‘They've been cooped up so long’

CONCORD — Some outdoor attractions such as driving ranges, fishing charters and paintball courses serving small groups can now reopen, Gov. Chris Sununu said in a news conference on Monday.

On Tuesday, Bob Santos, the golf pro at Waukewan Golf Club, said the driving range was open for the first time of the season. Golf courses themselves reopened on May 11 with social distancing requirements.

Several customers showed up to the driving range under clear, sunny skies. 

“Generally everyone is thrilled to get out,” Santos said. “They’ve been cooped up so long and mulling around inside.”

Because of COVID-19, some things are different than usual. Club rental is prohibited. Buckets holding golf balls are cleaned after every use. Santos is prohibited from providing in-person golfing instruction.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that the golf balls hit on the range are scooped up once a week and put through a golf ball washer, he said.

Amid amid generally good COVID-19 test data, the state has slowly been easing restrictions placed on businesses to prevent spread of the disease. 

Remaining closed for now are larger group activities and tourist attractions, such as amusement parks, water parks, race tracks, tourist trains, boat cruises and indoor attractions.

However, other outdoor attractions serving groups of 10 people or fewer that can open include shooting ranges, centers for biking, canoe and kayak rentals, mini-golf, driving ranges and outdoor guiding services for fishing, hunting and hiking.

Also, new guidance has been posted on the state's NH.gov site for child care centers to reopen. Some of these centers have continued to operate for children of essential workers, but Sununu said more need to open as people return to work and child care needs increase.

Sununu said stepped up testing showing declining rates of COVID-19 infection allows parts of the economy to safely reopen.

“Yesterday we (announced) nearly 2,400 tests and 41 new positive cases, or below 2 percent, the lowest ever,” he said. “It’s a single data point and we know we're going to have our ups and downs, but it’s clearly a good sign.”

In the news conference, state Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan announced Monday’s COVID-19 case report — 57 new cases, no new deaths, 172 dead to date, nine new hospitalizations and a total of 3,652 people who have been diagnosed with the disease in the state since the start of the pandemic.

Chan said diagnostic and antibody testing is coming up with an infection rate of 4 percent or less. 

People need to continue to be diligent about public distancing, wearing face masks, practice good hand hygiene and stay home as much as possible in order to prevent an uptick in the disease, he said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Sununu said he continues to worry about the potential of a cluster of infections occurring from a single source as has been seen in other areas of the country, including during religious services, which are still prohibited in New Hampshire.

He also worries about the disease gaining strength later in the year.

“I anticipate a second surge,” Sununu said. “I would love it if it doesn’t happen, but we have to plan for that in October, November, December. It would be naive of us to think that it can’t happen.”