NH Coronavirus Update: 6 More Deaths; 50 More Infections

CONCORD, NH — State health officials announced six new deaths related to the new coronavirus in New Hampshire Tuesday bringing fatalities in the state to 92.

Five of the six residents, two women and three men, who lived in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, were all 60 years of age or older. The age of the sixth person, a woman who lived in Strafford County, was not reported.

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

The state also reported 50 new positive test results for COVID-19 bringing the number to 2,636 cases. The drop in cases is "due to specimens collected during Saturday or Sunday, when healthcare providers typically see fewer patients," the state said.

"Several cases are still under investigation," the report said. "Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates."

Of the new cases with completed investigation, four were children while 56 percent were women and 44 percent men. Half of the new cases live in Hillsborough County including 16 in Manchester and three in Nashua with Rockingham County reporting 11 new cases. Five new cases live in Merrimack County.

Nine of the new cases required hospitalization bringing the number to 295 who have required care — with 115 currently receiving care.

Only three of the new cases have no identified risk factors with most of the remaining cases revealed to have been in contact with an infected person or a person who was traveling, according to contact tracing investigations.

According to the state's latest health data, 1,105 people, about 42 percent, have recovered from the virus. There are currently 1,439 active cases in the state. After a request by Patch, the state released a new, second map Tuesday, showing active cases in the state.

Approximately 2,875 people are under public health monitoring with 25,097 negative tests reported at both state and commercial labs — more than 90 percent of all tests performed in New Hampshire. Another 79 tests are pending with the state averaging around 1,000 tests per day.

Learn More About 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.
• 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.

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