Weekly Update - September 3, 2021

Dear Community Partner,

As the chief public health strategist for the Greater Nashua Public Health Region (GNPHR), the Nashua Divisionof Public Health and Community Services (DPHCS) prepares weekly updates to inform our community onmatters related to the health and safety of our community. The Greater Nashua Public Health Region (GNHPR)includes the towns and cities of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Lyndeborough, Mason,Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham, and Wilton.

COVID-19 Data Update

Community level transmission is determined by two metrics established in conjunction with the State ofNew Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC). When the number of new cases per 100k over 14 days is less than 50 OR thepercent positivity rate is below 5%, a community is designated as "GREEN" or minimal. When casesexceed 50 per 100k OR the percent positivity rate is between 5% to 10%, a community is designated as"YELLOW" or moderate. When a community exceeds the highest threshold (>100 cases per 100k OR>10% positivity rate), a community is designated as "RED" or substantial.

Currently, the city of Nashua is experiencing SUBSTANTIAL community level transmission.

Active CaseA case that is currently sick or inisolation due to COVID-19.

New Infections per 100kNumber of new cases within 14 daysstandardized by population size tocompare across groups. This showshow quickly disease is occurring inthe community or the incidence ofdisease.

7-Day Total Test Positivity RateNumber of PCR and Antigen teststhat are positive compared to thenumber of PCR and Antigen teststhat are negative over the past 7days. A rising positivity rate indicatesa rising number of infections in thecommunity.

Fully VaccinatedPercent of residents fullyvaccinated. Full vaccination occurs 2weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

Enjoy a Safe and Healthy Labor Day Weekend

As we head into the long weekend, we encourage our community to practice healthy behaviors toenjoy a safe holiday. While we are looking forward to the beautiful weather to come, please considermaking these simple choices to enjoy a safe and healthy holiday celebration.

The entire State of New Hampshire continues to experience substantial community transmission asCOVID-19 cases continue to rise. At this time, only 54.1% of NH residents are fully vaccinated againstCOVID-19. If you are attending a celebration, take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

If you are not feeling well, or are experiencing any symptoms of respiratory illness, stay home.If you are immunocompromised or at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, considerstaying home to best protect yourself. Enjoy the beautiful weather by spending time outside andconsider virtual celebrations!If you attend an indoor celebration, wear a face mask, regardless of your vaccination status.If you attend a large outdoor celebration, consider wearing a face mask to protect yourself andthose around you.If you plan to travel, review the CDC's travel guidance prior to traveling to decide what's best foryou and your family. Everyone, even people who are fully vaccinated, will still be required towear a face mask on public transportation.

In addition, there are other precautions that can be taken to enjoy the holiday weekend.Have a designated driver if you plan to drink alcohol. This includes vehicles and boats.Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, such as water. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.Slow down, stay indoors, and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.Make sure to swim sober and always swim with a buddy. Know your limitations and make sureyou have enough energy to swim back to shore.Keep a close eye on children around any body of water.

Nashua Public Health wishes you a safe, healthy, and happy Labor Day!

Face Masks Required in Nashua City Hall & Other Public City Buildings

Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and continued substantialcommunity transmission in the City of Nashua, face masks arerequired to be worn by all individuals in public areas of Nashua'sCity Hall, Division of Public Health, and Department of PublicWorks, regardless of vaccination status. In line with federalguidelines, face masks are also required to be worn while riding citypublic transit buses. Signs are posted to remind staff and visitors.

The City of Nashua has been experiencing substantial communitytransmission since the first week of August. “Reinstituting thewearing of masks inside Nashua City Hall is a critical step in keepingeveryone safe and getting our city through this public health crisis," said Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess.

The City of Nashua does not currently have a face mask mandate, although businesses andorganizations retain authority to require use of face coverings on their property.

Individuals who are not fully vaccinated, immunocompromised, or at increased risk for severe diseasefrom COVID-19, should continue to wear a face mask when in public indoor locations at any level ofcommunity transmission. This also applies to individuals who have someone in their household who isnot fully vaccinated, immunocompromised, or at increased risk of severe disease.

For more information about face mask guidance, visit https://www.nashuanh.gov/1392/Face-Masks.

NH Health Alert Network Moves to NEW Platform - Sign Up Today!from the State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services:

The New Hampshire Department of Health andHuman Services implemented a new notification andalerting system for the Health Alert Networkmessaging on September 1, 2021.

The new system continues to provide the ability tocommunicate important situational updates and send emergency alerts. In addition, you will now havethe ability to directly access your account online at any time and manage your contact information andnotification preferences.

For new users wishing to sign up to receive HAN messages, an online portal is now available foraccount registration. Current users do not need to register for an account. NH DHHS will automaticallytransfer your current account into our new system.

For any questions or concerns regarding this message, please email DHHS.Health.Alert@dhhs.nh.gov.

DPHCS had a great time at Nashua BrasilFest!

Our Public Health Staff attended this event to provide public health education andconnect with Nashua Community Members. We even administered 15 COVID-19 vaccines!

Our very own Community Health Worker, Silvia Petuck, was presented with theCommunity Global Award for all her hard work in protecting the health and safety of our

community. Way to go, Silvia!

September is Recovery Month - Recovery is Possible

Why have an entire month dedicated to celebrating recovery you may ask? Recovery Month remindseveryone that Substance Use Disorder and Mental Illness can happen to anyone, but it also reminds usthat recovery is possible. Let’s take a minute to think about it in a different way. Have you ever brokena bone, had surgery or even had a common cold? You had to somehow recover from those ailments. Itwas not easy; it took time to feel better. Everyone recovers differently, some may take medications,and some may use a different approach.

In the same way, recovery from Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder has many different routes.For example some people may need residential treatment while others may be able to use medicationassisted treatment along with outpatient treatment to work towards recovery of Substance UseDisorder. In the case of Mental Illness, depending on the diagnosis, someone may require medicationwhile another might work with a Mental Health Counselor to increase behavioral tools to manage theirmental health symptoms.

The goal of recovery is to increase the quality of life of a person. There are many recovery stories bothof Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder. There are currently over 23 million people in long-termrecovery from a Substance Use Disorder in the United States alone. The main message of recoverymonth is a hopeful and simple one “Recovery is Possible”. Check out the following recovery story byEd McDonough, a leader in the Greater Nashua Community.

Recovery Story by Ed McDonough

Recovery is possible! It happened for me. My name is EdMcDonough, I am in long term recovery. My story began in GreaterBoston, coming from a middle class family with a nurse as a motherand police officer as a father. I had a private school education with achildhood that consisted of sports; especially hockey, boy scoutsand a good family, but also included other things -- fears, doubtsand insecurities. Alcohol was the first substance I ever used, it mademe feel at ease and able to socialize without thinking about thosefears doubts and insecurities. After realizing that I liked the feelingthat alcohol gave me all I wanted was to have that feeling more andmore often. During this time I started middle school, still playedhockey, but a perfect storm of circumstances changed this storyfrom alcohol and marijuana to prescription drugs and later heroin.

A hockey injury occurred around the same time my grandfather moved in with my family due to hiscancer diagnosis. I was prescribed a small amount of opiates for my hockey injury. I discovered I likedthe feeling of not having pain both physical and emotional. When my own prescription ran out I didn’thave to go far to access more. My grandfather was in the same home with a large supply ofunsupervised opiates. As my grandfather’s cancer progressed and the opiates prescribed became astronger dose so progressed my opiate use. I could use alcohol but my parents, teachers or coachescould detect the smell of alcohol. Opiates for me through middle and high school were easilyaccessible, free, had no detectable smell, I could sit right next to my police officer father after takingopiates and no one would be able to tell.

There were some beliefs that also played a part in this story. I believed I was treating my hockey injury,I believed prescription opiates were safer than other substances after all it was prescribed by a doctorand it was not Heroin. I soon found myself not being able to function without opiates. Withdrawal wasawful I needed to continue to use just not to feel sick. When the supply of opiates was no longeravailable at home I began to purchase it from friends, I saw several doctors for pain and was prescribedopiates but it wasn’t enough. I soon was unable to afford my prescription drug use. The beliefs of rightand wrong were replaced by the necessity to not feel sick from withdrawal. I didn’t see anyalternatives. Heroin became easily accessible and was cheaper than prescription opiates. When I wascharged with armed robbery I realized something had to change. I went to Detox, tried MedicationAssisted Treatment but in retrospect realize that I wasn’t addressing the reason I used, those fears,doubts and insecurities. At the time nothing seemed to work, I couldn’t relate to clinicians. It wasn’tuntil I found a place that offered me structure and therapy that I was able to have those real and hardconversations with myself. I needed to be shown how to be sober one day at a time by people whowere also going through the same struggles I was. That’s when I was able to find recovery. I finally feltthat someone was able to relate to how I thought and felt. I knew I wanted to stay sober but now I wasworking on the “now what”. My belief changed from “It can’t be me I’m a great kid to it is me”. Irealized I didn’t have to do it alone and that I no longer ran the show the substance did and thatneeded to change.

Recovery brought me my family back. It has brought me the opportunity to help others, independencefrom a substance that ruled my life and personal independence. Recovery has lifted a burden from myshoulders, it has brought me relief; no more guilt, shame or remorse. I no longer have to look over myshoulder. But most importantly it has brought me contentment, being ok with myself and knowing thateverything will be okay because I have worked on those fears doubts and insecurities but it’s also anongoing process and I will continue to work on my recovery. This year I celebrate 10 years in sustainedrecovery!

EQUITY CORNER:Culturally Effective Organizations Framework Learning Forum

Want to learn about and explore theorganizational framework to provide highquality care, programs, and services for allcalled the Culturally Effective OrganizationsFramework - foundational on the pathtowards equity?

Join the NH Equity Collective on October 26from 1 to 4pm via zoom!

Learn more and register here.

Prepare to Protect: MAKE A PLAN

This week, celebrate National PreparednessMonth by talking to your friends and familyabout how you will communicate before,during, and after a disaster.

Step 1: Put a plan together by discussing thequestions below with your family, friends, orhousehold to start your emergency plan.

1. How will I receive emergency alertsand warnings? NH uses a systemknown as NH Alerts, sign up today!

2. What is my shelter plan?3. What is my evacuation route?4. What is my family/household communication plan?5. Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?6. Check with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and update my emergency plans due

to Coronavirus.

Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household. As you prepare your plan tailor your plans andsupplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilitiesand how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business,pets, or specific needs like operating medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specificareas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:

Different ages of members within your householdResponsibilities for assisting othersLocations frequentedDietary needsMedical needs including prescriptions and equipmentDisabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipmentLanguages spokenCultural and religious considerationsPets or service animalsHouseholds with school-aged children

Step 3: Fill out a Family Emergency Plan. Download and fill out our family emergency plan or use it as aguide to create your own.

Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household!

For additional information and tips, visit https://www.ready.gov/plan.

Public Health Resources

Nashua COVID-19 Hotline: 603-589-3456

Workforce Development

Free Training: Learning EffectiveCommunication Strategies throughTechnology and Best Practices(September 13, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM)Learn More and Register Here

Job Opportunity: Public HealthEmergency Preparedness CoordinatorApply Here

Additional Resources

Nashua COVID-19 Website

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Regional DataDashboard

NH Housing Assistance

Regional Food Resources

Statewide Resources

Upcoming Events

COVID-19 TestingMondays and Wednesdays / 8 to 10 a.m. or 3 - 4 p.m.Harbor Care Health & Wellness (45 High St., Nashua)By Appointment: 603-821-7788

Lamprey Health Care (22 Prospect St., Nashua)By Appointment: 603-883-1626

September 6 - DPHCS Closed in honor of Labor Day

Immunizations (including COVID), Child Lead TestingSeptember 7 / 4 - 7 p.m.Nashua Public Health (18 Mulberry St., Nashua)By Appointment: Call 603-589-4500, Option 2

STD/HIV/HCV Testing, COVID-19 VaccinesSeptember 8 / 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua)

SSANASeptember 8 / 2 - 4 p.m.(29 Temple St., Nashua)

STD/HIV/HCV Testing, COVID-19 VaccinesSeptember 9 / 3 - 6 p.m.Nashua Public Health (18 Mulberry St., Nashua)By Appointment: Call 603-589-4500, Option 2

Immunizations (including COVID), Child Lead TestingSeptember 10 / 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.Nashua Public Health (18 Mulberry St., Nashua)By Appointment: Call 603-589-4500, Option 2

The New Hampshire Public Health Association(NHPHA) supports science-based public health policyand has a goal of informing citizenry of changesneeded in the laws and government in order toimprove public health. Subscribe to the ”Health in AllPolicies” E-News on their website.

NHResponds is the system used pre-registervolunteers who are interested in responding in anemergency. Whether you are a healthcare provider,administrative specialist, a retired professional, orready to help in your community, New Hampshireneeds you. Check it out!

City of Nashua Division of Public Health and Community ServicesGreater Nashua Public Health Network(603) 589-4500www.nashuanh.gov/DPHCS

STAY CONNECTED!