500 Deaths, 15,029 Accumulative COVID-19 Cases In NH: Update

CONCORD, NH — The state of New Hampshire reached two coronavirus milestones on Monday — the announcement of the 500th fatality due to or related to COVID-19 and 15,029 accumulative positive test results since March 1 after data was released showing more 358 positive tests results.

The State Joint Information Center said 193 of the test results were found via polymerase chain reaction specimen while 165 were antigen tests. The new patients were nearly evenly split between genders while 64 were children.

Most of the cases, the state said, had close contact with a confirmed diagnosis or were connected to an outbreak setting. Seventy-five of the new cases are located in Rockingham County while 48 live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua, 40 live in Nashua, and 34 reside in Merrimack County. The residency of 14 is undetermined.

The latest fatality was a man from Coos County who was 60 years of age or older. About 3 percent of all patients who have tested positive for the virus have died. Of those deaths, only one is under the age of 30, eight were healthcare workers, 65.3 percent were 80 years of age or older, and 81.4 percent were connected to a long-term care setting.

Nearly 11,200 cases of COVID-19 have recovered from the virus while 74 are currently hospitalized. Slightly less than 388,000 Granite Staters have been tested via PCR test with nearly 718,000 tests administered in New Hampshire.

Around 6,200 people are under public health monitoring.

School Cases In New Hampshire

There are 108 active cases of COVID-19 in K-12 schools in the state.

New cases in schools include: Bow High School has its fourth case; Coe-Brown Academy in Northwood has two active cases; Dover Middle School has its first case; Goffstown High School has two active cases; Londonderry Senior High School has one active case; the Monarch School of New England in Rochester has its first case; Mount Prospect Academy in Plymouth has 31 active cases; the Nashua Children's Home, a residential program, has seven active cases; Pinkerton Academy in Derry has three active cases; Salem High School has three active cases.

Governor Reactivates Long-Term Care Stipend

Gov. Chris Sununu reactivated New Hampshire’s Long Term Care Stabilization Program Monday offering stipends to frontline healthcare workers at Medicaid Facilities through Dec. 31.

He said the state was "committed to ensuring that long-term care facilities have the resources needed to confront the COVID-19 pandemic," especially in the wake of a rise in cases.

"There remains an acute need to retain our health care workforce, and today's announcement will help make sure we continue to have the system in place for those who rely on this care," Sununu said.

The program, which was created in April, helped long-term care facilities stabilize the health care industry’s workforce. Medicaid providers that provide long term services in facility-based settings as well as in the home and community are experiencing increased challenges in retaining their frontline workforce — which has threatened critical staffing levels needed to provide continuity of long term supports and services to individuals in those programs. When talking with the facilities, workforce retention remains a top concern, he said.

The program will offer $300 per week for full-time workers and $150 for part-time workers.

More than $67 million in stipends have been awarded to workers at Medicaid facilities with the state also spending $30 million to long-term care facilities through the state’s Health Care System Relief Fund.

Response To The Death Count

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen responded to the news of the 500th fatality by calling on her colleagues in the Senate to create new relief legislation to assist communities.

"This is a solemn day for New Hampshire," she said. "Five hundred Granite Staters have been taken from us, each one of them a beloved family member, friend or colleague. My thoughts are with the loved ones and community members mourning and with those who are fighting to recover from this virus."

Shaheen said "the foot-dragging in Washington to respond to this crisis has to end" while hospitals and health care providers need resources to prepare to meet a potential surge of hospitalizations as well as cities and towns needing finances to keep first responders and teachers on payroll. Small businesses, she added, need support to keep their doors open and families need assistance to put food on the table.

"We are still in the middle of this pandemic and our communities need help now," she said. "Refusing to come to the negotiating table hurts those who are suffering the most amid this crisis. It is past time for Mitch McConnell’s obstruction to end so we can get a deal done — the health and safety of Americans depends on it."

U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan agreed.

"My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of each of the five hundred Granite Staters who have been taken from us by this devastating pandemic," she said. "As cases continue to surge in New Hampshire and across the country, our health care providers and communities need additional relief now to help save lives."

She also called on the Senate to get back to work and come together with a new plan.

"I urge Senator McConnell and members of both parties to come together across party lines, as we did earlier this year, to swiftly deliver additional relief," she said. "We need more resources for hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. We must provide more direct assistance to individuals and small businesses to help get our economy back on track. Our communities cannot wait, and I will keep doing everything I can to push for additional relief now."

ALSO READ:

• Another 361 New Positive COVID-19 Test Results In New Hampshire
• New Hampshire Tops 400 New COVID-19 Cases For First Time, 3 Die
• Rising Coronavirus Cases Puts Interstate Hockey Travel On Ice
• As New Hampshire's COVID Cases Spike, Sununu Preaches Vigilance
• New Hampshire Has Another 233 Positive COVID-19 Cases, 3 Deaths

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.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube channel