New Hampshire Reaches Another One-Day High For Coronavirus: 529

CONCORD, NH — Two more elderly residents in New Hampshire, connected to long-term care facilities in the state, have died due to COVID-19, according to the State Joint Information Center.

Both residents were men and were 60 years of age or older. One lived in Belknap County while the other resided in Hillsborough County.

Another 529 positive test results were also announced by the state Thursday — the highest one-day amount reported during the pandemic. The state collected more than 9,500 polymerase chain reaction specimens Wednesday while another 2,062 tests are pending for a 4.1 percent positivity rate for PCR tests. More than 4,000 people have active coronavirus cases in New Hampshire.

The state is still investigating 31 of the cases but those with completed investigations include 49 children while 56 percent were female. About a third of the new cases live in Rockingham County while 98 live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua, 52 live in Merrimack County, and 36 reside in Nashua.

The state has issued more than 738,000 PCR tests along with about 27 percent of Granite Staters being tested for the virus. About 6,250 Granite Staters are under public health monitoring.

There are around 90 active cases in K-12 schools in the state including new cases at the Amherst Street Elementary School in Nashua has its first case; Concord Highs School has its fourth case; Laconia Christian Academy has its first cluster; Merrimack Valley High School in Penacook has two active cases; Nashua Children's Home has nine active cases; Simonds Elementary School in Warner has its first case; Trinity High School in Manchester has its first patient; and West Running Brook Middle School in Derry has a second care.

Lori Shibinette, the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, explained that many children in the state who have become infected have done so outside of school — while attending parties, playing sports, and also, catching it from family members who have become sick (see accompanying video).

The state also reported more new long-term care facility and institutional outbreaks in the state — with 12 active institutions with infections and deaths. Colonial Poplin Nursing & Rehabilitation in Fremont has six resident cases and two staffers; the Coos County Nursing Home has 43 residents and 50 staffers sick as well as three deaths; Maple Leaf Healthcare Center in Manchester has 25 residents and 11 staffers infected; Mount Prospect Academy in Plymouth, an educational facility, has 13 residents and 23 staffers that have tested positive; the NH Veterans’ Home has 15 residents and 21 staffers sick; Oceanside Center – Genesis in Hampton has 35 residents and 12 staffers who have tested positive; Prospect Woodward Home and Hillside Village in Keene has eight residents and two staffers sick; Ridgewood Genesis Bedford has five total cases; St. Anne's Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Dover has 16 residents and 15 staffers who have COVID-19; St. Teresa Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Manchester has 31 residents, 18 staffers, and nine deaths; Studley Home Assisted Living Facility in Rochester has 19 residents and two employees who are sick; and Woodlawn Care Center Newport has 33 residents and 19 staffers who are sick and three deaths.

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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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