Amid Omicron Surge, Pappas, Kuster Hold Live Telephone Town Hall with NH Health Experts

Press Release

Last night, Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) hosted a telephone town hall to discuss the recent Omicron surge in New Hampshire, the state's ongoing COVID-19 response, and steps Granite Staters can take to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Pappas and Kuster took questions from New Hampshire residents and were joined on the call by New Hampshire State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, and New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Director of the Division of Public Health Services, Patricia Tilley.

The representatives and officials answered questions from Granite Staters about federal resources provided to schools to ensure they have the testing capacity needed to keep students in class; the efficacy of the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines and boosters at preventing severe disease and hospitalization; Monoclonal antibody treatment availability in New Hampshire and their effectiveness against the Omicron variant; and where to find at-home COVID-19 testing kits in the Granite State.

"Since the pandemic began, I've made it a priority to share information and answer questions from Granite Staters as often as possible," said Congressman Chris Pappas. "This latest telephone town hall gave us another chance to address vital issues facing New Hampshire including access to testing, vaccinations, the Omicron variant, and more. Information is a vital tool at this point in the pandemic, and the facts are stark: unvaccinated individuals are five times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, 12 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19, and 14 times more likely to die of COVID-19. That is why I encourage everyone to get the vaccine and get a booster shot when eligible. They are safe, effective, and the best defense we have against this virus. I remain committed to doing all I can to ensure New Hampshire has the resources we need to remain safe and overcome this pandemic."

"As we approach nearly two years of this pandemic, it is critical we continue to communicate with Granite Staters about the national and state-level responses to this virus, and hear directly from constituents about the challenges they are facing. These town halls help us do just that," said Rep. Kuster. "In the last year, we took great strides towards crushing this pandemic by passing the transformative American Rescue Plan to help distribute COVID vaccines and deliver critical relief to hospitals and health care workers. The safe, effective vaccines have been an incredible tool against this virus, and will continue to be a critical component of addressing the recent surge driven by the Omicron variant. I thank Dr. Benjamin Chan and Patricia Tilley for taking the time to join us and take questions from Granite Staters. As always, people who have questions or are in need of assistance can contact my team by giving our Concord office a call at (603) 226-1002 or visiting my website at Kuster.house.gov."

Pappas and Kuster have held fifteen telephone town halls since their first one on March 10th, 2020. The Representatives will continue to keep communities updated on federal efforts to support and protect people in New Hampshire and across the country.

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