27 More Infected With COVID-19 In New Hampshire: Data Update

CONCORD, NH — Another 27 Granite Staters have contracted COVID-19 in New Hampshire, according to state health officials.

The new infections included a child and 70 percent of them were male. Twelve of the cases reside in Rockingham County while five live in Merrimack County and one live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua as well as Manchester and Nashua each.

Only one of the new cases needed hospitalization while 11 are currently receiving care.

The new cases bring the accumulative number of infections to 7,134 in New Hampshire with 6,450 recovering from the virus. The state currently has 255 active cases.

Nine of the newly infected told contact tracers they had no identified risk factors meaning they have not traveled, have not been in contact with a confirmed case, or are not associated with an outbreak setting.

"Community-based transmission continues to occur in the state and has been identified in all counties," the State Joint Information Center said.

The state collected 2,375 polymerase chain reaction tests Sunday but only eight antibody laboratory tests — the lowest in many weeks. Around 1,200 test results are pending. The state reported Monday more than 198,000 people have been tested with PCR tests in New Hampshire. Nearly 30,000 people have been tested for antibodies. More than 304,000 tests have been issued in the Granite State.

Concord, which has been at five cases or less for nearly a month, now has 10 active cases while cases have doubled in Merrimack County to 23. Nashua and Salem have 13 cases each while Londonderry has eight. Bedford, Exeter, and Milford have seven and Merrimack has six. Amherst, Hampton, Portsmouth, and Windham all have between one and four infections. North Hampton has none.

Approximately 2,100 people are under public health monitoring by the state.

Stop 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.
• When you can't practice 6 feet of social distancing, wear a face covering.
• Anyone who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic and underlying health conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers should work from home as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that the virus can survive for hours or possibly days on surfaces. 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.
• Wear a face covering.
• 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.
• To access the state's COVID-19 Interactive Map Dashboard, click on this link here.

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• NH Restaurant Owners: COVID-19 Liquor Inspectors Are A Real Buzzkill

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