Deadly Coronavirus Day In NH: 14 Die; 13 Were In Long-Term Care

CONCORD, NH — The state of New Hampshire announced Thursday that 14 residents have died due to or related to COVID-19.

Thirteen of the 14 deaths were connected to long-term care settings in the state. Of the 14 deaths, nine were 80 years of age or older, two were between 70 and 79, two were between 60 and 69, and one was between 30 and 39, according to the state's data dashboard. Of the deaths, a man and a woman lived in Coos County, four men and a woman lived in Belknap County, four men and a woman lived in Hillsborough County, and a man and a woman lived in Merrimack County.

The 30- to 39-year-old man lived in Belknap County and was the first fatality in that age category in New Hampshire. His death was also the first person under 40 to die in many months.

Their deaths bring the fatality count to 584 or about 2 percent of all cases. The announcement is also one of the highest single day death counts since the pandemic started in March.

"We offer our sympathies to the family and friends," the State Joint Information Center said.

Dr. Benjamin Chan talks about the state of COVID-19 in New Hampshire on Dec. 10.

695 New Infections Across 6 Days

State health official also announced 695 new positive test results for coronavirus Thursday — with 382 discovered by polymerase chain reaction tests and 313 by antigen tests.

There are now 6,303 people with active infections.

Like every day since Thanksgiving week, the bulk of the infections were first sampled from other dates but confirmed and investigated Wednesday: One case was from Dec. 3; eight were from Dec. 5; 127 were from Sunday; 287 were from Monday; 171 came in Tuesday; and 101 were Wednesday.

Of the new cases, 63 were children and slightly more males than females. The bulk of the new cases — 211, reside in Rockingham County while 147 live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 82 live in Nashua, and 74 live in Merrimack County. Residency for 49 patients are still under investigation.

The state has 248 people hospitalized with coronavirus but only 3 percent of all cases have required more extensive care.

The state has administered 922,433 tests on more than 32 percent of New Hampshire's population.

New Outbreak Settings

New Hampshire has 30 active outbreak settings, mostly at long-term care facilities, but also the state department of corrections secure psychiatric unit and the state prison for men.

Twenty-seven people have died at the New Hampshire Veterans' Home while 10 have died at Maple Leaf Healthcare Center in Manchester and the Coos County Nursing Hospital in West Stewartstown. Either people have died at Oceanside Center-Genesis in Hampton. There have been only a handful of other deaths scattered across the other facilities.

Three outbreaks have been cleared — Mount Prospect Academy in Plymouth, where 14 residents and 28 staffers had contracted the virus; St. Teresa Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Manchester, where 31 residents and 18 employees became sick, and the Woodlawn Care Center in Newport, where 33 residents and 24 worker contracted coronavirus.

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• Coronavirus In New Hampshire: 807 New Positive Test Results

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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