10 Long-Term Care Outbreaks In NH Cleared Of Coronavirus

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has closed 10 long-term care outbreak cases saying infections have ended at the facilities, according to data released Friday.

Infections ended at the facilities between late April and Friday but 76 residents died due to COVID-19 during the outbreaks. Eighteen outbreak cases at long-term care facilities are still active and being tracked by the state. Hundreds of residents and staffers have been infected at those facilities while 109 residents have also died.

The state also announced six more people, all from Hillsborough County, have died. The four men and two women were all 60 years of age or older and lived in long-term care facilities. Fatalities are now at 238 in New Hampshire — 82 percent of them from long-term care facilities. All but 12 of the 238 deaths are people 60 or older, according to the state's data.

The state reported 107 new positive test results Friday, mostly centered at nursing homes and others facilities, bringing the accumulative count in the state to 4,492 cases. Three of the new cases are children while 74 percent were women and 26 percent men. Eighty-eight of the new cases live in Hillsborough County while seven reside in Rockingham County and two live in Merrimack County. Eleven of the new cases have no identified risk factors while most of the rest became infected due to contact with confirmed cases or travel.

More than 2,800 people have recovered from the coronavirus while 105 remain hospitalized. Approximately 3,900 people are under public health monitoring while 81,089 test specimens have been collected from more than 70,000 people — and 94.5 percent of tests reporting a negative result.

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Health Department Releases New Data Dashboard

The state's health department unveiled a new data dashboard to help Granite Staters track data.

The goal of the dashboard, according to Lori Shibinette, the commissioner of the health department, is to make it easy as possible to access.

"The COVID-19 Dashboard is a great opportunity to provide our residents with data about the COVID-19 emergency in New Hampshire," she said. "It is easy to access and navigate, and the presentation of the data provides our residents with meaningful information about the spread of the virus in their communities. My gratitude to the public health and information services staff who created the Dashboard."

To access the dashboard, click on this link here.

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Learn More About The Spread Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

• Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.
• Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.
• Anybody who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspect COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic medical conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers need to move to telework as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that this virus can survive for hours or possibly even a few days on surfaces, so people should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e., social distancing).
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.

• Guidance to schools can be found can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, click on this link here.

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• 101 More Coronavirus Positive Tests; 9 More Die: NH Data Update
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• Concord Audio Installer Creates Face Shields For Cops, Others

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