Coronavirus Leads NH To Ban Eating Inside Restaurants, Bars

CONCORD, NH — The state of New Hampshire is taking unprecedented action to attempt to stop any potential spread of the new coronavirus by prohibiting all public gatherings of more than 50 people and banning restaurants and bars from serving customers inside their establishments. All restaurants and bars in the state will be required to serve patrons by takeout, delivery, and drive-thru methods only, according to the order. The order was issued by Gov. Chris Sununu Monday.

"Knowing neighboring states have closed restaurants and bars has caused New Hampshire to evaluate those states actions and their impact on New Hampshire’s population risk profile," Sununu said. "This action will help slow the spread of this virus in New Hampshire. We do not take this decision lightly. This will be hard, but we are all in this together. Service industry employees affected by this temporary change will be able to qualify for unemployment benefits effective immediately tomorrow, where we will announce steps and set up a hotline and website for any worker adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic."

The order will remain in place until April 7.

The decision was also made after the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services released new COVID-19 information in the state — including the discovery of four more tests since Sunday. The total number of patients in the state is now 17.

The four new cases include three men and a girl under 18; two are from Grafton County, one is from Rockingham County, and another is from Carroll County, according to the department.

"In total, 16 cases of COVID-19 have either been travel-related (to domestic or international locations) or identified close contacts of a person with COVID-19; one person's risk factors are still under investigation," said Jake Leon, a public information officer with health and human services. "All patients are isolating at home and household contacts have self-quarantined."

Around 525 people are under public health monitoring with another 195 people with pending tests. So far, the state has tested 567 people, meaning around 355 people have tested negative.

Commercial testing, according to Leon, continues to expand in the state in an effort to help more patients get tested by their health care providers. Some hospital labs are also developing "local capacity" to test for COVID-19. The state continues to communicate with providers to make sure that both patients and providers know how to facilitate testing with the commercial labs.

LabCorp, Quest, and others, takes three to five days for results to become known.

"Commercial laboratories have given assurances that any specimens sent from New Hampshire will be tested," Leon added.

What You Can Do

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. 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.

ALSO READ:

• Coronavirus Manchester: Hospital System Now Closed To Visitors
• Concord's Community Facilities, Library Branches To Close
• Concord Hoteliers, Restaurateurs Brace For Coronavirus Impact
• Coronavirus Prompts Nashua Medical Center To Close To Visitors
• Coronavirus Concerns In New Hampshire Lead To Closed Schools
• 425 Being Monitored; 212 Test Negative For Coronavirus In NH
• Concord Schools 'Almost Certain' To Close Due To Coronavirus
• Nashua Superintendent On COVID-19: Feeding Kids Is First Priority
• Elliot Hospital Sets Up Drive-Thru Coronavirus Testing
• 7th New Hampshire Resident Contracts New Coronavirus
• Governor Declares Coronavirus State Of Emergency In NH: Watch
• NH's Emergency Ops Center Activated Due To Coronavirus: Update
• Capitol Center, Tupelo, Others Try To Ease NH COVID-19 Concerns

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