Aug. 26 – CONCORD — A state-paid consultant’s report concluded that New Hampshire showed “strong leadership and sound judgment” in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tidal Basin Government Consulting wrote this report following the completion of the study, which included interviews with government officials and external partners, as well as document analysis and surveys.
“New Hampshire has repeatedly demonstrated strong leadership and sound judgment in coordinating resources, implementing policies, and communicating with the public,” the report concluded.
Gov. Chris Sununu released the report Monday, saying it was consistent with the work of other groups comparing how state governments handled COVID-19.
“Ranking after ranking showed that New Hampshire’s response was praised for our groundbreaking vaccine and testing distribution, reopening guidelines that put stakeholders in charge, support for our small businesses, and getting kids back to school,” Sununu said.
“New Hampshire’s success is not due to government, but to the countless individuals in the community who came together in our response and recovery. To every Granite Stater, I say thank you.”
According to Sununu, 82% of respondents said the state has provided “timely, accurate and coordinated communications” about the pandemic.
Over a 15-month period ending in mid-June 2021, Sununu held 111 press conferences, issued 250 press releases and posted more than 4,000 social media posts about the pandemic.
According to Sununu, the state’s call center handled 211 million calls.
The report found that the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, established by Sununu, efficiently channeled more than $2 billion in federal aid.
Sununu said state agency heads are currently reviewing a number of recommendations from the report to further improve the state’s emergency response.
klandrigan@unionleader.com
