On Friday, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu extended his state of emergency declaration – originally issued March 13 – for another 21 days.

Further extension is necessary given that the pandemic has caused an unprecedented public health emergency and economic devastation, he wrote.

Among other things, the order continues expansion of unemployment benefit eligibility and protections against housing evictions and utility shutoffs.

This, of course, is a necessary step, given that the pandemic doesn’t seem to be subsiding in the Granite State.

On Saturday, officials with the Department of Health and Human Services announced seven addition COVID-19-related deaths and 69 new positive cases. This brings New Hampshire’s total to 1,787 totl cases and 60 deaths.

Several cases are still under investigation, officials said.

In neighboring Massachusetts, state health officials on Saturday announced an additional 174 coronavirus deaths, pushing the state’s total to more than 2,700.

The state also reported nearly 2,400 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total number of reported cases to more than 53,000.

While Sununu has yet to extend the stay-at-home order officially, that certainly is on the way soon.

Despite best efforts, cases still are rising sharply, with deaths seemingly escalating, as well.

We should not become complacent to this all-too-searious threat. Saturday, weather-wise, was a gorgeous day, and it showed with increased traffic throughout the area.

Getting out and getting fresh air and exercising is one thing – or even making a supply run to the grocery store – but relaxing and ignoring the stay-at-home order is dangerous.

We at The Telegraph want to see life return to normal as much as everyone else; however, doing so too early will put our citizenry in peril.

This is why we encourage the governor to extend the stay-at-home order for a few more weeks, so when we do return to normal we all will be safe from possible infection.

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