NH Coronavirus: 314 Now Infected; Many Clustered In Cities

CONCORD, NH — As the number of new coronavirus patients in New Hampshire passes 300, state health officials are now releasing a range of community-by-community infection rates to the public. Another 56 new positive cases, 35 women and 21 men, were identified Monday bringing the total to 314. Four of the new cases were in the hospital, according to Jake Leon, a public information officer for the department, bringing the count to 45 who have been hospitalized for treatment.

"Thirty-four of the new cases have no identified risk factors," he said. "Community-based transmission continues to increase in the state and has been identified in all counties with cases. Most of the remaining cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis."

The state also released a new map reflecting community level infection ranges after city and town health officials requested more information. Press outlets have been requesting the community breakdown for about a month but were told that the data would not be released due to protect the privacy of patients. The state will soon be including age and gender breakdowns in the data in the future, too.

The community-by-community breakdown shows, as expected, the largest number of infected patients are clustered in the state's cities and larger towns. More than 20 people are infected in both Manchester and Nashua, with Portsmouth and Lebanon recording rates in the 10 to 19 range. Large towns with numbers in the 10 to 19 range include Derry, Hanover, Salem, and Windham.

At a news conference Monday, State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said even though many communities do not have a patient who has tested positive, people should still practice social distancing and stay at home unless it is urgent because new studies are showing pre-symptomatic transmission of COVID-19.

Around 1,109 people are under public health monitoring in the state with 5,413 testing negative at specimens submitted to the state, LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity. Of the more than 5,700 who have been tested, nearly 3,200 submitted specimens in state labs.

About 65 tests are pending at the NH Public Health Laboratories.

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Domestic Violence Assistance Available

Advocates of victims of domestic and sexual violence are expecting to see a surge in cases due to the self-isolation and quarantining of Granite Staters due to the new coronavirus.

They are, however, available to help those in need — including the 13 member programs of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which are still available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help survivors get the support and resources they need to keep themselves and their children safe.

"We know from what we have already seen across the globe, it's not a matter of if domestic violence will increase during this crisis, but by how much it will increase," said Pamela Keilig a public policy specialist of the Coalition. "Will we see a rise of 30 percent or will we see incidents completely skyrocket as they did in Wuhan during the quarantines? It's alarming to know that so many survivors, who would ordinarily have the time and space away from their abuser to make a call and set up a safety plan, no longer have the opportunity to do that. There’s no reprieve, their every moment is being watched."

Funding is also an issue since a number of fundraisers by domestic violence orgs are being canceled. If people can make donations at this time to their local crisis center, that support is truly needed right now, Keilig said.

Advocates are available to provide support, information and create a plan for safety. Services are free and confidential. The 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-866-644-3574; the 24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-277-5570.

Community College Lends A Hand

While its campus is closed, Manchester Community College has been working behind the scenes to assist those in need.

The college donated 65 boxes of gloves, 6 packages of cover ups, 5 boxes of surgical masks and 6 refills of hand sanitizer to Elliot, Catholic Medical Center and Parkland Hospitals. A case of disinfecting wipes and a case of hand sanitizer were also donated to the Manchester Fire Department. Students in need were also given $100 Market Basket gift cards and more than 25 laptops were given to students in need without access to technology, as well as webcams, headsets, microphones and keyboards.

"With more than 90 percent of our staff working remotely, I’ve been so impressed with the seamless continuity of our business operations," said MCC interim President Brian Bicknell. "Meantime, our school community is doing our part to support greater Manchester through the delivery of much-needed medical supplies from our nursing, allied health, workforce development and maintenance departments who provided and collected items for donation. The hospitals were extremely appreciative for each and every item we provided."

Patch takes community journalism seriously and we want to be as much service to our readers as possible at this very uncertain time. If you are a public health worker, medical provider, elected official, patient, or other coronavirus expert — or you simply have a news tip you'd like to share — please fill out this form. We'll keep names and personal information private.

Girls Inc. Annual Gala Goes Virtual

Due to the coronavirus, the annual gala for Girls Inc. scheduled for April 17 will be virtual.

The nonprofit, which focuses on helping girls succeed in math and science education, sports, health, careers, and other areas, will host the event on Facebook Live and YouTube, with live auctions and entertainment, too. All proceeds will go toward programming scholarships, including summer camp and the Young Women’s Leadership Academy, and to assist Girls Inc. of New Hampshire in resuming operations when the coronavirus pandemic is under control.

"We know these are trying times for those in our community and across the country, and we appreciate the community tuning in to support our girls and activities," said new CEO of Girls Inc. of New Hampshire, Sharron McCarthy. "The funds raised from the Gala will help us ensure our girls have bright futures, providing opportunities for girls across New Hampshire to be strong, smart, and bold — a core tenant of Girls Inc."

The virtual gala is free, but guests are asked to register online in advance to receive event updates and instructions for easily logging into the event.

Volinsky Again Calls For Property Tax Suspension

A week ago, District 2 Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky called for the suspension of interest, penalties, and liens imposed upon the late payment of property taxes.

After Gov. Chris Sununu's press conference Monday, where he announced an extension offered to small businesses and individuals paying state taxes on investment earning as well as support for property taxpayers after being asked about it, Volinsky said he was pleased with the statement and, again, called for assistance for property taxpayers.

"If Sununu is offering relief to business taxes during this pandemic, he should do the same for property taxpayers," he said.

Guv Declares Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy Essential Workers

On Twitter, the governor also declared both the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy as essential employees.

We’ve seen hundreds of pictures of kids spreading positivity with their signs and chalk drawings. Reply with yours! While we all do our part by staying home, I’ve deemed the Easter Bunny (and tooth fairy!) as essential workers so they can still make it to your home. #603Pride pic.twitter.com/Rp7EmXPlQv
— Chris Sununu (@GovChrisSununu) March 29, 2020

We're guessing that the state's egg hunt at the Bridge's Mansion will probably be canceled though.

Help Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

COVID-19, not unlike the flu and other respiratory illnesses, 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.

ALSO READ:

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• NH Coronavirus: 3rd Death Announced; Nearly 5,000 Test Negative
• NH Coronavirus Update: 214 Now Infected; 4,524 Test Negative
• NH Coronavirus Update: 2nd Death Announced; 187 Positive Cases
• Coronavirus Forces Concord School District To Scale-Back Budget

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