Coronavirus In New Hampshire: 7 More Deaths; 34 New Positives

CONCORD, NH — Another seven people have died in New Hampshire due to new coronavirus, according to state health officials. The five women and two men all lived in Hillsborough County, were all 60 years or older, and were all connected to long-term care settings.

The state also announced Thursday that 34 new positive COVID-19 patients in New Hampshire including one child. Sixty-eight percent of the new patients were women while 32 percent were men. Nine of the new cases live in Manchester, 10 live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua, seven reside in Rockingham County, three live in Merrimack County, including one person in Concord, and one lives in Nashua.

Four more people required hospitalization but only 73 remain in hospitals around the state — with 504 or less than 10 percent requiring more extensive care since the pandemic started in early March.

Only one new infection had no identified risk factors with the others having close contact with an infected person, associated with an outbreak setting, or traveling.

About 70 percent of infected patients, 3,665, have recovered from the new coronavirus.

The state has collected 107,911 specimens from Granite Staters with 1,110 tests pending, and 95.2 percent of the tests offering a negative result. On Wednesday, 2,055 specimens were collected. The state is averaging about 2,000 tests per day.

Approximately 3,825 people are under public health monitoring by the state.

Stay-At-Home 2.0 Expires

Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday that the state's Stay-At-Home 2.0 order will expire June 15 along with the cap on gatherings of 10 or less.

Effective June 15, the following industries may reopen under new guidance:

• Amateur & Youth Sports Phase II
• Bowling & Entertainment Centers
• Charitable Gambling
• Funeral Homes
• Gyms
• Libraries
• Motorcycle Rides
• Museums & Art Galleries
• Outdoor Attractions
• Outdoor Race Tracks
• Pools
• Road Races
• Tourist Trains

Additionally, Sununu announced that indoor movie theaters, performing arts facilities, and amusement parks may begin reopening on June 29. Guidance for these industries will be released early next week.

All released guidance documents may be found at covidguidance.nh.gov.

Learn More About 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.
• 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.
• To access the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, click on this link here.

ALSO READ:

• As New Hampshire Begins To Reopen, More CARES Act Aid Released
• New Hampshire Unemployment Leveling Off, Still Abnormally High
• 301 People In New Hampshire Have Died Due To Coronavirus: Data
• 8 More Deaths; 53 New Coronavirus Positive Patients In NH: Data
• Governor: No Outbreaks Of Coronavirus After ReopenNH Protests

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