30 More COVID-19 Deaths In New Hampshire: 48-Hour Report

CONCORD, NH — During the past 48 hours, 30 more Granite Staters have died related to COVID-19, according to health officials. Their deaths bring the fatality count to 846 in New Hampshire.

Five women and three men were from Belknap County, five women and six men lived in Hillsborough County, and three women and three men lived in Merrimack County. Another three women and one man lived in Rockingham County and another woman died from Coos County. Twenty-three of the deaths lived in long-term care settings while 18 were 80 years of age or older. Nine were between 70 and 79 and three were between 60 and 69, according to the state's data dashboard.

Another 1,496 new infections were also reported with 601 coming from antigen tests and the others by polymerase chain reaction tests. The cases came from specimens collected across six days: Six were from Dec. 30, raising that one-day total to 1,040 while 155 were from Dec. 31, bringing that one-day total to 1,023. Another 14 were from Sunday, 318 were from Tuesday, 575 were from Wednesday, and 428 were from Thursday.

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The state is still investigating where 322 people who were infected live but of those with completed investigations, slightly more than half were female and 204 were children. Most of the new cases live in Hillsborough County outside — 427, while 272 live in Rockingham County, 136 reside in Merrimack County, and 134 live in Nashua.

Accumulatively, 50,152 in New Hampshire have contracted the virus with 85 percent recovering from the illness. About 535,000 or more than 38 percent of Granite State residents have been tested for the virus via more than 1.13 million tests.

About 297 people are hospitalized.

State health officials said about 73 percent of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines, about 82,000 doses, have been distributed. The majority of doses are being delivered by hospitals and pharmacies.

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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 a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to not go out to 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.
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Schools, Employers, Employees and Businesses (Can your employer force you to get the vaccine? It depends).
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Healthcare Providers and Public Health Partners

• Guidance to schools can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 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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