Another 527 Positive Coronavirus Test Results In New Hampshire

CONCORD, NH — State and federal officials met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport after a shipment of personal protective equipment, slated for use at VA facilities, arrived in New Hampshire Friday.

The shipment, which Dean Kamen, a New Hampshire inventor helped to facilitate, included 11 million pairs of gloves to assist providers in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. The VA also announced a new VA New England Center for Innovation Excellence which will unite industry partners and the VA to develop innovative medical treatments and devices to assist veterans, according to Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.

Both Hassan and Shaheen have been working on bipartisan measures to secure PPE from American companies for use during the pandemic, a statement said.

"I was glad to join Secretary Wilkie, Senator Hassan and Dean Kamen this morning in welcoming this latest delivery of urgently-needed PPE, which will help protect the health and well-being of VA health care workers and our veterans," Shaheen said. "I'm especially thankful for Dean's outstanding work in procuring these supplies from around the world. Our work to respond to this crisis is far from over — we must continue to use every tool at our disposal to give our essential workers on the frontlines of this crisis the equipment they need to stay safe on the job."

Hassan said she knew that many veterans, especially those in long-term care facilities, had been hit hard by the virus.

"I want to thank Dean Kamen for his efforts to secure these crucial supplies for Granite Staters over the last few months," she said, "and I will continue pushing for an additional, bipartisan package that provides necessary public health resources and additional relief for the challenges that we continue to face amid this pandemic."

Another 500+ Positive Case Day

State health officials announced Friday that another 527 people had tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Officials said 416 results were found via polymerase chain reaction test while another 111 tested positive from an antigen test. Nearly 9,500 PCR specimens were collected Thursday and around 2,200 test results are pending for a 3.5 percent positivity rate for the day.

There are now nearly 4,100 people diagnosed in the state with current cases while 16,797 have accumulatively contracted the virus and 12,201 have recovered from the sickness.

About one-fifth of the new patients reside in Rockingham County while 76 live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua, 56 live in Merrimack, and 31 live in Nashua. Another 26 cases are still under investigation while the residency location of 199 other people is unknown.

More than 100 people are hospitalized while nearly 400,000 Granite Staters, more than 27 percent, have been tested via PCR test with around 748,000 PCR tests administered in New Hampshire. Another 33,000 people have been tested by antibody lab test.

Approximately 6,475 people are under public health monitoring.

Another Woman Has Died

The state also announced the death of a woman from Hillsborough County. She was 60 years of age or older.

No other information was available due to the state's data dashboards being down for maintenance. New dashboards are expected soon, according to officials.

More Possible Community Exposure

Health officials are also warning of two potential community exposures at a church in Wolfeboro and poker room in Salem.

An outbreak associated with Calvary Wolfeboro church on Mill Street is currently being investigated. Individuals may have been exposed if attending the 9 and 11:30 a.m. services on Nov 1. To date, 25 people with COVID-19 have been identified with connections to the church community.

Health officials are also investigating an outbreak from Chasers Poker Room and Casino on Veterans Memorial Pkwy in Salem.

Potential community exposures occurred on Nov. 4, to Nov. 7, and Nov. 9, to Nov. 12.

"DHHS has conducted contact investigations on cases associated with these potential community exposures and is notifying known close contacts directly," the state said. "However, DHHS is making this public notification because there may be additional individuals at the location during those days who were exposed to the coronavirus and should monitor for symptoms and get tested."

NH's Emergency Order Extended

Gove. Chris Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-23, extending the state of emergency declared in Executive Order 2020-04 for an another 21 days, according to a press statement.

A copy of Executive Order 2020-23 can be found here.

ALSO READ:

• New Hampshire Reaches Another One-Day High For Coronavirus: 529
• New Hampshire Governor Implements Mask Order: Watch
• Second Highest Day Of Positive COVID-19 Test Results In NH
• More Deaths, More Positive COVID-19 Cases In New Hampshire
• 500 Deaths, 15,029 Accumulative COVID-19 Cases In NH: Update

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.com channel or Rumble.com channel.