Concord Coronavirus: 9 Firefighters Quarantined After Exposure

CONCORD, NH — Nine Concord firefighters are being quarantined in their homes after "a presumptive exposure" to the new coronavirus. The Professional Firefighters of Concord NH IAFF Local 1045, the union for firefighters in the city, made the announcement Monday on Facebook.

"With the cooperation of the local, the city administration and the Concord Fire Department administration, these nine members will be quarantined for up to 14 days or unless negative test results are reported sooner," the announcement said. "The members of the Professional Firefighters of Concord NH IAFF Local 1045 will continue to be the frontline emergency workers along with the Concord NH Police Patrolmen's Association, IAFF Local 3195 and the Concord NH Police Supervisors and the many talented and hard-working healthcare professionals at Concord Hospital."

Currently, according to the state, there are less than 10 people with the coronavirus in Concord. Concord Hospital announced Monday though it had 16 people test positive at the hospital, so far during the outbreak.

The union said it would be supporting the members and their families and invite any and all members of the community to follow real-time updates on its Facebook site.

Help Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

COVID-19, not unlike the flu and other respiratory illnesses, 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.
• Anybody who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspect COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic medical conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers need to move to telework as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that this virus can survive for hours or possibly even a few days on surfaces, so 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 when sick (i.e., social distancing).
• 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.

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• NH Coronavirus: 3rd Death Announced; Nearly 5,000 Test Negative
• NH Coronavirus Update: 214 Now Infected; 4,524 Test Negative
• NH Coronavirus Update: 2nd Death Announced; 187 Positive Cases
• Coronavirus Forces Concord School District To Scale-Back Budget

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