COVID-19 in New Hampshire: What you need to know – WMUR Manchester

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WITH BREAKING NEWS. GOVERNOR SUNUNU IS UPDATING THE STATE RESPONSE. GOV. SUNUNU: A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS TO UPDATE, DR. CHAN WILL TALK ABOUT THE UPDATES, A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND A LOT GOING ON ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO COVID. A FEW MINUTES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO COME OUT THIS AFTERNOON, I WAS ON A CALL WITH THE C.E.O. OF PFIZER AND A HANDFUL OF OVER GOVERNORS JUST DISCUSSING LOGISTICS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE PREVIOUS AND NOW CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE DIFFERENT STAGES OF PROMISES IN TERMS OF WHAT MAY BE DELIVERED IN TERMS OF VACCINE, ESPECIALLY OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, THAT’S REALLY WHERE WE’RE MOST FOCUSED RIGHT NOW. IF ANYTHING ABOUT WASHINGTON AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THEY TEND TO OVERPROMISE AND UNDERDELIVER, SO A FEW OF US GOVERNORS DECIDED TO GO RIGHT TO THE SOURCE. WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THINGS SEEM TO BE VERY MUCH ON TRACK, ESPECIALLY WITH PFIZER. WE HEAR THE SAME THROUGH MODERNA AS WELL. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE ON TRACK TO MEET IF NOT EXCEED POTENTIALLY THEIR COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING THE DOSES AND THE VIALS OF VACCINE THAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH Q-1, THROUGH THE END OF MARCH. THAT GIVES US A LOT OF CONFIDENCE WHEN WE LOOK AT BUILDING OUR MODEL, EXPANDING OUR POTENTIAL SITES, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE NOT OVERPROMISING ANYTHING, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE CITIZENS AS WE WORK THROUGH PHASE 1A AND 1B. IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION AND I’M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. BUT LET’S KICK IT OFF WITH A PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE FROM DR. CHAN. DR. CHAN: THANK YOU, GOVERNOR, GOOD AFTERNOON, EXCELLENT NEWS ABOUT THE VACCINE SUPPLY. SO A NUMBERS UPDATE, WE ARE REPORTING 433 NEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, 303 OF THESE PEOPLE TESTED POSITIVE BY PCR AND 130 WERE POSITIVE THROUGH ANTIGEN TESTING. IN THE LAST WEEK, THE LAST SEVEN DAYS WE HAVE BEEN AVERAGING BETWEEN 400 TO 450 NEW INFECTIONS PER DAY WHICH IS DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY FROM EVEN A FEW WEEKS AGO AND OUR CURRENT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH ACTIVE INFECTIONS STANDS AT 4,099 WHICH IS ALSO DOWN COMPARED TO EVEN LAST WEEK. OUR TEST POSITIVITY RATE FOR THE LAST SEVEN DAYS HAS AVERAGED 4.6% WHICH CONTINUES TO SHOW A DECREASING TREND, WHICH IS ALSO GOOD NEWS IN THE TESTING DATA. IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, THERE ARE 209 PEOPLE CURRENTLY HOSPITALIZED STATEWIDE WITH COVID-19. THAT HAS BEEN A STABLE AND DOWN THE LAST FEW DAYS AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19 OR COMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 AND SO WE ARE REPORTING TODAY NINE NEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED RELATED TO COVID-19, SIX OF WHOM ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED DURING THIS PANDEMIC FROM COVID-19 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO 1,085. IN THE LAST WEEK IN TOTAL, 63 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AS HAVING DIED FROM COVID-19 AND SO WE CONTINUE TO AVERAGE ABOUT NINE INDIVIDUALS PER DAY WHO WERE IDENTIFYING AND REPORTING OUT AS DYING FROM COVID-19. AS WE WORK OVER THE COMING MONTHS TO INCREASE COVID-19 VACCINATION PUTTING NEEDLES INTO ARMS, SO TO SPEAK, IT REMAINS CRITICAL FOR EVERYBODY TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE MITIGATION GUIDANCE AND WEAR MASKS OVER THEIR NOSE AND MOUTH WHEN IN PUBLIC LOCATIONS TO PRACTICE SOCIAL OR PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND AVOID GROUP AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND AND STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF AVOIDING NONESSENTIAL TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INCREASING IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENT VARIANTS OF CONCERN OR VARIANTS OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS WHICH ARE BEING FOUND TO BE MORE INFECTIOUS OR MORE EASILY SPREAD PERSON TO PERSON. THANKFULLY, NONE OF THESE VARIANTS HAVE YET BEEN IDENTIFIED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED CERTAINLY IN OTHER PARTS OF THE GLOBE AND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE AND OTHER STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE STEPPING UP SURVEILLANCE TO TRY TO DETECT IF AND WHEN THESE VARIANTS ARE INTRODUCED INTO OUR POPULATIONS. IT CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE PREVIOUS INFECTION INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO MAY BE FULLY VACCINATED. ESPECIALLY AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE VARIANTS AND FIND THEM MORE EASILY SPREAD AND POTENTIALLY LESS EASILY CONTROLLED FROM IMMUNITY DUE TO PRIOR INFECTION OR EVEN VACCINATION. SO, AGAIN, WE’RE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THESE VARIANTS, BUT VACCINATION COMBINED WITH OUR COMMUNITY MITIGATION MEASURES CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY WAY TO CONTROL SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS AND TO BRING THE PANDEMIC TO AN END AND WITH THAT, I WILL HAND THINGS TO DR. DALY FOR A VACCINE UPDATE. THANKS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, I’M JUST GOING TO PROVIDE SOME QUICK UPDATES ON VACCINATION NUMBERS. TO DATE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, 148,000 DOSES OF VACCINE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED IN OUR STATE. THIS INCLUDES 110,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE AND 38,000 WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEIR SECOND DOSE. THIS WEEK WE RECEIVED 20,375 FIRST DOSES OF VACCINE WHICH IS A SMALL INCREASE ABOVE WHAT WE RECEIVED THE PRIOR WEEK AND THEN NEXT WEEK, WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE 21, 475 FIRST DOSES OF VACCINE WHICH IS AGAIN A SMALL INCREASE ABOVE WHAT WE RECEIVED THIS WEEK. AS THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED, WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THESE INCREMENTAL INCREASES IN VACCINES OVER THE COMING WEEKS. IN TERMS OF AN UPDATE ON THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY PHARMACY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, BETWEEN OUR TWO PHARMACIES IN OUR STATE, C.J.S. AND WALL GREENS, AN ADDITIONAL 27 FACILITIES RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSES OF VACCINE OVER THE LAST WEEK WHICH BRINGS US TO 203 FACILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN, RECEIVED THEIR FIRST VACCINE DOSES THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. THIS IS MORE THAN 22,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND A NEW REPORT FROM C.D.C. RELEASED THIS WEEK ON VACCINE UPTAKE AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM SHOWS THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES STAFF CHOOSING TO BE VACCINATED AT MORE THAN 60%. AND THAT WE ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN RESIDENT VACCINATION RATES AS WELL AS GREATER 80% IN THAT POPULATION. IN TERMS OF PHASE 1B, TO DATE MORE THAN 300,000 PEOPLE HAVE REGISTERED TO BE VACCINATED IN PHASE 11B. THESE NEW REGISTRATIONS HAVE SLOWED DOWN OVER TIME AND NOW WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE REGISTERING TO GET VACCINATED EACH DAY. WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN 170,000 OF THESE INDIVIDUALS SCHEDULED FOR THEIR FIRST DOSE OF VACCINATION IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS AT ONE OF OUR 19 SITES ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE LAST WEEK, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO START BUILDING IMMUNITY THROUGH VACCINATION AND WE WILL CONTINUE VACCINATING PEOPLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AS MUCH AS OUR VACCINE SUPPLY ALLOWS SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AGAINST COVID-19, THANK YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, JUST A QUICK OUTBREAK UPDATE FOR LONG TERM CARE, VERY POSITIVE TREND THAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS CONTINUES THIS WEEK. WE HAVE EIGHT OUTBREAK CLOSURES TO ANNOUNCE TODAY, BEL AIR NURSING HOME, CAL MET TRANSITIONAL HOUSING UNIT, COMMUNITY BRIDGES, HARBOR CARE, MEREDITH BAYCOL ANY CLUB, THE NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, PLEASANT VIEW AND ST. FRANCIS. SO ALL CLOSED IN AND THEIR OUTBREAKS EFFECTIVE ONE DAY IN THE LAST WEEK. TWO NEW OUTBREAKS TO ANNOUNCE, ONE AT APPLEWOOD REHAB CENTER IN WINCHESTER WITH 18 RESIDENTS AND NINE STAFF AND THE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WITH 20 RESIDENTS AND FOUR STAFF. THAT’S ALL I HAVE, THANK YO GOV. SUNUNU: THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, THE SECOND DOSE ISSUES THAT HAS BEEN THE ISSUE OF THE DAY, PERRY PLUMBER AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM HAS BEEN MANAGING THE LOGISTICS AROUND THE VACCINATION AND SECOND DOSE. IT’S BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING WEEK FOR OUR CITIZENS. WE APOLOGIZE AND WE UNDERSTAND IT. WE HAVE LITERALLY BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO CORRECT IT. AS WE’VE SAID, THIS SYSTEM IS A FEDERAL REGISTRATION SYSTEM, IT WASN’T PRIMARILY DESIGNED TO BE A SCHEDULER BUT CAN HANDLE SCHEDULING, BUT NOT AT THE SPEED THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE IS MOVING. SO IN TERMS OF MOVING FOLKS UP, PROVIDING A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT SECOND DOSE, TRYING TO UPLOAD ALL OF THAT INFORMATION QUICKLY INTO THE SYSTEM CAUSED VERY VEER PROBLEMS AND UNFORTUNATELY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 AND 20,000 INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE STATE FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE BEING PUSHED OUT WITH THAT SECOND DOSE. SO HERE IS THE SOLUTION. OVER THIS ENTIRE WEEK AND INTO THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, THE TEAM HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY UPLOADING BY HAND NEW SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENTS, IF YOU WERE PUSHED OUT FOR YOUR SECOND DOSE, YOU CAN GO INTO THE SYSTEM, EITHER TODAY OR OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS AND LOOK TO FIND A SPOT TO MOVE YOU UP WITHIN A WEEK OF YOUR SCHEDULED DATE. THAT IS THE GUARANTEE THAT WE’RE REALLY MAKING TO THE CITIZENS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE IS NO REASON, NO ONE TO DATE HAS GOTTEN THEIR SECOND DOSE BEYOND AN APPROPRIATE TIME FRAME BEING A WEEK WITHIN THEIR SCHEDULED DATE AND NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GET THEIR SECOND DOSE BEYOND THAT. SO ALL THOSE NEW APPOINTMENTS ARE BEING UP LOADED. IF YOU HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT ON YOUR SECOND DOSE, GO BACK INTO THE SYSTEM, IF YOU RECEIVED YOUR FIRST ONE OBVIOUSLY, IT’S GOING TO LET YOU SCHEDULE YOUR SECOND ONE. YOU CAN GO BACK INTO THAT SYSTEM OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. IF YOU DON’T SEE A SPOT TODAY, TRY AGAIN TOMORROW, SOMEWHERE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAY, ALL OF THE REMAINING SECOND DOSE SCHEDULING TIMES WILL BE UPLOADED INTO THAT SYSTEM. SO GOING FORWARD, WE HAVE SAID THAT WE’RE GOING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT SYSTEM, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO. WE ARE DEVELOPING OUR OWN SITE, BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT SITE COMES UP, AS OF THIS SUNDAY, IF YOU ARE SOMEONE AS OF THIS SUNDAY IN GOING FORWARD, WHEN YOU GO TO GET YOUR FIRST SHOT OF VACCINE, YOU’LL GET YOUR FIRST SHOT AND YOU’LL BE HANDED A CAR NOT JUST IDENTIFYING WHICH VACCINE YOU RECEIVED BUT AN EXACT DATE AND TIME OF WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO GET YOUR SECOND DOSE. THE CITIZENS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SHOULD NOT BE ASKED TO COME BACK IN TO THIS VERY DIFFICULT SYSTEM, FRANKLY, TO RESCHEDULE, SO WE’RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR YOU. WE’RE GOING TO BE RIGHT ON TOP OF IT. OF COURSE, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THAT FOR SOME REASON, YOU’LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN AND CHANGE IT, BUT WE’RE GOING TO SET THAT UP AND MAKE SURE THAT IS IN THE SYSTEM AS YOU’RE LEAVING THE SITE. NOTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW UP FOR THE FIRST SHOT, WE’LL TAKE CARE OF SCHEDULING THE REST AND OBVIOUSLY COME BACK TO THE LOCATION AND TIME THAT IT INDICATES ON THAT CARD. AS WE GET BIGGER WITH OUR SITES, AS WE ROLL OUT MORE AND MORE VACCINE, SOME OF OUR CURRENT SITES WHERE WE’RE OFFERING VACCINATION, THEY MAY CHANGE A LITTLE BIT, WE’RE GOING TO FRANKLY MOVE A LOT OF THESE INDOORS. WE CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE OUR THREW PUT IF WE PUT IT INDOORS. WE KNOW WEATHER IS A FACTOR. AS IT GETS TO BE A LITTLE TOUGHER ON THE WEATHER SCALE POTENTIALLY IN FEBRUARY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR THAT AND ALSO MOVING INDOORS WILL HELP KIND OF GIVE THAT ASURETY THAT THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE THETHROUGH PUT THAT YOU’RE EXPECTING, THE SECOND SHOT MIGHT NOT BE IN THE SAME LOCATION AS YOUR FIRST SHOT. IT WILL INDICATE THE TIME AND LOCATION. WE DON’T WANT TO ASK THE CITIZENS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ANYMORE. WE TRIED IT THE FEDERAL WAY. THAT’S NOT WORKING. THIS IS NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE’RE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT ON TOP OF IT AND JUST FIND A BETTER SOLUTION FOR OUR CITIZENS. WE DO APOLOGIZE. WE OWN THAT VERY AGGRESSIVELY, BUT WE’RE ALSO GOING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO OWN THE SOLUTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE AS WELL. SOMEONE ASKED ME BEFORE I CAME OUT HERE IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD THE NEWS, WE GOT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY, CHANGING SPEEDS A LITTLE BIT, KIND OF A GOOD NEWS STORY THAT CAME OUT THIS WEEK, WE KNOW THE SUPER BOWL IS COMING ON SUNDAY. I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS WILL BE GLUED WATCHING TOM BRADY AND GOING AGAINST THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, BUT I DID GET A CALL FROM THE KRAFT FAMILY LAST WEEK AND THEY OFFERED TICKETS FOR AT LEAST FOUR INDIVIDUALS, NURSES THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES WORKING HARD. SOMETHING WE WISH WE COULD OFFER TO THE THOUSANDS OF NURSES AND INDIVIDUALS IN OUR LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES, IN OUR HOSPITALS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING SOME REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE WORK. THAT WAS A REALLY NICE GESTURE, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE QUITE A DAY. THEY ARE GOING TO BE FLOWN DOWN ON THE PATRIOTS PRIVATE JET AND HAVE QUITE A DAY WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL, ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THEY’RE DOING AND FLYING BACK. THAT WAS A GREAT STORY AND IT’S THE LEAST THAT FOLKS CAN DO JUST TO SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD FOR NEARLY A YEAR NOW ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS PANDEMIC AND OBVIOUSLY SUNDAY’S GAME WILL BE SOMETHING TO SEE FOR ALL OF US. I’M PICKING TOM BRADY BY SIX POINTS MYSELF. I GUESS WITH THAT, WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. ADAM. REPORTER: CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS BY WHICH YOU CHOSE VAMS, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER STATES TOOK A LOOK AND RAN THE OTHER DIRECTION. G.O.P. GOV. SUNUNU: WE WERE THE LAST STATE TO HAVE A VACCINE REGISTRY. EVERY OTHER STATE HAD A VACCINE REGISTRY BEFORE WE DID. OUR VACCINE REGISTRY WAS ALLOWED AS THIS WHOLE CRISIS WAS HITTING US. THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WE ENDED UP KIND OF FALLING INTO THE VAM SYSTEM, IT WAS THE FEDERAL FALLBACK, WE HAD NEVER BEEN AUTHORIZED TO DO A VACCINE REGISTRY. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS. IT DID HAVE A SCHEDULING ASPECT WITH IT. WE ARE DEVELOPING OUR OWN SYSTEM, IT’S A MATTER OF ACCELERATING THAT TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT UP AND RUNNING A LITTLE BIT FASTER SO WE GET OURSELVES OFF THE BACK END OF THE SYSTEM. IT WILL KEEP TRACK OF WHO HAS THE VACCINE, BUT THE SCHEDULING MODULE WE’RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM. REPORTER: GOVERNOR, YOU’LL HAVE A SCHEDULING MODULE FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE? GOV. SUNUNU: YES. REPORTER: DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE UP AND RUNNING? GOV. SUNUNU: NOT 100% SURE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT FOLKS THAT CAN REGISTER FOR THE VACCINE IN GROUP 1A OR 1B, THE VAST MAJORITY ARE IN THE SYSTEM. THE FRONT END WORKED PRETTY DARN WELL. THE SECOND DOSE PIECE KIND OF GOT SCREWED UP. WHETHER IT’S IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR BEFORE GROUP 2A COMES OUT, WE’LL DEFINITELY GET UP AND RUNNING. BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM, THAT’S GREAT. WE CAN KIND OF JUST MAKE SURE AS THEY GET THAT FIRST VACCINATION, WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE SECOND ONE FOR THEM AND PHASE IN THE STATE SYSTEM AS WE NEED IT. REPORTER: SO IN SPEAKING ABOUT THAT CARD THAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT STARTS FOR PEOPLE GETTING THEIR FIRST DOSE ON SUNDAY. GOV. SUNUNU: YEP. REPORTER: THEY WON’T NEED TO DO ANYTHING ON THE WEBSITE DIFFERENTLY. WHEN THEY SHOW UP, THEY’RE GOING TO GET THEIR APPOINTMENT CARD. GOV. SUNUNU: THEY’LL GET THE APPOINTMENT CARD. THEY DON’T NEED TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST. THEY NEED TO SHOW UP FOR THE SECOND SHOT. REPORTER: WHEN YOU SAY THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY TRIED TO SCHEDULE THEIR SECOND DOSE AND THEY HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK, YOU’RE SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD GET THEIR VACCINE WITHIN A WEEK OF THEIR SCHEDULED DATE. GOV. SUNUNU: OF THEIR SCHEDULED DATE. REPORTER: WHAT IS THE SCHEDULED DATE? GOV. SUNUNU: THE 21 OR 28-DAY BUFFER THAT THE VACCINE REQUIRES. LET’S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU TAKE THE PFIZER VACCINE WHICH I BELIEVE IS 21 DAYS. GET THE PFIZER VACCINE ON FEBRUARY 1, LET’S SAY, BY MARCH 1, OR I’M SORRY, 21, BY THE 22ND TO THE MARCH 1, THAT WOULD BE A SEVEN-DAY WINDOW, WE’RE PROMISING THERE WILL BE A SPOT FOR YOU IN THAT WINDOW. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WAIT SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT WEEKS OUT TO GET THE SHOT. THE SCHEDULING SYSTEM PUSHED PEOPLE OUT THERE WHAT WE’RE OPENING NOW FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST VACCINE, ALL OF THE SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENTS. YOU SHOULD STILL GO INTO VAMS, YOU SHOULD RESCHEDULE THAT SECOND DOSE. THERE WILL BE MORE AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS. MOST FOLKS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SWITCH AND CHANGE IT. A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE ARE A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVEN’T COME BACK ON TO THE SYSTEM TO TRY TO RESCHEDULE. THEY COULD. IF THEY CAN HANDLE THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, THIS IS THIS ROUGH WINDOW, THE FOLKS THAT GOT PUSHED OUT UNNECESSARILY, THOSE ARE THE ONES WE MAKE SURE COME BACK IN THE SYSTEM. IF YOU DON’T, SOME FOLKS THAT DON’T COME BACK INTO CHANGE IT, WE’LL DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO REACH OUT PROACTIVELY TO THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. HATS OFF TO PERRY AND BETH AND DR. CHAN AND COMMISSIONER SHIBINETTE, WE’RE TRYING TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH. WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH THE STRUGGLES ANYMORE. REPORTER: ONE LAST THING ON THAT, WE SPOKE WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR VACCINE APPOINTMENTS 50 DAYS OUT FROM THEIR FIRST DOSE AND THEY’RE NERVOUS RIGHT NOW TO CANCEL THAT, THEY’RE TOLD THEY HAVE TO CANCEL IN ORDER TO REBOOK. GOV. SUNUNU: YEAH, THAT STINKS. THAT’S ONE OF THE THING I HATE ABOUT THIS FEDERAL SYSTEM. WE’RE TELLING YOU TO CANCEL AND DON’T WORRY, IT WILL BE SOONER. WHEN WE DID THAT, WE DIDN’T MEET THAT COMMITMENT. THAT FEDERAL SYSTEM COULD NOT HANDLE THAT COMMITMENT. THAT IS WHAT, I THINK ALL OF OUR HEADS ALMOST POPPED OFF FRANKLY. WE’RE SAYING GO BACK IN. I KNOW IT IS A BIT PERFECT A LEAP OF FAITH, GO BACK IN AND CANCEL, YOU CAN RESCHEDULE UP, WE NEED A COUPLE DAYS TO GET THE LAST OF THE APPOINTMENTS IN. IF FOR SOME REASON AFTER ALL THIS YOU’RE STILL STUCK, DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL 211. OUR TEAM CAN TAKE CARE OF IT ON A ONE TO ONE BASIS WITH FOCUS. THIS THING HAS GONE REALLY SMOOTHLY UP UNTIL THIS WEEK. SO I THINK IT’S A FOUR, FIVE-DAY BUMP IN THE ROAD, FOR US, THAT’S A LOT. THAT’S A LOT. WE HAVE SOME PRETTY HIGH STANDARDS HERE. AGAIN, IF FOLKS NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT PATIENT, IF THEY STILL CAN’T GET IN FOR SOME REASON, CALL 211. WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THEY’RE NOT WAITING 50 DAYS, WITHIN A WEEK OF THAT SCHEDULED DATE. REPORTER: WITH REGARD TO THE DISCUSSION THAT YOU HAD WITH THE PFIZER C.E.O. AND THE OTHER MANUFACTURERS HERE AS DIRECTOR DALY SAID, NEXT WEEK 21,000, IF THEY DO GET THEIR METRICS A MONTH FROM NOW, WHAT KIND OF DOSE VOLUME WILL WE BE SEEING? GOV. SUNUNU: APPROXIMATELY DOUBLE. THAT’S GENERALLY WHAT WE’RE HEARING FROM THEM. THAT MATH WORKS OUT, IF YOU WILL. SO WE’RE .4% OF THE COUNTRY’S POPULATION, SO LET’S DO SOME ROUGH MATH. AT 100 MILLION DOSES, THAT’S ABOUT 400,000 JUST FROM PFIZER BY THE END OF MARCH. THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF 200,000 PEOPLE, YOU NEED TWO DOSES PER PERSON FOR THAT FIRST AND SECOND DOSE. IF MODERNA MEETS THEIR GOAL OF 100 MILLION, THAT’S ANOTHER 200,000 PEOPLE, SO IF THEY’RE MEETING THEIR GOALS, THEN WE SHOULD GET MOST OF PHASE 1A AND 1 1B BY MARCH AND APRIL. FOLKS ARE NERVOUS APRIL AND MAY, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE EVERYONE WILL BE MOVED UP. AFTER SUNDAY, THEY WON’T HAVE TO WORRY HOW FAST THEY ARE MOVED UP. WE’LL HAVE THE SCHEDULED TIMES GUARANTEED FOR THEM, IT TAKES IT OUT OF THEIR HANDS. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP FOR THE SECOND SHOT. IT WAS A PROMISING CONVERSATION. TO HEAR IT FROM THE ACTUAL MANUFACTURERS IN THE FACTORIES WHO UNDERSTAND THE PUSHES AND PULLS, A FACTORY COULD GET HIT WITH AN OUTBREAK, THEY COULD HAVE BUMPS IN THE ROAD. THEY’RE FORTUNATE THEY HAD NOTHING TO SLOW THE PROCESS DOWN AS OF YET. AS GOVERNORS, WE WALKED AWAY MORE CONFIDENT FROM THAT CONVERSATION THAN ANY CONVERSATION WE HAVE HAD FROM THE ADMINISTRATIONS, EITHER ONE. REPORTER: IN REGARDS TO THE SECOND DOSE SCHEDULING, WAS THERE ANY THOUGHTS TO MAKE THIS DECISION EARLIER BEFORE LAST WEEK? GOV. SUNUNU: AS OF LAST WEEK, WE HAD NO REASON THAT THE SYSTEM WASN’T HANDLING THE SECOND DOSE SCHEDULING, MONDAY NIGHT, TUESDAY MORNING, SOME OF THESE FOLKS WERE UP ALL NIGHT LONG FOR A FEW STRAIGHT DAYS. THAT’S WHEN WE REALIZED THAT THE SYSTEM COULDN’T HANDLE IT. LET’S FIND OUT, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE PLAN B AND PLAN C READY TO GO AND WE DID AND WERE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT A FEW DAYS LATER. REPORTER: IF YOU COULD, WE HEARD ABOUT TRUST WITH SENIORS AND THE INTERNET, WE HAVE HEARD A LOT FROM THEM, THEY CANCELLED THE APPOINTMENT, THEY COULDN’T GET THE SECOND APPOINTMENT THAT THEY DON’T TRUST THE SYSTEM YOU MENTIONED THE LEAP OF FAITH. COULD YOU SPEAK TO THOSE SENIORS? GOV. SUNUNU: I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND FOLKS HAVING THAT FEAR FACTOR. HE WITH TALKED ABOUT THE WHOLE IDEA OF CANCELING AND REBOOKING AFTER THE FACT WEEKS AGO. WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A BIT OF A PROBLEM WEEKS AGO. IT DIDN’T SEEM, EVEN IF THE SYSTEM WORKED COMPLETELY AS IT SHOULD, IT WAS STILL GOING TO BE A BIT OF A LEAP OF FAITH AND IT DIDN’T WORK. WE DEFINITELY SYMPATHIZE AND UNDERSTAND THE ANXIETY, THE FRUSTRATION, THE WHOLE THING. IT’S VERY MUCH UNDERSTOOD, THAT IS ON US. WE HAVE TO OWN THAT TO BE CLEAR. GOING FORWARD, WE DO HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT IN AS WE HAVE KEYED IN THE NEW APPOINTMENTS, WE ARE HEARING IT IS WORKING. I HEARD TODAY FROM A VARIETY OF FOLKS, I TRIED TO MOVE MY APPOINTMENT YESTERDAY, I COULDN’T GET A BETTER TIME, I GOT THOSE CALLS TODAY SAYING, HEY, WAIT, I TRIED AGAIN TODAY AND THE TIMES OPENED UP IN MY AREA, THAT’S GREAT. SO IT DOES REQUIRE A LITTLE PATIENCE. IT IS A — MAYBE LEAP OF FAITH ISN’T THE RIGHT WORD, TRUST BUT VERIFY, I KNOW. IF FOR SOME REASON, IT DOESN’T WORK, WE’RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU HANG OUT THERE. CALL 211, IF THERE ARE FOLKS, WE WILL PROACTIVELY REACH OUT TO THEM AS WELL. REPORTER: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO SCHEDULE THEIRS DOSE AND HAVING TROUBLE AND THE FIRST DOSE SEEMS TOO FAR OUT? GOV. SUNUNU: THE FIRST DOSE CAN BE SCHEDULED. IT WILL BE A BIT FAR OUT BECAUSE, AGAIN, AS WE GO FROM 17,000 TO 20,000, 21,000, MAYBE IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS GET TO 24,000 OR 34,000 IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, AGAIN, WE’LL BE ABLE TO MOVE FOLKS UP IN THAT SCHEDULING SYSTEM. REPORTER: CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY WHEN IT WAS YOU KNEW IT WASN’T GOING TO WORK, YOU SAID LAST WEEK, SOME OF THE PROBLEMS — GOV. SUNUNU: NO, I WANT TO SAY MONDAY NIGHT, IT WAS MONDAY EVENING IS — PERRY WAS REALLY ON THE FRONT LINES IN TERMS OF WHEN THIS, WHEN IT REALLY STARTED TO HIT US. >> IT’S A GREAT QUESTION, ABOUT 10:30, 11: 00 THE NIGHT BEFORE, WE SAW SOME GLITCHES, PEOPLE STAYED ALL NIGHT TO FIX THOSE GLITCHES. WE THOUGHT WE HAD IT FIXED FOR THE 8:00 ROLLOUT. THE APPOINTMENTS WERE REENTERED, IT WAS READY TO GO. 8:00, THEY TESTED IT, IT WORKED FINE AND THEN AT 8:00 THEY TURNED IT ON AND IT WAS A PROBLEM AGAIN, ANOTHER GLITCH HAD COME IN IT. THAT NIGHT WE KNEW THERE WERE SOME APPOINTMENTS THAT WERE PROBLEMATIC IN THERE. WE REBOOKED THEM IN THERE. WE HAD STAFF STAY ALL NIGHT LONG TO TRY TO FIX THAT. WE THOUGHT WE HAD IT FIXED. WE LITERALLY TRIED IT 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WENT LIVE AND IT WORKED. SO THAT UNFORTUNATELY WHEN IT WENT LIVE, IT DID NOT, IT DID NOT WORK. WE KNOW WE HAVE ABOUT 4,000 PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO HAND SCHEDULE STILL, THAT’S DOWN FROM 25,000 AND WE’RE HOPING TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THIS WEEKEND AS WELL TO HAND SCHEDULE ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD TROUBLES FOR OTHER REASONS, WHETHER THEY HAD THEIR OWN COMPUTER PROBLEMS OR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS OR DID NOT HAVE TECHNOLOGY. THAT’S DOWN FROM A LIST OF 25,000 DOWN TO 4,000 RIGHT NOW AS OF THIS MORNING AND WORKING THROUGH THOSE ALL DAY. REPORTER: GOVERNOR, JUST EXPLAIN AGAIN, THE ALASKA A STATE VACCINE REGISTRY LEFT YOU WITH FEW OPTIONS IN THE INITIAL ASPECT, BUT SOME STATES WENT OUT RIGHT AWAY AND SAYING WE’RE DOING OUR OWN WEBSITE. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR DECISION PROCESS, WHEN THAT WAS AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO GO THROUGH VAMS AND NOT STAND UP YOUR OWN WEBSITE AND THE LACK OF A STATE REGISTRY IMPEDED YOU IF IT DID? GOV. SUNUNU: IT DID IMPEDE US. MANY HAVE HAD THEIRS UP FOR YEARS. THEY WERE ABLE TO REVAMP WHAT THEY ALREADY HAD, THEY HAD THAT BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, REVAMP IT TO BE SPECIFIC TO INCLUDE SCHEDULING AND WHATNOT. WE HAD NOTHING AS OF THIS PAST SUMMER. WE QUICKLY STARTED DESIGNING OUR OWN SITE, BUILDING OUR OWN SITE. AGAIN IT I THINK MAYBE 10 STATES HAVE BEEN RELYING ON THE VAMS SYSTEM, THEY’RE ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS WE ARE. I CAN’T SPEAK TO WHAT THEIR SOLUTIONS ARE GOING TO BE. OURS ARE WE’RE MOVING OFF THE SYSTEM, AS A MINIMUM, WE’RE MOVING OFF A SYSTEM WHERE WE DON’T RELY ON IT. WE ARE NOT ABANDONING IT ALL TOGETHER, WE ARE MAKING SURE THE CITIZENS DON’T INTERACT WITH THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS MOVING FORWARD. REPORTER: WE HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY ACTUALLY HAVE CALLED 2111, THEY HAVE CALLED MANY OF THE NUMBERS ON THE STATE’S WEBSITE AND THEY CAN’T GET THROUGH OR IT’S BEEN AN HOUR-LONG WAIT AND FOR SOME OF THESE SENIORS, THEY’RE SITTING THERE WAITING EVERY SECOND AND AN HOUR IS FOREVER. GOV. SUNUNU: IT IS, IT IS. WE HAVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME 200, 300, 400, PEOPLE IN OUR CALL CENTER. WE WANT TO HAVE THAT ONE TO ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE AS BEST WE CAN TO HELP PEOPLE THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND ALLAY THOSE ANXIETIES, THOSE CALLS CAN TAKE NOT JUST TWO MINUTES, SOMETIMES FIVE TO 10 MINNEAPOLIS. IT DOES ADD UP. I KNOW WE’RE ASKING FOLKS TO BE PATIENT. WE’LL KEEP OUR CALL CENTER FULLY STAFFED, FULLY LOADED. WE HAVE SINCE THE WHOLE PROCESS GOT STARTED. THOSE THAT GOT THROUGH, IT’S BEEN SUCCESSFUL. I GO BACK TO THE WORD PATIENCE, WE DO UNDERSTAND WE ARE ASKING FOLKS TO BE PATIENCE KNOWING THEY MAY HAVE TO CALL BACK OR BE ON HOLD FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. WE’RE WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THEM. THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE HAVE ABOUT 25,000 THAT WE HAD TO HAND KEY IN, THAT’S DOWN TO ABOUT 4,000 NOW, WE’RE ABOUT 80% OF THE WAY THERE. THOSE CALL WAIT TIMES SHOULD BE LESS HOPEFULLY. IF FOLKS KEEP TRYING, IF YOU’RE ON THE WEBSITE AND YOU CAN’T GET THROUGH, TRY AGAIN TOMORROW IF YOU DON’T SEE A SITE. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND A TIME THAT MEETS THAT CRITERIA OF MAKING SURE YOU GET IN THIS A REASONABLE TIME AND MOVE YOU RIGHT UP VERY, VERY EASILY. THAT REALLY AFFECTS THOSE THAT GET THEIR SECOND SHOT IN LATE FEBRUARY OR POTENTIALLY EARLY MARCH. THOSE THAT HAVE GOTTEN THE FIRST, BUT ARE STILL WAYING THE SECOND. THERE IS A SMALL WINDOW OF ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO OF INDIVIDUALS, THOSE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF PHASE 1B THAT IT’S AFFECTING THE MOST. ABOUT 80% OF THEM OF THE NEW APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE LAST 20% WILL BE PUT IN OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO. REPORTER: GOVERNOR, IS THERE ANYONE TRACKING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH THE 2111 OPERATORS. PEOPLE WE TALKED TO SOMETIMES HAVE A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE, IS THERE A WAY — ARE YOU WORKING TO IMPROVE WHEN YOU DO HAVE OBSTACLES WITH CERTAIN OPERATORS AND A FOLLOW ON THAT, ARE THERE, THE OPERATORS DOING OTHER JOBS AT THE SAME TIME OR ARE THEY DEDICATED TO 211? GOV. SUNUNU: THE OPERATORS ARE FULLY DEDICATED, MEN AND WOMEN OF THE NATIONAL GUARD, SOME FOLKS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR DONATING THEIR TIME, THEY’RE FULLY DEDICATED. THEY’RE NOT TAKING A FEW CALLS HERE AND WORKING ON SOMETHING HERE. THEY ARE FULLY DEDICATED. I HAVE BEEN TO THE CENTER. THEY HAVE A COUPLE SCREENS IN FRONT OF THEM, ALL OF THE INFORMATION AT THEIR FINGERTIPS. I DON’T KNOW IF WE’RE TRACKING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AS PART OF THE PROCESS. YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? I’LL BRING PERRY UP AGAIN. >> IT’S A GREAT QUESTION AND WE STARTED BUILDING OUT A CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CALL CENTER WAS OVERWHELMED AND WE HAD TO REASSIGN THOSE STAFF TO ACTUALLY ANSWER CALLS. IT IS ON OUR RADAR, WE DO WANT TO DO THAT. WE DO WANT TO SAY THAT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE 211 WAS THE FACT THAT THE 211 PEOPLE ANSWERING THE PHONE COULD NOT GO INTO VAMS AND MANIPULATE VAMS FOR THEM, THEY HAD TO WORK THROUGH THAT. A LOT OF TIMES THEY WORKED THROUGH EVERYTHING POSSIBLE THAT WAS WRONG WITH THEIR COMPUTER OR ANSWER OTHER QUESTIONS AND THAT WENT REALLY WELL. WHERE THE CALL PEOPLE GOT DISSATISFIED WITH 211 IS WHEN THEY COULDN’T NAVIGATE VAMS AND THAT EMAIL WAS STUCK IN THEIR COMPUTER OR SOMETHING THAT OUR CALL TAKER COULD NOT NAVIGATE FOR THEM. WE HAD TO ELEVATE THAT TO A HIGHER LEVEL WHICH IS A SMALLER GROUP OF VAMS ADMINISTRATORS TO TRY TO DO THAT, THEY WERE BACKED UP. THIS MOVE FROM SEPARATING OURSELVES FROM THE PUBLIC FACING SIDE OF VAMS WILL FIX THAT, TOO. OUR WAIT TIMES ARE IN THE 20 MINUTES, 15-MINUTE RANGE, SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN WE HAVE A SURGE, THERE ARE WAIT TIMES AND THEY QUEUE UP. WE KEEP ADDING STAFF AND TRAINING STAFF TO DO THAT. TO TRAIN THEM AND VAMS TOOK A LONG TIME. IF IT WAS A VAMS-SPECIFIC PROBLEM, IT FRUSTRATED PEOPLE. REPORTER: PERRY, REAL QUICK, IN REGARDS TO SCHEDULING THE SECON APPOINTMENT, SHOULD YOU HAVE GIVEN PEOPLE THE SECOND APPOINTMENT WHEN THEY BOOKED THE FIRST APPOINTMENT, WAS THAT NOT AN OPTION? >> IT’S NOT AN OPTION IN VAMS. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD EARLY ON, WE WOULD HAVE OPENED UP SECOND APPOINTMENTS EARLIER. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW WITH THE VAMS SYSTEM, IT OPENED UP A BUNCH OF CLINICS THAT WEREN’T OURSELVES FOR VIEW. WE COULDN’T SEE THOSE, WHETHER IT BE HOSPITAL EMPLOYED CLINICS THAT THEY HAD FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES THAT WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO SHOW UP, THE EXPECTATION THEY WOULDN’T SHOW UP IN THE FEDERAL SYSTEM OR SOME FEDERAL SITES THAT WERE RESTRICTED FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND SO WE HAD ABOUT 3,000 OF OUR CITIZENS REGISTER WITH US, WENT PERFECT, OPENED UP THE SITE, SAW THAT FEDERAL SITE AND SAID I’LL GO TO HERE, THEY GOT AN APPOINTMENT 8:30 THE NEXT DAY, HAPPY AS CAN BE, ONLY TO HAVE SOME ADMINISTRATOR, YOU’RE NOT ELIGIBLE, YOU’RE NOT OUR EMPLOYEE AND CANCEL, THAT WE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THAT, WE HAD NO VISIBILITY OF THAT, IT’S NOT OUR SITE. WE FOUND OUT WHEN THEY STARTED CALLING 211 SAYING HOW COME I GOT CANCELLED AND WE’RE LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM AND SAY YOU DIDN’T GET CANCELLED FROM OUR SYSTEM, WHAT HAPPENED. WE FOUND THESE SITES ACROSS THE STATE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ENTER AND SO WHAT HAPPENED IS, WE HAD A FIXED 3,000 PEOPLE, LAST SUNDAY WE WENT IN AND WE WERE TO DO IMPROMPTU CLINIC AND GET 1,900 OF THOSE FIXED, THE HOSPITALS DID THE OTHERS. IF WE OPENED UP THE SECOND APPOINTMENTS TO VIEW THEM, WE WERE SCARED THAT THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAKE IT WORSE. SO THAT’S WE DIDN’T BOOK FIRST AND SECOND AT THE TIME BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY WE WERE SCARED THAT SOMEONE WOULD TAKE BOTH OF THEM. IT WAS A LIMITATION OF THE SOFTWARE SO NOW WE’RE JUST TRYING TO FIX THAT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, WE JUST WANT TO TAKE IT OFF THEIR PLATE AND MAKE IT SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. REPORTER: HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SECOND DOSES, THE SENIORS BEING LEERY OF THE INTERNET AND CANCELING THEIR OPPONENT, WOULD YOU SAY IT’S A DISASTER? >> IN MY EYES, ANYTHING THAT IS NOT PERFECT FOR OUR CITIZENS IS A DISASTER. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE PEOPLE THAT — THE PEOPLE THAT COULDN’T GO IN OR BOOKED THEIR SECOND APPOINTMENT WAY OUT, THEY WERE SEEING FIRST DOSE APPOINTMENTS, WE DIDN’T PUT SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENTS OUT THERE. WE COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT A LITTLE BETTER, YES, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT NOBODY MISSED THEIR SHOT. PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF ANXIETY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THREE WEEKS I GET MY APPOINTMENT. NOW IT’S APRIL AND THAT TIME FRAME ISN’T WHAT I WANT. BUT NOBODY MISSED THEIR SHOT. IT WAS MORE ANXIETY THAN ANYTHING ELSE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT GETTING A SHOT FOR THEM IS HIGH. THEY’RE LOCKED IN THEIR HOMES. WE WANT TO GET ALL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE BACK TO NORMAL, SO AS QUICK AS WE CAN AND WE’RE WORKING ON THAT. YOU CAN’T ROLL OUT SOMETHING — I MEAN IF YOU’RE LOOKING ACROSS THE STATE, EVERYONE HAS THEIR IDIOSYNCRASIES, EVEN THOSE THAT ARE LABELED THE BEST AT DOING IT, AND WE HAD A BUMP AND WE’RE OWNING IT. WE’RE FIXING IT AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. OUR FIX IS TO TAKE IT OFF THEIR PLATE AND DO IT FOR THEM TO THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. REPORTER: SOME CALLS AND QUESTIONS ONLINE. >> THE FIRST PHONE CALL CALLS FROM HOLLY FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. REPORTER: HI, THANK YOU. DID YOU BRING THESE PROBLEMS TO THE C.D.C.’S ATTENTION AND IF SO, WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE DID YOU GET? ALSO, BEYOND ALL OF THAT CONFUSION AND FRUSTRATION THAT RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE STATE WASTED TIME AND MONEY USING THAT SYSTEM GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE TO BUILD A WHOLE NEW ONE AND GET ALL OF THE CALL CENTER WORKERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE UP TO SPEED ON HOW THAT WILL WORK? GOV. SUNUNU: GREAT TWO QUESTIONS THERESE, YES, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL PARTNERS AT THE C.D.C., THE FOLKS THAT MANAGE VAMS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS. THE RESPONSE IS WE ARE SEEING SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN OTHER STATES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY USING THE SYSTEM WITH THE SAME TYPE OF PROTOCOL THAT WE WERE USING. THAT MEANT THAT WE WEREN’T UNIQUE, I GUESS THAT’S SOMEWHAT COMFORTING, NOT REALLY, YOU HAVE 25,000 CITIZENS THAT WERE GETTING PUSHED OUT UNNECESSARILY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. IN TERMS DID WE WASTE MONEY, NO, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN OUR THOUGHT PROCESS TO DESIGN OUR OWN REGISTRATION SYSTEM. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. WE WERE BUILDING THAT SYSTEM. WE ARE ACCELERATING THE PROCESS AND GETTING IT UP AND RUNNING FASTER THAN WE ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. WE ALWAYS PLANNED ON HAVING A CALL CENTER. WE ALWAYS PLANNED ON HAVING A PROCESS IN PLACE. I DON’T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY WASTED MONEY. AS PERRY SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS CREATED MORE OF AN ANXIETY PROBLEM THAN ANYTHING. THAT’S SEVERE, FOLKS ALREADY HAVE ANXIETY OVER COVID AND OVER GETTING A VACCINE AND THIS KIND OF EXACERBATED THAT. THE REAL GOOD NEWS HERE IS THAT NOBODY HAS MISSED THEIR APPOINTMENT FOR A FIRST SHOT OR A SECOND SHOT. WE HAVEN’T MISSED OR FAILED ON THAT COMMITMENT AT ALL. AND WE DON’T EXPECT TO GOING FORWARD. IT’S A SCHEDULING ISSUE. IT CREATED A LOT OF ANXIETY. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE TO BE SURE, BUT THE TEAM HAS GOTTEN RIGHT ON IT AND WE’RE MOVING FORWARD WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS, BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS SO THE CITIZENS SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ANY FURTHER. >> THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM NANCY WEST WITH IN-DEPTH NEW HAMPSHIRE. NANCY, PLEASE GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. REPORTER: GOOD AFTERNOON, GOVERNOR, THANKS FOR TAKING ME QUESTIONS. I’VE GOT A COUPLE HERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU AND WE KEEP HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT THESE NEW MUTATIONS OF THE VIRUS THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WE’RE REALLY IN A RACE TO GET THESE SHOTS INTO ARMS AND I’M WONDERING, WHEN ARE ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN PHASE 1B GOING TO BE FULLY PROTECTED WITH BOTH SHOTS. MY SECOND QUESTION IS, A LOT OF REPORTS ARE SAYING THAT ONLY 60% OF THE DOSES THAT WE’VE RECEIVED HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN GIVEN TO PEOPLE AND I’M WONDERING WHAT’S THE HOLD-UP THERE? AND ALSO ONE LAST THING, WOULD YOU MIND GOING OVER THE VACCINE UPDATE, I COULDN’T QUITE KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THE NUMBERS, IS THAT ANYWHERE ONLINE THAT WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON, HOW MANY VACCINES ARE BEING GIVEN OUT EACH DAY? GOV. SUNUNU: SURE, LET ME ANSWER A COUPLE. THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE NEW MUTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE’VE TALKED ABOUT WITH DR. CHAN AND SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP WITH THE C.E.O. OF PFIZER THIS AFTERNOON. THEY ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT HOW THE CURRENT VACCINE CAN TREAT OR PROTECT AGAINST THOSE MUTATIONS AND LOOKING AT TRIALS EVEN IN VARIANTS OF THOSE VACCINES GOING FORWARD. SO RIGHT NOW, IT APPEARS THAT THOSE NEW MUTATIONS AS DR. CHAN EXPLAINED, THEY DEFINITELY SEEM TO BE MORE TRANSMITTED, A MORE AGGRESSIVE STRAIN, IT DOESN’T BRING MORE SEVERE SYMPTOMS, BUT THESE MUTATIONS MAY BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE. IN TERMS OF GETTING EVERYONE IN PHASE 1A AND 11B FULLY VACCINATED, TO BE CLEAR, WHEN WE SAY EVERYONE, IT’S EVERYONE WHO IS GOING TO CHOOSE THE VACCINATION, IT IS NOT MANDATED, WILL NOT BE MANDATED. DEPENDING ON WHAT THE UPTICK IS AND GIVEN THAT MODERNA AND PFIZER CAN COMMIT TO THEIR 100 MILLION DOSES IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE MARCH TO APRIL TIME FRAME WE CAN’T ALLOW EVERYONE WHO WANTS THAT FIRST AND SECOND SHOT OF THE VACCINE TO GET IT. SO THAT’S NOT A PROMISE BY ANY MEANS, BUT THE ROUGH MATH SAYS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THERE. IF THINGS CHANGE, THEY CHANGE. THAT GIVES US A LOT OF HOPE THAT OUR INITIALLY DESIGNED TIME FRAME, WE’LL BE ABLE TO MEET INTO 2A SOMETIME IN THE EARLY SPRING. YOU TALKED ABOUT ONLY 60% BEING ADMINISTERED. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT A LARGE PORTION OF THE DOSES THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED BUT NOT ADMINISTERED IS IN THE SECOND SHOTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HELD BY THE P.P.P. PROGRAM, C.V.S. AND WALL GREENS. WE GAVE THEM ALL OF THEIR FIRST AND SECOND SHOT ALLOCATIONS WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF THIS PROGRAM. THEY HAVE BEEN KIND OF HOLDING ON TO IT. IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING, THE WHOLE POINT WAS THEY GOT WHAT THEY NEEDED ESPECIALLY 1A AND LONG TERM CARE WAS GOING TO GET THE FIRST AND SECOND DOSE. THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE HAD TO GIVE THEM 60,000 FIRST AND SECOND DOSES EARLY ON. AND NOT ALL OF THOSE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED. THEY’RE GOING THROUGH THEIR PROCESS, THEIR SCHEDULING, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FIRST SHOTS ARE OUT, A LARGE PORTION OF THE SECOND SHOTS ARE OUT. THEY’RE PROBABLY 20,000 DOSES RIGHT THERE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HOLDING. ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, AGAIN, ALLOCATED BUT NOT ADMINISTERED YET, IT REALLY COULD JUST BE DOSES THAT WE’VE ET AL. LOCATED TO OUR FIXED SITES, ALLOCATED TO THE HOSPITALS OR MAYBE EVEN ALLOCATED TO THE CONDPRE INVESTIGATE FACILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ADMINISTERED YET. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A HOME THAT HAS A LOT OF ELDERLY THAT MIGHT HAVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, THEY ARE A CONGREGATE SETTING THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED FIRST AND SECOND SHOTS TO THAT WE ARE SCHEDULING THEM, BUT WE HAVEN’T GONE IN AND ADMINISTERED YET FOR SCHEDULING REASONS, A VARIETY OF REASONS THERE. NO STATE HAS ADMINISTERED ALL OF THEIR VACCINE, YOU ALWAYS HAVE A BIT A BUFFER GIVEN THE AMOUNT, 17 OR EVEN 20,000 DOSES CAME IN THIS WEEK FOR SECOND SHOTS THAT ARE JUST GETTING ADMINISTERED NOW. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A BIT OF A BUFFER. THERE IS A VARIETY OF REASONS WHY NO STATE WHETHER EVER BE AT 100%. OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE SENDING OUT, PUTTING OUT AS MANY SHOTS PER WEEK AS VACCINE AS WE GET IN. THAT’S ABOUT AS GOOD AS YOU CAN ANTICIPATE AND THEN AS WE GET THROUGH THAT P.P.P. PROGRAM AS THAT GROUP 1A GETS FINALIZED, I THINK THE AMOUNT THAT COMES OUT AND GOES IN OR THE PROPORTION THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADMINISTERED YET WILL SHRINK BECAUSE THE LARGEST PART OF THAT PROPORTION IS IN THE P.P.P. PROGRAM. THE VACCINATION NUMBERS, WE HAVE ADMINISTERED 148,000 SHOTS TO DATE, 110,000 OF THOSE ARE FIRST DOSES AND 38,000 ARE SECOND DOSES. IS THERE A LOCATION, A LITTLE LAG IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE WEBSITE FROM THE TIME THE DOSE IS ADMINISTERED AND GETS INTO THE SYSTEM, THERE WILL BE A COUPLE DAYS LAG FOR THE TIME IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU’RE SEEING ON THE WEBSITE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY’S DATA. >> THEY GO ON OUR FRIDAY UPDATE. GOV. SUNUNU: THEY GO ON OUR FRIDAY UPDATE OF THE WEBSITE. >> AND EVENTUALLY ON THE DASHBOARD. GOV. SUNUNU: SO EVERY FRIDAY WE UPDATE THE WEBSITE AND THEN EVENTUALLY THEY’LL BE UPDATED THROUGH THE DASHBOARD AS WELL. >> THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM MICHAEL GRAHAM AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE JOURNAL. MICHAEL, PLEASE GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. REPORTER: THANKS SO MUCH, I GOT ONE QUESTION FOR THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND ONE FOR THE GOVERNOR. THE FIRST TWO DR. CHEN AND THE TEAM, YESTERDAY AND AGAIN TODAY THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON SAID THAT EVEN AFTER RECEIVING THE VACCINATIONS, PEOPLE STILL NEED TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND WEAR MASKS, IT WILL BE ESSENTIAL, OTHERS SAID IT WILL BE REQUIRED. IS THAT TRUE THAT ONCE YOU HAD YOUR FULL REGIMEN OF VACCINATIONS YOU ARE STILL GOING TO BEHAVE AS THOUGH YOU’RE UNVACCINATED AND ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THAT MESSAGE WILL DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM GETTING VACCINATIONS ON THE FENCE IN THE FIRST PLACE? GOV. SUNUNU: I’LL HAVE DR. CHEN COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THAT. DR. CHEN: YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION AND I THINK THAT’S AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT THE CURRENT AVAILABLE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE, THE PFIZER VACCINE AND THE MODERNA VACCINES ARE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 94, 95% EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING COVID-19. NO VACCINE IS GOING TO BE 100% AND NOW WE HAVE THESE NEW CIRCULATING VARIANTS THAT ARE OF CONCERN FOR BEING MORE INFECTIOUS AND MORE TRANSMISSIBLE AND SO THE VACCINE WILL BE THE PRIMARILY WAY IN THE FUTURE BY WHICH WE CONTROL SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. BUT UNTIL WE HAVE VERY HIGH LEVELS OF VACCINATION THROUGHOUT THE POPULATION, EVEN PEOPLE THAT ARE FULLY VACCINATED, EVEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEENINFECTED NEED TO CONTINUE WEAR THEIR MASKS WHEN THEY’RE OUT IN PUBLIC, AVOID SOCIAL AND GROUP GATHERINGS, NO VACCINE IS 100%. IT’S POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE CAN BE FULLY VACCINATED OR HAVE IMMUNITY FROM PRIOR INFECTION AND STILL ACQUIRE ANOTHER INFECTION OR HAVE A VERY MILD CASE OF COVID BUT STILL BE ABLE TO SPREAD IT TO OTHER PEOPLE. OBVIOUSLY, ONCE WE HAVE VERY HIGH LEVELS OF POPULATION VACCINATION, THAT BECOMES LESS OF A CONCERN, BUT UNTIL WE REACH THOSE HIGH LEVELS OF POPULATION VACCINATION COVERAGE, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM THE C.D.C. FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC HEALTH CONTINUES TO BE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS ON TOP OF GETTING VACCINATED TO CONTINUE TO CONTROL SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND THAT WAS WHY IN MY INITIAL REMARKS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SUPPRESS THE POINT THAT VACCINATION COME FIND WITH THE NORMAL COMMUNITY MITIGATION GUIDANCE IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CONTROL OF THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS, THANKS. GOV. SUNUNU: THANK YOU, BEN. WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE, MICHAEL? REPORTER: YES. THERE ARE PARENTS WHO ARE VERY FRUSTRATED THAT THEIR SCHOOLS ARE EITHER CLASSROOM CLOSED ENTIRELY OR MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF CLASS ACTIVITY. I SPOKE IT TO A WOMAN TODAY WHO FELT SHE HAD TO GET HER CHILD INTO A CLASSROOM SETTING, HER FAMILY IS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY TO PAY FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOL, THEY EVEN FACED EVICTION. TWO QUESTIONS, ONE IS WITH THE C.D.C. SAYING YET AGAIN YESTERDAY THAT CLASSROOMS ARE SAFE FOR TEACHERS WITHOUT VACCINATIONS, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE TEACHERS AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO PARENTS IF THE EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT LEGISLATION THAT THE HOUSE IS CONSIDERING THIS WEEK WERE IN PLACE, HOW WOULD IT IMPACT PARENTS WHO REALLY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL SOMEWHERE, THAT’S MY QUESTION. GOV. SUNUNU: SURE, GREAT QUESTION. IT WAS, I GUESS IT WAS REASSURING, I THINK, TO SEE PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ADMINISTRATION AND HIS C.D.C. DIRECTOR COME OUT VERY AGGRESSIVELY YESTERDAY AND SAY THERE IS NO REASON KIDS CAN’T BE BACK INTO SCHOOL SAFELY, THERE IS NO REASON TEACHERS CAN’T BE BACK INTO THAT CLASSROOM SAFELY. THE VAST, VA MAJORITY OF PARENTS ARE FRUSTRATED. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FREE THESE CLASSROOMS NEED TO BE OPENED. I HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT THAT. I KNOW THE UNION LEADERSHIP MIGHT DISAGREE FOR VARIOUS REASONS, THEY AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH. THE KIDS NEED TO GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOMS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON DOWN, THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND THE DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT SAYING OPEN THESE CLASSROOMS AND GET THE KIDS BACK IN. IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO THE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, THEY ARE SAFE. IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATION FREEDOM ACCOUNTS, THOSE PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO TAKE A PORTION OF THE FUNDING THAT GOES, THAT FOLLOWS THAT, THAT SHOULD BE FOLLOWING THE CHILD AND USE IT HOW THEY WANT TO USE IT TO DIRECT THE FUNDING TO THE BEST PATH OF EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDREN, WHETHER IT BE AN ISSUE AROUND COVID, SCHOOL CLOSURES, A MORE INTEGRATED PROGRAM, MAYBE MORE FOCUSED PROGRAMMING TO THE SKILL SET AND I SHOULD SAY THE LEARNING STYLE OF THEIR CHILD, A VARIETY OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE MIGHT CHOOSE TO USE THE STATE’S FUNDING FOR THEIR CHILD AS THEY WISH INSTEAD OF BEING FORCED INTO A ONE-LANE SYSTEM AND OBVIOUSLY THAT LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED TO SIMPLY PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY. THAT’S IT. AS A FAMILY, A PARENT, A CHILD, YOU HAVE SOME CHOICE NOW. YOU HAVE SOME SAY IN THE PATHWAY. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT GIVEN, WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH COVID, A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT ARE DESPERATE TO GET THEIR KIDS BACK IN. THEY’RE DESPERATE TO GET BACK TO WORK FULLTIME AND SOME OF THEM JUST TO GET BACK TO WORK AT ALL. SOME OF THESE PARENTS ARE SIMPLY OUT OF WORK BECAUSE THEIR YOUNGER CHILD HAS TO BE AT HOME. SOMEONE HAS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT CHILD, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, THEY CAN’T GET BACK TO WORK. IT’S A SIGNIFICANT DOMINO, IT HAS TO MOVE FORWARD. THOSE SUPERINTENDENTS, THOSE SCHOOL BOARDS, THOSE TEACHERS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE HAVE TO START HAVING REAL TOUGH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT NOT JUST IF THEY’RE GOING TO OPEN, BUT WHEN AND I THINK THE WHEN IS RIGHT NOW PRESIDENT BIDEN THINKS THE WHEN IS RIGHT NOW. OUTBREAKS ARE COMING DOWN, NOT JUST IN LONG-TERM CARE, OUTBREAKS IN THE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE HAD VERY, VERY FEW, WHAT FEW WE HAD, WE HAD EVEN LESS NOW. WE’RE ON A REALLY, REALLY GOOD PATH HERE. THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS JUST CAN’T SIT ON THE SIDELINES. I HAVE TALKED TO SUPERINTENDENTS DIRECTLY THAT ARE AS FRUSTRATED AS ANYONE, THEIR OWN SYSTEMS ARE CLOSED, THEY’RE FIGHTING THAT FIGHT TO GET SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OPEN. CONCORD AND OTHER CITIES, SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM THERE IS WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO GET THOSE SCHOOLS OPEN BUT KEEP HITTING THAT ROAD BLOCK. EVERY ARGUMENT IS THERE TO OPEN THEM UP. VERY LITTLE ARGUMENT NOT TO. IT’S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND IT’S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR FAMILIES. IT’S NOT POLITICAL AT ALL. IT’S JUST AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR FAMILIES TO GET THESE KIDS BACK IN, SOME OF WHICH HAVEN’T BEEN IN SCHOOL FOR ALMOST A YEAR, THINK ABOUT THAT. SOME KIDS HAVEN’T BEEN IN A CLASSROOM FOR ALMOST A YEAR. THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING. IT’S REALLY NOT. WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO EARLY ON. WE OPEN UP WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY GIVEN THE SUCCESSFUL MODELS WE HAVE SEEN ACROSS THE STATE. >> THE NEXT QUESTION FROM TODD BOOKMAN FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO. GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. REPORTER: THANK YOU, I HAD TWO RELATED QUESTIONS. THE STATE HAS RECORDED FIVE ADDITIONAL DEATHS SINCE DECEMBER FOR PEOPLE AGED 20-39. COULD YOU COMMENT ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THOSE DEATHS, WERE THEY HEALTHCARE WORKERS, WERE THESE PEOPLE LIVING IN INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS AND THEN SECOND, WE KNOW THAT THREE HEALTHCARE WORKERS HAVE ALSO DIED OF COVID-19 SINCE DECEMBER, ARE THEY ABLE TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE FATALITIES, THE DOCTORS, NURSES, HOME HEALTH AIDS, ANY INFORMATION ON THAT? GOV. SUNUNU: YOU’RE ASKING ABOUT EIGHT VERY SPECIFIC CASES OUT OF APPROXIMATELY 400 OR SO. WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT FOR YOU FOR SURE. UNFORTUNATE, WE DON’T HAVE THOSE DETAILS AT OUR FINGERTIPS HERE. WE’LL HAVE THE TEAM LOOK INTO THAT AND TRY TO GET BACK TO YOU, TODD. >> THE NEXT IS FROM ALEXANDER FROM SEACOAST ONLINE, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. REPORTER: HI, GOVERNOR, I’M NOT SURE THE QUESTION IS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU OR PERRY. WHEN YOU SAY THAT THE SECOND DOSE ISSUE, WHEN YOU SAY THAT, THIS IS IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING, WHAT ASSURANCES DO YOU HAVE FROM THE C.D.C. THAT THERE YOU WON’T RUN INTO OTHER GLITCHES AND THEN YOU’RE HAVING A SIMILAR CONVERSATION AND JUST THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR THAT SECOND DOSE IS THAT MUCH HEIGHTENED AND THEN YOU SAID BEFORE JUST HAVING A PLAN B, PLAN C, IN YOUR MIND, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN CASE YOU DO RUN INTO MORE GLITCHES? GOV. SUNUNU: A COUPLE THINGS HERE. I’M NOT ASKING THE CITIZENS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TO TAKE ANY ASSURANCE FROM THE C.D.C. I DON’T TAKE ANY ASSURANCE FROM THE C.D.C. THAT’S EXACTLY WHY WE’RE CHANGING, WE’RE ALL GOING TO PLAN B AND C AS WE’RE LAYING OUT EARLIER IN THIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THAT LOOKS LIKE HAVING OUR OWN SYSTEM. THAT LOOKS LIKE MAKING SURE THAT THE CITIZENS ARE THE COUNTRIES THAT DON’T HAVE TO GO IN AND SCHEDULE THEIR SECOND DOSE. IT’S AUTOMATICALLY SCHEDULED. IT’S HANDED TO THEM ON A CARD. ONCE THEY ARE REGISTERED THE FIRST TIME, THEY DON’T HAVE TO GO IN AND MESS AROUND ANYMORE. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, WE ARE ASKING SOME OF THE FOLKS CAUGHT IN THIS FUNNY ZONE OVER THE PAST WEEK TO STILL GO IN AND REGISTER THEIR SECOND SHOT, AS OF THIS SUNDAY, THEY’LL BE HANDED A CARD AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE BACK END FOR THEM. I WOULD NEVER ASK THE CITIZENS TO HAVE, TO DON’T WORRY, THE C.D.C. IS GOING TO WORK, I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT. I ASK THEM TO TRUST OUR TEAM, WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO AND THE CHANGES THAT WE’RE MAKING TO HANDLE IT AS THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SYSTEM, RIGHT. WE HAVE LEARNED THE FEDERAL SYSTEMS CAN’T BE RELIED UPON. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES, HAVE A NEW HAMPSHIRE DRIVEN SYSTEM AND BE ABLE TO PATCH THE HOLES A LITTLE BIT IF YOU WILL, TO MOVE FORWARD SO MOST IMPORTANTLY, PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO GET THEIR SECOND SHOTS IN ANY SORT OF EXTENDED TIME FRAME WITHIN A WEEK OF THAT DATE, OF THAT PFIZER MODERNA DATE AND THAT’S AS GOOD AS ANYBODY CAN ASK FOR. THAT’S THE GUARANTEE THAT WE’RE MAKING AS A STATE, NOT THROUGH THE C.D.C. >> CALL-IN QUESTIONS ARE SET, SIR. GOV. SUNUNU: WHAT ELSE DO WE GOT? REPORTER: A FOLLOW-UP GOVERNOR, TO CLARIFY, YOU PILED ON THE FEDERAL SYSTEM, BUT WHO CHOSE IT? GOV. SUNUNU: I SAID WE OWNED THIS PROBLEM. THE STATE OWNS THIS PROBLEM AND WE’RE FIXING THIS PROBLEM. WE’RE WALKING AWAY FROM THE FEDERAL SYSTEM. WE PUT OUR FAITH IN IT, C1 MORE MONTHS WE OWN THE PROBLEM. WE APOLOGIZE FOR IT. WE’RE MOVING ON. WE’RE GOING TO BUILD OUR OWN SYSTEM AND WE’RE GOING TO COUNT ON THE PEOPLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE TEAM HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO GET IT DONE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IS AGAIN. WE KNOW IT’S CREATED A LOT OF ANXIETY, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS NOT BEEN A DISASTER. IT WOULD BE A DISASTER OF PEOPLE WEREN’T GETTING THEIR SHOTS. IT WOULD BE DISASTER IF THE WHOLE SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR SHOTS. THIS IS A SCHEDULING ISSUE DON’T WANT TO MINIMIZE IT BECAUSE IT CREATES A LOT OF ANXIETY, BUT WE’RE JUMPING RIGHT ON RIGHT ON TOP OF IT AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE FIXED DISASTERS CAN’T BE FIXED WITH PERRY PLUMBER THE TEAM AT HHS. THEY VIRTUALLY ANYTHING BECAUSE IF FIRST COMES A SHOVEL GO TO PLAN B AND C AND WE’LL DO IT OURSELVES. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE DOING. SURE SYSTEM. NEEDS BANDS TO FUNCTION AT ALL OR WILL IT FUNCTION TOTALLY ON ITS OWN THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. IT WILL STILL VAMPS WILL STILL KEEP TRACK OF WHO HAS GOTTEN THE VACCINE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE SCHEDULING UP FRONT. GOVERNING AROUND TSA WORKERS HAVE EXPRESSED SOME FRUSTRATION AT NOT BEING. PUT IN LINE TO GET THE VACCINE. I KNOW. YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF REQUESTS WHETHER IT’S AIRLINE PILOTS OR APPLIANCE MANUFACTURERS, BUT THESE FOLKS CAN THEY MAKE THEY’RE TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE? WE’RE FIRST RESPONDERS. HOW COME WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THAT? YEAH, A TSA IS NOT A FIRST RESPONDER. THEY’RE NOT PROVIDING EMERGENCY MEDICAL ATTENTION POTENTIALLY LIFE-SAVING ATTENTION TO INDIVIDUALS ON THE FRONT LINES. THEY’RE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY’RE NOT FIREFIGHTERS. SO AGAIN, I WISH WE COULD GIVE TO EVERYBODY I’M NOT TRYING TO YOU KNOW, THEY’VE ASKED AND I’M NOT TRYING TO PILE ON TSA AT ALL, BUT THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE NOT FIRST RESPONDERS. THERE ARE MEMBERS OF TSA THAT ARE THAT THAT KIND OF WORK PART-TIME AND THEY HELP OUT AND AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THEIR PART-TIME FIREFIGHTERS AND THEY OBVIOUSLY ALL QUALIFY, BUT JUST BEING TSA IN AND OF ITSELF. IT’S NOT A FIRST RESPONDER AND HAS NEVER BEEN IDENTIFIED. SO IT IS INTERESTING THEIR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TECHNICALLY. ALL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS VACCINATING A LOT OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY WEREN’T ENDED WITH THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PROGRAM, BUT IT HAVE TO ASK THEM THAT I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY WEREN’T INCLUDED IN THAT BUT THEY’LL BE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR THE VACCINE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AS THEIR TIME, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE ALL AGREE ON I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS NOW IS YOU GOT TO PUT THE MOST VULNERABLE FIRST LIKE THAT’S JUST IT FIRST RESPONDERS HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND THE MOST VULNERABLE AND VIRTUALLY EVERY STATE IS GOING DOWN THAT THAT PATH AND IF YOU DO THAT YOU CAN PUT THAT GET THOSE VACCINATION RATES UP WITH THOSE VERY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THAT’S HOW YOU SEE THAT FATALITY RATE COME DOWN THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE. YOU KNOW ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING STATISTICS THAT I PERSONALLY THINK IS GOING UNDER REPORTED IS THAT IF YOU GET THE FIRST AND SECOND DOSE OF YOUR VACCINE OR WHAT JOHNSON AND JOHNSON IS SAYING WITH WHAT YOU CAN HAPPEN WITH ONE DOSE AND THEN YOU ALLOW FOR THAT 14 DAYS FOR TO FOR YOUR ANTIBODIES TO BUILD UP THE HOSPITALIZATION AND FATALITY RATE WILL GO TO ZERO THAT’S THEIR CLAIM. THAT’S THEIR CLAIM NOT MINE. THAT’S A PRETTY AMAZING STATISTIC AND A PRETTY AMAZING. INCENTIVE TO GET THE VACCINE IT WORKS. YOU STILL MAY HAVE SOME SYMPTOMS. BUT THE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR HOSPITALIZATION OR EVEN DEATH VIRTUALLY. NOBODY HAS THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE. SO THAT’S AN AMAZING INCENTIVE AND AND THAT TELLS ME AGAIN IF FOLKS GET THE VACCINE, ESPECIALLY THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THAT’S HOW WE’RE GOING TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. MAKE SURE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, YOU KNOW ALLOW THE MASS AND THE RESTRICTIONS TO MOVE TO GET BACK TO NORMAL. WHATEVER THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. AND AND AGAIN THE BLESSING IS IT REALLY DOESN’T AFFECT THE THE YOUNGER POPULATION, YOU KNOW A SEVERELY AS SOME OF THE OTHER POPULATIONS AND THAT ALLOWS FOR WHETHER IT’S SCHOOLS BE OR YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU MIGHT SEE THERE ARE OTHER YOU KNOW, WE’VE SEEN OTHER CASES IN HISTORY WHERE CHILDREN ARE JUST AS AFFECTED AS ADULTS BY DIFFERENT PANDEMICS, BUT LUCKILY THAT’S THAT’S NOT THE CASE IN. COMING AROUND THE ISSUE OF SCHOOLS LAST YEAR. YOU WERE ALL ABOUT TATTING FLEXIBILITY AND NOW IT SEEMS LIKE YOU’VE TAKEN A FIRMER POSITION IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN SCHOOL SHOULD REOPEN. DESCRIBE THE EVOLUTION OF YOUR THINKING THERE AND IF THIS IS REALLY THE GOAL YOU WANT WHY NOT USE MORE OF YOUR EMERGENCY POWER OR CHANGE THE GUIDANCE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW WE ALL WE OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO GIVE SCHOOLS ALL THE FLEXIBILITY IN THE WORLD DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF COVID-19. THEY HAD AND AND THE FACT THAT WAS SUCH AN UNKNOWN. I MEAN REMEMBER MARCH APRIL MAY SUCH AN UNKNOWN WE DIDN’T KNOW HOW IT WOULD AFFECT KIDS. WE DIDN’T KNOW HOW EASILY BREAKS MIGHT HAPPEN WITHIN SCHOOLS. WE GAVE HIM FLEXIBILITY IN SEPTEMBER A LARGE PORTION OF OUR SCHOOLS CHOSE TO OPEN AND THEY’VE DONE SUCCESSFULLY. SO THE CHANGE IN THOUGHT IS BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN DATA THE DATA SAYS IN THE MODEL SHOW, IT CAN BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY AND SAFELY FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS EVEN WHEN YOU’VE HAD CLUSTERS OF ILLNESS THE VAST MAJORITY OF NOT ALL STUDENTS GET BETTER IN THEIR BACK IN THE CLASSROOMS. WE’VE HAD A FEW CASES OF TEACHERS GET COVID. THEY COME BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM. SO FROM OVERWHELMINGLY, IT HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL MODEL AND WE’RE JUST ASKING THOSE CLOSE SCHOOLS TO LOOK AT THOSE OF SUCCESS AND WE HAVE JUST A LOT OF CONFIDENCE THAT AND WHY I’M MORE A FIRM AND MOST A LOT OF FOLKS ARE MORE FIRM. THE CDC IS MORE FIRM. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS MORE FIRM THAT THESE SCHOOLS CAN AND SHOULD OPEN. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE PANDEMIC. IT REALLY ISN’T. IT’S IT’S ABOUT THE WHOLE HEALTH OF THESE KIDS THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, YOU KNOW THIS PAST WEEK. WE HAD AN AMAZING YOUNG MAN CHARLIE OLSON, WHO IS THE KID GOVERNOR RIGHT EVERY YEAR. WE DO A KID GOVERNOR IN HIS FOCUS HIS PLATFORM IF YOU WILL WAS ALL ABOUT CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION THE STIGMA AROUND IT AND THE ISSUES THAT GET EXACERBATED BY YOU KNOW THE REMOTE LEARNING A LOT OF KIDS DEAL WITH REMOTE LEARNING JUST FINE. A LOT OF KIDS DON’T AND IT’S THE ISOLATION NOT JUST WITH EDUCATION BUT THE ISOLATION BECAUSE OF OTHER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES OR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES WITH THEIR FRIENDS. SO A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN THERE AND SO AS YOU’RE GOING THROUGH THAT AS A CHILD AND YOUR HOME ALONE, YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU CAN TALK TO YOUR PARENTS, BUT THERE’S NO ONE ELSE TO REALLY REACH OUT OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY. THAT’S A VERY BIG DEAL FOR A KID AND CHARLIE. I SPOKE SO ELOQUENTLY ON IT AND PASSIONATE AND SO ARE NOT JUST ARTICULATE BUT INCREDIBLY SMART ABOUT HIS IDEAS. WE’RE PUTTING MONEY BEHIND IT AND WE’LL ANNOUNCE THAT AS I’VE SAID IN THE NEXT BUDGET PUTTING SOME REAL MONEY BEHIND THESE PROGRAMS. I THINK IT’S ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE ISSUES WITH ALL THE NEW EDUCATION FUNDING THAT WE HAVE. THE NUMBER ONE ISSUES. THAT SCHOOLS CAN AND MUST TAKE UP WHETHER IT’S THROUGH A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING PLATFORM ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR GUIDANCE COUNSELORS OR WHATEVER. IT MIGHT BE BUDDY, BUT BUDDY PROGRAMS. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT CHARLIE. TALKED ABOUT SO, YOU KNOW, EVERY KID KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE A BUDDY THEY CAN TALK TO WHEN THEY’RE. DOWN AND INTO THE POINT OF NOT JUST FEELING DOWN BUT YOU KNOW REAL DEPRESSION. THESE ARE REALITIES FOR THOUSANDS OF KIDS IN OUR STATE NOW, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE CAN HELP BE DEALT WITH IF WE CAN GET THEM BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM, AND I’M JUST YOU KNOW, IMPLORING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN RESISTING GOING BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM TO UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE HEALTH OF THE CHILD HAS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN YOU’RE MAKING THAT DECISION TO OPEN AND CLOSE AND YES, I THINK IT AS WE GET MORE OF THE VULNERABLE POPULATION OF VACCINATED AS WE START LOOKING AT REDUCING THE RESTRICTIONS WE HAVE ON BUSINESSES, OBVIOUSLY. COMES THE FLEXIBILITY WE’VE GIVEN TO SOME OF THE SCHOOLS. THERE’S GOING TO BE A MUCH. ARMOR PUSH WE’RE TRYING OUR BEST TO I THINK ALL THE ARGUMENTS ARE THERE. ALL THE REASON IS THERE TO OPEN UP. ARE HOPING THAT THEY DO IT ON THEIR OWN SO WE DON’T HAVE TO COME DOWN WITH AN IRON FIST, BUT IF I HAVE TO COME DOWN WITH AN IRON FIST ON BEHALF OF THESE KIDS, YOU’RE DONE REAL WHITE RIGHT? I’M GOING TO DO IT, BUT WE THINK AND I REALLY HOPE THAT MOST OF THESE DISTRICTS UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND THEY START HAVING A CHANGE OF HEART. IT HAS TO BE ABOUT THE OUTCOMES FOR THESE KIDS. I DON’T NEED ME TO GO ON SO LONG ABOUT IT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT’S REALLY THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE. THIS STATE IS GOING TO BE FACING OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS BEYOND THE PANDEMIC. OKAY. WELL WELL, THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. TWO THINGS TWO QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE WE END I THINK NEXT THURSDAY. HAVE MY BUDGET ADDRESSED THAT WILL BE HOSTED LIVE. AT 12 O’CLOCK IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, SO WE WILL BE DOING THE PRESS CONFERENCE NEXT TUESDAY AT THREE O’CLOCK. WE’LL KIND OF SPLIT THOSE TWO THINGS UP. SO NEXT TUESDAY AT THREE. WE’LL HAVE OUR NEXT PRESS CONFERENCE. I’LL BRING PEOPLE UP TO SPEED AS TO HOW WE’RE DOING THE VACCINATIONS TESTING ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AND NEXT THURSDAY AT NOON. I’LL BE DOING A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE BUDGET PROCESS WHICH BOY THAT HAS THAT HAS EVOLVED A LOT OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, BUT I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR A LOT OF FOLKS AND A LOT O