Today in New Hampshire and throughout our country there is tremendous human suffering due to the coronavirus infections and the shutdown of our economy.

Granite Staters continue to acquire COVID-19, many requiring intensive hospital treatment, some dying from the disease. The virus is likely to be with us for many more months, with a possible recurrent surge of infection during the upcoming flu season. At the same time, well over 120,000 of our citizens are newly unemployed with many now lacking health insurance.

In light of these realities, I respectfully make the following suggestions to Gov. Chris Sununu.

First, please support a bipartisan, public effort to assist House and Senate leadership to reopen our Legislature. We need to move on with the people’s business in accord with our state constitution.

Second, be more forceful by word and example in ordering all citizens to wear masks in public and practice social distancing. Your silence in the face of Reopen New Hampshire protesters disregarding social distancing puts all of us, particularly our first responders and front-line health workers at risk.

Third, as community transmission of COVID-19 continues throughout our state, New Hampshire desperately needs a substantial increase in ongoing testing for and tracking of the disease, not only for persons with symptoms of the virus, but for citizens living in congregate settings such as nursing homes and correctional facilities, as well as for health care workers, first responders, the elderly and large numbers of healthy individuals without risk factors.

Fourth, please direct the departments of Employment Security, Insurance and Health and Human Services to provide all recently unemployed citizens with instructions and assistance for obtaining affordable health insurance through Medicaid Expansion or the Affordable Care Act exchanges.

These proactive, bipartisan measures, governor, will support New Hampshire citizens’ efforts to resolve the pandemic and cope with the slow economic recovery ahead.

Newsletter