New Hampshire Receiving 60K Rapid Covid-19 Tests Following Push From Senator Hassan

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan successfully secured 60,000 additional rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to New Hampshire following her push to the Biden administration.

Senator Hassan had written a letter last month to the Department of Health and Human Services discussing Granite Staters’ difficulties in accessing COVID-19 tests, and calling on the agency to ensure that testing supplies go to the areas with the highest need. In response to Senator Hassan’s follow up question during yesterday’s hearing, a top administration official shared that New Hampshire will be getting 60,000 rapid tests.

For coverage highlights, see below:

Union Leader: 60,000 rapid tests coming to N.H. after Hassan presses federal health officials

By Josie Albertson-Grove

The federal government has pledged to deliver 10,000 rapid-result COVID-19 tests to New Hampshire over the next six weeks, in an effort to make the tests easier to access.

Schools are using rapid tests to make sure children with coughs and runny noses do not have COVID-19, and families are using the tests to help ensure they don’t expose their loved ones to the virus, if they suspect infection. The rapid tests are available over the counter, but have at times been scarce.

As Sen. Maggie Hassan questioned Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about slow test results and the lack of over-the-counter rapid tests during a hearing of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday, O’Connell said federal officials were working to supply rapid tests to New Hampshire. […]

Seacoast Current: Hassan Brings 60,000 COVID-19 Tests to NH

By Dan Alexander

After hearing about a lack of COVID-19 tests in New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan was told during a Senate committee hearing today that the state will receive 60,000 rapid antigen tests.

Hassan wrote a letter to the Biden Administration asking for the tests and got the news from Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS. The tests will arrive from manufactured Abbott in 10,000 increments for six weeks meaning 60,000 tests will be in New Hampshire by Christmas.

O’Connell said her office will continue to watch the time it takes to get back results. […]

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