care centers and license-exempt individual providers to support their operations as they continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the release from Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s office.
The money will be distributed based on a formula that factors in the number of classrooms in a child care center; the number of staff directly serving children and families; percentage of children receiving a state subsidy; and programs’ support to vulnerable families and those working in sectors such as health care, long-term care, hospitality and retail.
The money is intended to help programs pay employee wages and one-time bonuses; staff development or training; and tuition and fees, as well as to address lost income, increased operating and occupancy costs, and to purchase materials and supplies. The application and additional information will be available on March 1 at https://www.nh-connections.org/covid-19/financial-resources/.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
