Another 7 Elderly New Hampshire Residents Die From Coronavirus

CONCORD, NH — The State Joint Information Center announced seven people have died due to or related to COVID-19.

Three men and a woman lived in Belknap County while three other men lived in Coos, Hillsborough, and Merrimack counties. All of the fatalities were 60 years of age or older. There are now 559 people in the Granite State who have died of COVID-19, about 2 percent of all coronavirus cases.

State officials also announced another 457 positive test results Saturday.

Most of the positive tests, 336, were from Friday while the other test results from holdover cases from Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, the state said. Nearly 9,000 polymerase chain reaction tests were collected Friday with 1,942 tests pending for a 5.5 percent positivity rate.

"Test results for previous days are still being processed and the total number of new positives is not yet complete," state health officials said. "Updated case counts for prior days will be reflected on the COVID-19 interactive dashboard."

The new cases reported Saturday included 62 children and 54 percent of those tested were female. Residency for 15 of the cases is still being investigated but 110 reside in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 91 live in Rockingham County, 71 live in Merrimack County, and 52 live in Nashua.

More than 24,000 people have contracted coronavirus in the state with about 19,000 or 79 percent of cases recovering from the virus. There are currently around 4,500 active patients and 146 in the hospital.

The latest active case map in New Hampshire. Source: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

There are 90 active cases in K-12 New Hampshire schools.

Schools reporting new cases include Trinity Christian School in Concord, Plymouth Regional High School, Penacook Elementary School, the New Boston Central School, the Grinnell School in Derry, the Griffin Memorial School in Litchfield, and the A. Crosby Kennett Middle School in Conway.

Community Exposure At Casino, Bars

State health officials are alerting residents to three possibly community exposures around New Hampshire recently.

At least eight people tested positive for coronavirus after visiting the Filotimo Casino & DraftKings Sportsbook on South Willow Street in Manchester. Health officials have determined the possible exposures occurred between Nov. 19 and Nov. 29.

Another nine patrons of MacDougall's Tavern on Park Avenue in Keene have also tested positive. They were at the tavern between Nov. 20 and Nov. 24.

The Chop Shop Pub on Lafayette Road in Seabrook also had two people who were at a live music event on Nov. 21 and later, tested positive for coronavirus.

"Any individuals who went to the above named establishments during those days and times may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should seek testing," the state said. "DHHS has conducted contact investigation and is notifying known close contacts directly. However, DHHS is making this public notification because there may be additional individuals at the location during those days and times who were exposed to the coronavirus."

Even if you are not experiencing symptoms, state health officials suggest anyone attending any of the establishments to get tested. The establishments have also reported to the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office for review of their compliance with COVID-19-related Emergency Orders.

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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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