8 More COVID-19 Deaths In New Hampshire: Update

CONCORD, NH — Another 782 new positive coronavirus test results were reported in New Hampshire Friday based on results scattered across the previous three days, according to health officials.

The one-day total for Thursday was 521 new positive test results based on 6,084 specimens collected and previous polymerase chain reaction test result data updated from previous days, too. Another 29 tests were first reported Monday and confirmed Thursday, 74 were confirmed on Tuesday, and 158 on Wednesday. More test results from Thursday are also still being processed, the State Joint Information Center said.

This made the total number of positive test results confirmed for Friday at 782 and a positivity rate of 4.3 percent. The revised data also made the Dec. 2 report of 783 cases the largest one-day count since the pandemic started.

Of the new cases, 96 were children, 52 percent were male, and 247 lived in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua while 178 reside in Rockingham County, 100 live in Merrimack County, and 77 live in Nashua.

The state is still investigating the residency location of 26 patients.

Nearly 31 percent of the state's population has been tested via more than 874,000 tests.

Approximately 9,550 people are under public health monitoring.

8 More Deaths

Eight more elderly New Hampshire residents have died due to or related to COVID-19.

Four men 60 years of age or older were from Belknap County. Two women were from Hillsborough County. Another woman live in Merrimack County while a man lived in Strafford County.

Fatalities in the state are at 552.

This chart shows the deaths displayed by age as of Dec. 4, 2020. Source: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Current K-12, College Cases: 108

New Hampshire's K-12 schools and colleges have 108 active cases .

Colleges, which have 529 total recoveries, have seven active cases including four at UNH in Durham, one at Plymouth State University, one at Keene State college, and one at New England College.

Schools in Patch communities reporting active cases recently including the Mill Brook Primary School in Concord, which has a single new patient, Exeter High School, which also has a new case, Windham Middle and Center schools which have a single case each; Trinity Christian School in Concord and St. John Regional School in Concord, which have a new case each, Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford, which has a single new case, Londonderry Senior High School has three active cases, the Golden Brook Elementary School in Windham has two active cases, three patients at Concord High School, and a new case each at Concord Christian Academy and Bishop Brady High School.

The state's data dashboard said 715 school staffers and students have recovered from the virus.

Dartmouth Receives $2.4M COVID-19

New Hampshire's federal delegation announced that Dartmouth College had received nearly $2.4 million in federal funding from the CARES Act to support "ongoing research aimed at enhancing American health care providers' response to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Specifically, the research funds will allow the college to investigate how the new coronavirus has "impacted primary and patient care in the nation — particularly the adoption of new health care delivery methods such as telehealth, as well as explain variations in the impact of COVID-19 on health care providers and the patients they serve."

The results of the study will be used to guide lawmakers and providers to work toward strengthening the delivery of health care during future pandemics.

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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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