CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Plymouth State University is the latest higher education institution in New Hampshire to go back to online classes because of a growing number of student COVID-19 cases.
The university said Tuesday it has just about run out of quarantine and isolation space. All campus events, including athletic competitions, have been canceled, and all gatherings have been limited to no more than six people. On-campus dining services are limited to takeout only, and on-campus students may not visit residence halls where they don't live.
All restrictions are in place until at least Sunday.
The University of New Hampshire, which enacted similar restrictions due to a spike in cases there, reported 428 infected students Tuesday and five faculty or staff. Nearly 630 others were under quarantine.
In other coronavirus-related developments in New Hampshire:
EMERGENCY ORDERS
Nearly two dozen provisions included in the governor’s pandemic related emergency orders would become law under a bill before a Senate committee Wednesday.
The bill seeks to codify 23 emergency measures into law. Several relate to schools, including the authorization of emergency remote or hybrid learning, reimbursing school bus owners for delivering meals, and temporarily expanding eligibility for one-year teaching certificates. Another section of the bill would protect summer camps that temporarily shut down or limited operations because of the pandemic from permanent closure for running afoul of zoning ordinances.
Other provisions focus on municipal government, including measures related to postponing town meetings or elections, the swearing in of local officers and the use of electronic records by local governing bodies. Nearly all would be effective only until Jan. 31, 2022.
Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, sponsored the bill at the request of Gov. Chris Sununu.
“There's been a lot of discussion about emergency powers. This does give the Legislature the opportunity to weigh in on the emergency powers and consider them through this legislation, knowing that it will be effective, if passed as as, for less than one year,” he told the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee.
The bill drew opposition from residents who oppose the emergency orders and said they should not be codified in law.
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THE NUMBERS
Nearly 72,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 379 cases announced Wednesday that included partial numbers for previous days. The count also includes others that date back to November. Twelve new deaths were announced, bringing the total to 1,148.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire decreased over the past two weeks, going from 459 new cases per day on Feb. 2 to 328 new cases per day on Tuesday.