New Hampshire Coronavirus: 40 COVID-19 Deaths Reported In 7 Days

CONCORD, NH — During the past week, 40 more Granite Staters died due to or connected to COVID-19, according to state officials.

Nearly half, 19, were connected to long-term care settings while 20 were 80 years of age or older. Another nine were between 70 and 79, six were in the 60 to 69 age bracket, and five were 50- to 59-years-old. The fatalities included a woman and man from Belknap County; a woman and man from Carroll County; a man from Cheshire County; a woman and three men from Coos County; two men from Grafton County; six women and two men from Hillsborough County; a woman and four men from Merrimack County; nine women and three men from Rockingham County; two women and man from Strafford County; and a man from Sullivan County.

Three of the deaths — a man in his 50s who lived in Merrimack County, another man in his 50s who lived in Coos County, and a woman in her 90s from Hillsborough County were confirmed as related to COVID-19 between Sept. 20 and Oct. 18.

Fatalities in the state have reached 1,662 or 1.1 percent of all infections.

The state reported 150,813 accumulative coronavirus infections since March 1, 2020, after 6,187 people tested positive for the virus.

About 74.4 percent of the state’s residents have been tested at least once while more than 3.42 million tests have been administered in New Hampshire.

Outbreaks were reported in two dozen long-term care and institutions last week.

According to state health officials, 857,000 Granite Staters and out-of-state residents have received shots.

Hospitalizations have also reached the highest level since January with 326 confirmed COVID-19 cases and another 21 suspected cases hospitalized. Hospitalizations peaked at 334 on Jan. 1.

Cases connected to the K-12 school setting were 658 on Friday. The cases include 21 at the James Mastricola Elementary School in Merrimack; 13 at Nashua High School North; 12 at Windham Center School and Nashua’s Main Dunstable School; 11 at the McKelvie Intermediate School in Bedford; seven at the Thorntons Ferry School in Merrimack; six at the Peter Woodbury School in Bedford and Concord High School; five at the Pennichuck Middle School in Nashua, the Merrimack Middle School, and Exeter High School; four at Salem’s Woodbury School, St. Joseph Regional Catholic School in Salem, St. John Regional School in Concord, at the James Mastricola Upper Elementary School in Merrimack; three at Rundlett Middle School in Concord, Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford, the Mary C. Dondero Elementary School in Portsmouth, the Heron Pond Elementary School in Milford, the Charlotte Avenue Elementary School in Nashua, Broken Ground Elementary School in Concord, and the Broad Street Elementary School in Nashua; two at Windham Middle School, the Riddle Brook School in Bedford, Reeds Ferry School in Merrimack, the New Searles School in Nashua, the Mill Brook Primary School in Concord, Merrimack High School, the Hampton Academy, the Golden Brook Elementary School in Windham, the Fairgrounds Elementary School in Nashua, the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, the Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Concord, and the Amherst Middle School. Dozens of other schools reported single cases.

Colleges and universities reported 95 cases including 41 at UNH in Durham; 15 at Plymouth State University; 12 at Dartmouth College in Hanover; nine at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown; eight at Keene State College; four at Southern New Hampshire University; two at MCPHS University, Manchester Campus and Franklin Pierce University in Rindge; and single cases at NHTI, Concord’s community college and Colby-Sawyer College in New London.

Specific information about “breakthrough” cases — people who have been vaccinated but became infected or died was not available at post time. Patch has made a request for updated information. Two and a half weeks ago, when hospitalizations were just shy of 200, health officials said about 30 percent of those people hospitalized in October were breakthrough cases. In August and September, breakthrough deaths were in the 20 percent range.

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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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