3 Staffers Test Positive For Coronavirus At NH's Psychiatric Hospital

From InDepth NH:

By Nancy West, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD, NH — The state-run psychiatric hospital, the New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, has three cases of COVID-19 among staff, according to Jake Leon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services.

There have been no cases among residents and no deaths, Leon said. Leon said all staff and residents have been tested.

There is no mention on the hospital’s website of the positive tests.

Leon also said there were no COVID-19 cases associated with the Glencliff Home or the New Hampshire Veterans’ Home.

The New Hampshire Hospital website details how it is handling the virus: Visits and public access to the facility continues to be restricted based on the guidelines from the CDC.

• We continue to screen all personnel before entering the building.
• Guardians and family supports, for whom we have authorization to share information, are informed of significant changes when a patient’s care is impacted by COVID related precautions.
• Patients are being required to wear a mask when they leave the building for appointments. We are providing patients with masks if they request them. Patients are being screened for COVID symptoms daily.
• All personnel are screened before entering the building to ensure they are symptom free. Our staff are considered Essential Personnel, meaning that we will be here to take care of your loved one.
• Therapeutic programming has been modified to restrict co-mingling of patients from different units.
• The hospital has always followed CDC and regulatory guidelines for Environmental Services and Food and Nutrition. We are staying abreast of and in compliance with new recommendations as they arise.
• Multiple measures have been implemented to enable and support social distancing with staff and patients.
• We are answering general questions that are submitted through the DHHS/NH Hospital contact page.

This story was originally published by InDepth NH.