KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – A report analyzing the State of New Hampshire’s response to the COVID-29 pandemic has been released.

The report was written by a third-party consulting team, and analyzes the state’s response to the pandemic, response outcomes, strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations, according to a news release from Governor Chris Sununu’s office. The team also interviewed state employees, members of state leadership, and external partners.

“New Hampshire repeatedly demonstrated strong leadership and sound judgement when coordinating resources, implementing policies, and communicating with the public,” the COVID-19 After Action Report stated.

82% of people surveyed as part of the report agreed that the state provided timely, accurate, and coordinated communications about the virus.

Sununu issued a State of Emergency declaration on March 16, 2020, which expired on June 17 2021. The Governor and senior members of state leadership held a total of 111 press conferences on COVID, sent more than 250 press releases, and more than 4,000 social media posts from the Department of Health and Human Services. The state’s COVID-19 call center took 211,325,513 calls in total.

The report also applauded The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, or GOFERR’s, effectiveness in coordinating and efficiency in distributing federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Other highlights from the report outlined in the release include the state’s leadership, communications, and vaccination clinics.

“In ranking after ranking, New Hampshire’s approach was heralded for our groundbreaking vaccine and testing distribution, reopening guidelines that put stakeholders in the driver’s seat, supporting our small businesses, and getting kids back in the classroom,” Sununu said. “New Hampshire’s success is not because of government, it’s because of countless individuals across the community who came together in response and recovery. To every Granite Stater, I say thank you.”

The report also made some recommendations to further improve the state’s effectiveness and efficiency in handling emergency situations that the release says state departments and agencies have begun reviewing. Some of those recommendations included developing/revising the standard continuity of operations template for state agencies, incorporating emergency preparedness information and resources during state employee onboarding, developing clear guidelines for when and how the National Guard should be activated during emergencies, and conducting load testing for critical IT systems to simulate high volumes of traffic.

A copy of the 85 page State of New Hampshire COVID-19 After Action report is available to view here. You can also view an archive of WKBK’s coverage of the pandemic here.