3 More Deaths, Another 722 Positive Coronavirus Cases In NH

CONCORD, NH — State health officials announced on Sunday that another 722 positive coronavirus cases, including 95 children, had been found in the latest round of testing.

The bulk of the new cases, about two-thirds, were found via polymerase chain reaction tests. Only 5,600 PCR tests were issued on Saturday while about 8,700 were collected on Friday.

The 722 new infections were from specimens collected across five days: 23 were from cases Tuesday, bringing that day's case count to 972 — the second-highest single-day count of positive cases, 170 were from Wednesday, 42 were from Thursday, 92 were from Friday, and 395 were from the specimens collected on Saturday.

The gender of the latest tests were slightly more male the female, according to the state, and most caught the virus from a confirmed case or an outbreak setting.

The county of residency is still being determined on 19 new cases but 188 reside in Rockingham County, 179 live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 142 live in Merrimack County, and 38 reside in Nashua.

Another three people have died related to COVID-19 — one woman, from Coos County, and two men, one from Grafton County and another from Rockingham County. They all lived in long-term care settings, according to the state's data dashboard. Two were 80 years of age or older and one was between 70 and 79.

The state has administered nearly 949,000 tests to a third of the state's residents — about 465,000 Granite Staters, according to the latest data. Another 34,000 people have received antibody tests.

The state said 251 were currently hospitalized and recoveries had risen to 77 percent of cases, about 24,000 people.

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Active cases in K-12 schools in New Hampshire have dropped to 62 with 925 recoveries.

New and active cases in Patch communities include three cases at Concord High School, one case at Windham High School, one case at South Londonderry Elementary School, and two cases at the Windham Middle School.

There are three active cases at colleges and universities in New Hampshire.

Vaccine Is On Its Way To NH

The state health department also announced the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine was expected in New Hampshire on Monday.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved for emergency use last week. Two doses of the vaccine, which will be administered three weeks apart, will be available to 12,675 Granite Staters. Health officials will be giving "at-risk health workers including front-line clinical staff providing direct patient care" the first doses.

"New Hampshire is ready to hit the ground running to do our part in delivering this game-changing vaccine," Gov. Chris Sununu said. "It is an all-hands-on-deck effort for one of the most important undertakings in the history of our state. The state stands ready to get to work and distribute this life-saving vaccine to the citizens of our state."

The state's complete phasing of available of the vaccine can be found here. Widespread availability is expected to take six to 12 months.

"This momentous occasion marks the beginning of the end of the pandemic," Lori Shibinette, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, said. "The FDA conducted a thorough approval process while ensuring an unprecedented timeline for vaccine production. The Pfizer vaccine has proven to be safe and very effective in protecting people from COVID-19. This is great news for the people of New Hampshire, who have endured so much for the past 10 months. The end is in sight for this worldwide pandemic."

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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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