Updates: Governor orders all N.H. restaurants to move to take-out only

Gov. Chris Sununu has ordered all restaurants and bars to serve patrons only by takeout, delivery, and drive-through methods after Monday.

The state has also prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people for any purpose in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“We do not take this decision lightly,” Sununu said. “This will be hard, but we are all in this together. Service industry employees affected by this temporary change will be able to qualify for unemployment benefits effective immediately tomorrow, where we will announce steps and set up a hotline and website for any worker adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Concord’s City Hall has closed to the public until further notice, city officials announced Monday.

In addition, the city’s library, its community centers, and recreation facilities, including the Everett Arena and Beaver Meadow Gold Course have closed.

The public has been advised to do as much business as it can online, including registering automobiles and paying most bills.

The city’s police and fire departments said they will attempt to all conduct non-essential business by phone, but will still respond to emergencies.

“Officers will be enacting social distancing whenever possible. Police business will be conducted over the phone versus in person whenever feasible,” Concord Police announced Monday. “Any non-emergencies can be reported by calling the Police Department at 225-8600 and asking to speak with an officer. We will also be temporarily suspending fingerprinting for the foreseeable future.”

State-owned Cannon Mountain remains open even as private ski areas around the state close down.

“Right now we are open on a day-to-day basis unless instructed otherwise by the Governors Office or the Commissioner of Department of Natural and Cultural Resources,” said Greg Keeler, director of marketing and sales.

The mountain was originally scheduled to be open until April 12.

“In light of how fast things are changing, it would be hard to predict how far our season will go,” Keeler said.

The Department of Corrections has suspended all visitation and volunteer services.

“The department understands the importance of visitation, volunteer programming, interns and attorney/client activity and will be assessing and monitoring the situation on a daily basis,” the department said in a statement Monday. “We will lift these restrictions when it is safe to do so.”

As of Monday, four more people in the state have tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 17.

The new confirmed cases of Covid-19 are three adult males and one female under the age of 18 years, who are from Grafton, Rockingham, and Carroll counties.

None of them have been hospitalized. For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough, and the vast majority recover.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. People with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover, according to the World Health Organization.

New Hampshire’s circuit, superior and supreme courts will remain open on a restricted basis through April 6, with nearly all in-person proceedings halted.

Exceptions include bail-related matters and plea agreements; requests for protection orders and hearings in domestic violence and juvenile abuse cases; and emergency proceedings, including those related to the Covid-19 public health emergency.

In-court proceedings are limited to attorneys, parties, security officers and other necessary people as determined by judges.

The New Hampshire State Police-Marine Patrol Unit has canceled two meetings on boating safety for Lakes Region boaters due to concerns about the new coronavirus.

The first meeting was scheduled at the town of Moultonborough's public safety building on March 19. The second was at Marine Patrol Headquarters in Gilford on March 26.

In addition to boating safety, topics were to include the enforcement of recent restrictions on aqua-therm devices that inhibit ice; illegal rafting; boat speed in “No Wake" zones; and safe passage.