NH Coronavirus Update: 9 Dead; Positive Count Reaches 621

CONCORD, NH — Two more men have died due to the new coronavirus, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The men, both in their 60s, lived in Hillsborough County. The state did not say whether or not they had other health conditions that contributed to their deaths not unlike five of the other deaths in the state.

The health department also announced 81 new positive COVID-19 cases in the state — with several new cases under investigation.

"Future updates will include additional information from those case investigations," according to the State Joint Information Center. "Of those with complete information, all are adults with 55 percent being female and 46 percent being male."

Of the new cases, 46 live in Hillsborough County, including Manchester and Nashua, with 26 residing in Rockingham County; Merrimack County has four new cases.

There are now 621 positives in the state. Manchester has 97 cases while Nashua has 60. Salem has more than 20 cases and Bedford, Concord, Hampton, Londonderry, Portsmouth, and Windham all have between 10 and 19 cases.

Six of the new cases are in the hospital, according to the state, bringing the number of cases needing hospitalization to 86 or about 13 percent of the total cases.

The state announced that 22 of the new cases have no identified risk factors meaning community-based transmission continues to increase in the state.

Two thousand Granite Staters are under public health monitoring while 7,411 have tested negative for the virus by the NH Public Health Laboratories, LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity. Of those tests, 3,955 were performed at the state labs.

Around 93 specimens are waiting to be tested at the state labs. It is unknown how many tests are waiting to be confirmed at private industry labs.

The state said 146 or about 27 percent have recovered from the virus.

The latest map featuring COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire as of April 4.

Sununu: Yes, You Have To Pay Your Rent And Mortgage

Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order 24 Friday night clarifying and modifying Order 4 concerning temporary prohibition of evictions and foreclosures.

Sununu said the previous order was not an invitation for renters and homeowners with mortgages to skip out on paying obligations to landlords and banks — it was to keep them from being targeted for being late with payments or not having limited financial means. The governor consulted with the attorney general on the wording of the order.

"We all have an obligation to be good neighbors and treat each other fairly, and this extends to both landlords and tenants," Sununu said. "I strongly encourage all tenants who have difficulty paying their rent to work with their landlord to develop a payment plan and pay what they can. Many tenants should be able to utilize the expanded unemployment benefits provided by the state and federal government to pay all or part of their rent. At the same time, I strongly encourage all landlords to comply with the protections provided by the state and seek to form a workable arrangement with their tenants."

Emergency Order 24 allows landlords to initiate eviction proceedings against tenants who cause damage to property or who present a threat to the health and safety of their neighbors, the governor said.

School Nutrition Grants Available

The New Hampshire Department of Education alerted school officials of a new grant opportunity to support school nutrition programs responding to COVID-19.

GENYOUth has grants of up to $3,000 available per school to supply much-needed resources for meal distribution and delivery efforts to get food to students. From soft-sided coolers, bags and containers for individual servings, to protective gear for food service sanitation and safety, the equipment is expected to help children continue to receive nutritious meals they need.

"USDA and the New Hampshire Department of Education are doing everything we can to help local schools continue their nutrition programs while students are learning remotely," said Cheri White, the director of the state Office of Nutritional Programs and Services. "But this unprecedented challenge brings with it unanticipated expenses. We want to thank GENYOUth for helping schools in need."

Applications are limited to one per school, and multiple schools in the same district must fill out separate applications.

Take-Out Meal Discount For Health Care Workers, First Responders

The Common Man chain of restaurants in New Hampshire is now offering a 50 percent discount on take-out meal orders for health care workers and first responders.

Alex Ray, the president and founder of the company, announced the discount in an email to customers Friday.

"Thank you to everyone who is working hard and making sacrifices to keep NH safe and moving forward," he wrote. "We are especially grateful to those on the front lines of this public health emergency."

The offer is valid on one selection from the company's single entrée menus at take-out locations and not family-sized, bake, or bulk meals. Mention the discount when ordering and bring a valid ID, too.

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Rent A First-Run Arthouse Movie At Home

Fans of arthouse and indie movies can now rent them online — while also supporting their favorite movie houses.

Red River Theatres in Concord is offering just that for its members with the new film, "Extra Ordinary," via Kino Marguee, a new initiative that has created a virtual theatre for. For $12, customers get one ticket for a five-day pass to watch the movie online while some of the revenues go to Red River.

The film is about a driving instructor from Ireland who has supernatural powers and how she copes with her abilities.

Sure, it's not the same as going to the theatre — but you can at least try to replicate the experience at home.

Below is a preview of "Extra Ordinary."

Senators, Reps Commend Disaster Declaration

U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, and U.S. Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas, thanked President Donald Trump Friday for approving Sununu’s request for a major disaster declaration for New Hampshire.

"We are glad that President Trump heeded our call to swiftly approve Governor Sununu’s request for a major disaster declaration, which unlocks additional funding from the latest bipartisan legislation Congress passed to respond to this crisis," they said in a joint statement. "People, health care facilities, and small businesses across our state need relief now, and we will keep doing everything in our power to ensure that the administration delivers emergency resources quickly and effectively."

The state will now be able to tap into $45 billion in disaster relief that was included in the CARES Act to offset the costs of fighting COVID-19.

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.

Late Property Tax Payment Relief Commended

District 2 Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky, who is also a Democrat running for governor, commended Sununu Saturday for issuing Emergency Order 25, which allows cities, towns, and counties to utilize powers for the abatement of interest and penalties on late payment of property taxes.

"Since the COVID 19 crisis hit New Hampshire, I've heard from property taxpayers across the state that they're living in a state of fear and dread about their upcoming property tax bills," he said. "I called on Governor Sununu last month to suspend interest, penalties and liens imposed upon the late payment of property taxes. I'm glad he's taken action (Friday) so that Granite Staters won't be crushed by interest and penalties on late property tax payments."

BJ's To Check Temperatures Of Employees

BJ's Wholesale Club will begin taking temperature checks on employees at stores and also make masks and gloves available if they want them.

All team members will enter through the designated employee entrance, regardless of start time, and if they register an elevated temperature, they will not be able to enter the store, and will be sent home or told to seek medical care, if necessary. The company said this was a further step in its commitment to ensure that sick team members stay home.

New social distancing policies and capacity limits inside of its stories will also be instituted.

The store's charitable foundation also made another $500,000 donation to hospitals in their store footprints. Previously, the foundation donated $500,000 to hospitals to fight the virus.

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:

• NH Coronavirus: Death Count Rises To 7; Nearly 7K Test Negative
• Governor To Transfer State Cash To NH Banks; Urges Local Hiking
• NH Attorney General: Beware Of Coronavirus Unemployment Scams
• NH Coronavirus Update: 5th Death Announced; Positives Jump To 479
• Concord Coronavirus: Out Of 565 Tested At Hospital, 19 Positives

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