COVID-19 Reaches New Infection Peaks In NH; 56 Deaths In A Week

CONCORD, NH — The state of New Hampshire has reached new heights in the coronavirus pandemic, according to last week’s data.

During the past week, 56 Granite Staters died due to or connected to COVID-19. Four lived in long-term care settings while the 13th death in the 30 to 39 age bracket was also reported. Fourteen people were 80 years of age or older, 15 were 70- to 79-years-old, eight were between 60 and 69, nine were in the 50s age bracket, and three were aged between 40 and 49. Sullivan County was the only county not reporting a fatality last week. There have been 1,739 fatalities in New Hampshire since March 2020.

During the past week, 9,863 new infections were reported. Age groups between newborns and people in the late 50s increased between 1,200 and 1,400 cases each last week.

Nashua had the second-highest active cases in the state at 531, behind Manchester with 703. Concord has 252 cases while Merrimack has 160, Salem has 147, Londonderry reports 124, and Bedford has 109. Seventy-nine active infections reside in Portsmouth, 88 live in Windham, 71 are in Milford, 69 are in Exeter, and 52 are in Hampton. Amherst has 37 while North Hampton has 14.

There are 8,496 active infections after 9,359 recoveries were reported by state health officials.

Hospitalizations have also increased to 399 confirmed active admissions including 106 patients who made it into intensive care units during the past week.

In New Hampshire, more than 3.56 million tests have been administered while 76.8 percent of the state’s population has been tested at least once.

State health officials reported 61.1 percent of all residents were had taken shots. The state said the numbers do not include information from the federal vaccine program. About 508,000 Granite Staters have either chosen not to take the shots or are not able to due to age.

Cases connected to the K-12 school setting were at 510 on Friday. Broken Ground Elementary School in Concord reported 10 cases while Exeter High School has nine. The MicroSociety Academy Charter School Foundation in Nashua reported eight cases. The James Mastricola Upper Elementary School in Merrimack has six cases. The Abbot-Downing Elementary School has five. All other schools in the state have fewer than four cases or none at all.

Colleges and universities reported 102 active cases including 31 at UNH in Durham, 25 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, and 15 at Keene State College. Most other schools had fewer than 10 cases or no cases at all.

No breakthrough case information was available from the state of New Hampshire.

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COVID-19 Info For NH

COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The virus is spread through the transfer of microscopic respiratory droplets, usually by coughing, sneezing, or exposure to others who are sick, whether they show symptoms or not.

Since the discovery of the first case in New Hampshire in March 2020, there have been a number of recommendations and changes to recommendations on how to prevent the virus and disease. The latest New Hampshire Universal Best Practices for the public, businesses, and schools can be found linked here, in PDF format. For resources in NH, including vaccine, testing, and treatment information, visit the state's resources and guidance page, linked here.

Basic health concepts to reduce the risk of infection include ensuring social distancing (staying 3 to 6 feet away from other people); washing hands with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol; wearing a facemask in indoor public spaces or outdoor spaces with large crowds; avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and sneezing into a sleeve or tissue that is disposed of later; avoid sharing dishes, glasses, bedding, and other household items when sick; clean or disinfect high-touch surfaces; avoid public transportation when sick; and work remotely, if possible.

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