New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has ordered all hotels and short-term rentals to stop providing services for vacations and other “leisurely purposes” due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The hotels can still provide housing for essential health care workers, first responders, state-approved quarantining accommodations for individuals and victims of domestic and sexual violence, the governor announced Monday.
The order also applies to companies such as Airbnb that allow short-term rentals of homes and apartments.
“People are healthier at home and in their home state,” Sununu said. “We look forward to welcoming you back in New Hampshire as this public crisis is abated.”
Anyone who is currently in the state on vacation will be allowed to stay until their reservation ends, Sununu said.
The governor also extended orders that limit gatherings to less than 10 and limited restaurants to takeout or pick up orders until May 4.
The number of New Hampshire residents that tested positive for the virus increased by 46 to 715 total cases, with 103 in the hospital, according to state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. Of those who have tested positive 192 are health care workers, according to Lori Shibinette, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Nine people have died from coronavirus-related complications.
But more people may have the virus, Chan said.
“Not everybody with symptoms of COVID-19 currently are being tested,” Chan said. “We are working to certainly improve testing capacity, but health care providers may appropriately recommend that people with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 who are not otherwise in need of emergency medical attention can and should often times be managed and isolated at home so they are not exposing other people.”
The state will receive tests that can give results in 15 minutes instead of days, Shibinette said.
“That testing device is going to change how we respond to this virus in our state,” she said. “It’s going to help us keep our citizens safe. It’s going to help us keep our health care workforce safe.”
Sununu said he thinks the state has done well in securing personal protective equipment (PPE) because the competition for it is fierce. When the state will see a surge in cases has not been determined, he said.
“Hopefully later in the week we’ll talk a little more about our modeling, where we see the surge and what the numbers will potentially look like,” Sununu said. “And based on that we can determine what we think our true need of PPE will be.”
