Details

Written by Patrick R. McElhiney

Category: Articles

Published: 23 March 2020

DURHAM, N.H.— As the coronavirus continues to spread keeping schools across the country closed, children from elementary to high school are transitioning to virtual learning that can be done safely at home. Teachers have been tasked with preparing online lessons and students and parents may be facing apprehension moving into a brave new world of education. But experts at the University of New Hampshire say the most important thing to do is to take a deep breath and stay calm.

“We’re in uncharted territory,” said Alecia Magnifico, an associate professor of English. “Nothing like COVID-19 has happened in our lifetime and the last pandemic like this was over 100 years ago, so no one is really prepared for all these quick changes in everyday life. We have to give ourselves a little grace and trust our educators.”

Schools across the country will have varied teaching styles depending on age groups, course topics and accessibility to technology. A survey by the Pew Research Center shows issues of technology inequity with roughly only 60 percent of rural Americans saying they have access to high-speed internet at home. Bethany Silva, research assistant professor of education and director of the Community Literacy Center at UNH said in the wake of the coronavirus, parents may even see differences in online learning expectations among their own children – something she’s experienced in her own household.

“My husband is a teacher, and his school has an online class for a specific block of time each day, while my son’s school has a series of activities that he’s expected to complete at some point that fits his schedule,” said Silva.

Magnifico and Silva, who work together researching how informal learning interaction can impact and enhance classroom learning say no matter what lies ahead, there are several steps families can take to make this a rich and rewarding experience.​

·  Maintain a routine to help children thrive

·  It’s OK to think outside the box. Have fun with the schedule – different children have different needs. Maybe allow for TV time during the day if it keeps everyone more productive. Save evenings for board and card games – also good literacy/math activities

·  Take breaks – both parents and kids

·  Get up and move – go for a walk, try YouTube Yoga, have a house dance party!

·  Supplement curriculum with extra activities to enhance learning experiences. For example Journaling or reading stories – especially for younger children

·  Remember playtime is important for learning too

“Take advantage of the fact that kids are home and try a little place-based learning,” says Silva. “For example, children and parents can track the signs of spring in their outside spaces, which is a great science activity. When it’s warm enough, they can bring paper and keep a field journal of what they see – while practicing safe social distancing, of course.”

Right now, most children will be craving connection with other kids more than anything else. For younger kids, try a group storytime (one parent reading on Skype or Zoom), or for older kids and teens maybe arrange a group hangout through videoconferencing. “There are all kinds of informal learning opportunities they can connect through like writing fanfiction sites where they can discuss their favorite books or authors and even share their experience through creative writing,” said Magnifico. “The key to remember is that there are all different ways to learn.”

The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea, and space. 

Details

Written by Patrick R. McElhiney

Category: Articles

Published: 23 March 2020

CONCORD – U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray of the District of New Hampshire today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  The public also can report fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, Attorney General William Barr has directed U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus fraud schemes.

“During this national emergency, a small number of cruel and self-serving individuals are seeking to profit from the public’s fear of COVID-19,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “There are reports of fraudsters selling counterfeit products and fake cures or setting up malicious websites in order to take advantage of people who are attempting to protect themselves from the virus. Such criminal exploitation will not be tolerated and will receive the full attention of federal law enforcement. I urge anyone who becomes aware of this type of fraud to report it. We will work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to end these despicable schemes and bring the criminals to justice.”

In addition to the NCDF hotline, citizens also can report fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov.

“With the outbreak of COVID-19, scammers have found a platform that preys on people’s fears and could make them more likely to be victimized,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “We want you to help us stop these fraudsters by reporting suspicious activity, fraud, and attempted fraud at ic3.gov.  We also want you to avoid falling prey to these scams. So don't click on links within emails from senders you don't recognize, always independently verify the information originates from a legitimate source, never supply your login credentials or financial data in response to an email, and visit websites by inputting their domains manually. By working together, we can help stop this type of activity."

Some examples of the fraudulent schemes related to COVID-19 include:

• Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
• Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
• Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
• Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.      

In a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen also directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness activities.   The District of New Hampshire Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator is Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter.  AUSA Hunter can be reached through the main number at the U.S. Attorney’s Office – (603) 225-1552.

The NCDF can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes.  The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state Attorneys General and local authorities.

To find more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Details

Written by Patrick R. McElhiney

Category: Articles

Published: 23 March 2020

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) today announced that in light of recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention around social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Hampshire Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program has received authorization from the US Department of Agriculture to conduct all appointments by phone.

Individuals can apply for assistance by contacting their local WIC office, and find the office closest to them at http://signupwic.com. All appointment types, including certifications and follow up appointments, can be completed by phone. Residents who have a scheduled WIC appointment should keep it and expect a phone call from their local WIC office.

The WIC program provides nutrition education and support to help keep pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and preschool children healthy and strong, and all New Hampshire WIC offices are working to ensure that clients continue to get the services they need with minimal disruption.

To learn more about the WIC program, please visit https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/wic/index.htm. Families having difficulty getting through to their local WIC office are encouraged to leave a detailed voice message or call the WIC State Agency 1-800-942-4321.

Details

Written by Patrick R. McElhiney

Category: Articles

Published: 22 March 2020

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 22, 2020, on the new coronavirus, COVID-19. DHHS will continue to issue COVID-19 updates each day to provide media and the public with current information about the State’s efforts.

New COVID-19 Cases in New Hampshire

On Sunday, March 22, 2020, DHHS announced 13 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 78 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. The new cases are all adults, including nine males and four females. The 13 new cases reside in Rockingham (3), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (3), Strafford (2), Grafton (1), Manchester (1), Belknap (1), Carroll (1), and Sullivan (1) counties. This is the first positive case of COVID-19 identified in Sullivan County. Eight of the new cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Five of the cases have no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission has been identified in the majority of the counties in the State. Nine new cases are isolating at home. Two of the new cases are currently hospitalized and one was hospitalized and released; thus far, six patients out of the 78 positive cases (8%) have been hospitalized.

DHHS is also updating the county of residence for a case announced on March 20. DHHS has since determined that the county of residence was Grafton County rather than Coos County. The map issued today reflects this new information.

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(updated March 22, 2020, 9:00 AM)

NH Persons with COVID-191	78
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL2	889
Total Persons Tested at NH PHL3	2341
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time)	850

1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL). Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.

3Includes specimens sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.

NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive

For more information, please visit the DHHS COVID-19 webpage at https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/2019-ncov.htm.