CONCORD (AP) — Leaders in New Hampshire state government are preparing for further fallout from the coronavirus, moving to shore up state finances and delay legislative deadlines if necessary.

Municipal officials, meanwhile, scrambled to decide whether to postpone their annual meetings to set school and town budgets. Those typically involve hundreds of people gathered in one room, and many are scheduled for Saturday. At least one town, Loudon, rescheduled its meeting to March 28.

The latest developments about the state’s efforts to contain the virus that causes COVID-19:

THE NUMBERS

Six people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in New Hampshire: Three men in Grafton County and three men in Rockingham County. Nearly 300 people are being monitored by the state.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and the vast majority of people recover. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

The state has set up a hotline for residents who have concerns about COVID-19. Those who call 2-1-1 can reach specialists who will refer them to appropriate resources.

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TOWN MEETINGS

About 140 towns hold annual meetings at which voters come together to debate and decide spending for the next year and other matters. Many of those meetings are set for Saturday, as are similar meetings to settle school district budgets.

The state can’t force such meetings to be canceled or postponed, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Friday. But state law allows town moderators to postpone elections or town meetings under certain circumstances, including an “emergency” that they believe would render the gathering place unsafe.

The attorney general’s office issued a memo to moderators Friday urging them to consult with their town’s legal counsel before postponing any meetings. It also noted that those who decide to postpone must inform voters by posting notices on town websites, at the meeting place and other public places.

Margaret Byrnes, director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, said her office began hearing from multiple communities soon after the memo went out.

“It’s starting to happen,” she said. “It’s starting to unfold now that we’re seeing this advice.”

A notice on the town website in Loudon said Saturday’s town meeting would be held March 28 instead, but cautioned that it could be postponed again.

Though the memo mentioned only town meetings, officials said the same laws apply to school meetings.

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FINANCIAL FALLOUT

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Friday the state must take action to ensure budget remains balanced in the face of a likely decline in revenue due to the new coronavirus.

In a letter to the legislative fiscal committee, Sununu said he will ask some department heads to immediately cut expenses in the coming days. Other departments will get guidance on how to identify savings through phased implementation of programs and other methods. He said while he intends to continue funding core and critical programs and services, the state must prepare for disruptions in travel and tourism, trade and business revenues.

“It would be financial malpractice to wait until revenues decline so substantially that even greater cuts would be necessary,” he wrote.

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AT THE STATEHOUSE

March 26 is “crossover day” — the last day for the House and Senate to act on bills that originated in their chambers, but both bodies have amended their rules to delay their deadlines if necessary due the spread of the virus.

The changes were approved Thursday, when House lawmakers stayed for a marathon 19-hour session to meet a separate deadline to act on roughly 150 bills that had been handled by only one committee.

Elsewhere, concerns about the coronavirus are starting to disrupt legislative business in state capitols across the country. Several chambers have canceled sessions for next week, including those in Delaware, Illinois and Missouri. Officials at other state capitols are urging the public to stay away while they work.

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PEACE BE WITH YOU

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester has asked parishioners to not attend Mass if they are sick or need to care for someone who is sick, especially those experiencing respiratory symptoms or fever. It also has suspended the “sign of peace” and administering Holy Communion via the chalice during Mass, and has suspended coffee socials after Mass.

Similarly, the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire also is asking members who feel ill to stay home. It also is urging clergy to use packaged communion wafers instead of homemade bread and to not offer communion wine.

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CANCELLATIONS

The St. Patrick’s Parade in Manchester, set for March 29, has been canceled.

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