NH Coronavirus: 15 New Children Are Positive; 3 More Fatalities
CONCORD, NH — Three more people in New Hampshire have succumbed to the new coronavirus, according to state officials. All three were men who were 60 years or older. Two lived in Rockingham County while one lived in Hillsborough County.
It's unknown if the three had underlying health conditions but two were connected to outbreaks at Hanover Hills in Manchester and the Residence at Salem Woods in Salem.
The State Joint Information Center also announced 78 new positive test results for COVID-19 in the state Friday bringing the positive count to 1,287 since late February. While several of the new cases were still being investigated, the state confirmed that 52 percent were men, 48 percent were women, 10 were girls, and five boys — due to testing at Gammon Academy in Manchester, an Easterseals learning facility for students with disabilities. Forty-three of the new cases live in Hillsborough County, 18 live in Rockingham County, and three live in Merrimack County.
"The county of residence is being determined for one new case as well as one previously announced case," the state said. "Any additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates."
Three of the new cases needed hospitalization with 86 people currently hospitalized and 190 needing hospital care since the pandemic started.
During the investigatory process of the new infections, state public health officials reported that nine of the new cases had no identified risk factors.
Of the 1,287 cases, 468 have recovered, about 36 percent, with 11,565 people testing negative at the NH Public Health Laboratories, LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to state labs testing capacity. About 174 tests are pending with approximately 2,200 people under public health monitoring.
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A fourth community in the state — Derry — now has more than 50 cases, according to the latest state map.
Biz Group Urges Cautious Reopening
New Hampshire's statewide chamber of commerce is urging caution as the state's economy gets back up and running.
In a letter to Gov. Chris Sununu and other state policy leaders, Jim Roche, the president of the Business and Industry Association, said there were "several policy areas" that if left unaddressed could slow the recovery. Those include litigation against employers trying to comply with CDC recommendations, business tax increases, unemployment insurance increases, and other issues.
“As your thoughts turn to reinvigorating New Hampshire's economy, BIA believes it’s important to highlight several policy matters that will directly impact the ability of enterprises large and small, in all corners of the state, to return to economic health," he said Jim Roche. "We’re in unprecedented times. Public sector revenues and the smooth functioning of public services rely heavily on the success of non-government enterprises. We urge state policy makers to be extraordinarily sensitive to the challenges facing non-government employers as you focus your attention on reinvigorating New Hampshire’s economy."
Portsmouth Pride Postponed
Seacoast Outright, the organization that puts together the Portsmouth PRIDE event, is postponing its event until Oct. 10.
The weeklong celebration of the Seacoast LGBTQ Community caps off its event with a march from Market Square to the Marketplace at the Strawbery Banke Museum, featuring speakers, entertainment, food and vendors.
"This decision certainly wasn't easy," said Hershey Hirschkop, the executive director of Seacoast Outright. "But we are committed to the people we serve, the communities around the Seacoast area, and the City of Portsmouth. PRIDE is our largest fundraiser of the year and most public effort to shine a light on our programs but it’s important to ensure the well-being and health of our entire community including attendees, residents, artists, vendors, volunteers, and staff."
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Wakefern Food Corporation Donates $1M To Food Banks
Wakefern Food Corp., along with its cooperative members that own and operate supermarkets across nine states, including Price Rite Marketplace in Manchester, is donating $1 million to regional food banks.
The donation is being made, according to the company, to help meet "the dramatic increase in demand for food and essentials during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Joe Colalillo, the chairman and CEO of the company, said, "It's so important for us to support the food banks that are experiencing increased need and demand during this crisis. In these uncertain times our members remain committed to supporting the communities our stores serve and will continue to help in the fight against hunger by working with our food bank partners."
During the last two decades, the company's ShopRite Partners In Caring Fund, a community-based, hunger-fighting initiative, has donated $50 million to more than 2,200 charities.
GOFERR Legislative Advisory Board Meets Monday
The Governor’s Office For Emergency Relief and Recovery will hold a meeting of its Bipartisan Legislative Advisory Board at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 20. Call-in: 1-800-356-8278; login: 389388.
All members of the GOFERR Legislative Advisory Board have been invited to participate in Monday's call, according to the governor's press office.
SAMHSA COVID-19 Grant
The department announced Friday that it had received a $2 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant to assist individuals impacted by mental health and substance use disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state will use the funds to establish NH Rapid Response — a comprehensive system that will provide crisis intervention services, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and other related recovery supports for youth and adults impacted by COVID-19. The funds will go through the current 10 private and nonprofit community mental health centers.
"While our primary focus during this crisis has been on the physical wellbeing of our residents, we cannot overlook the impact of COVID-19 on those who struggle with mental illness," said DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette. "This funding will allow us to strengthen and enhance our behavioral health services during COVID-19, and we look forward to working with our community mental health centers across the state so that all New Hampshire residents have access to these critical services."
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.
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This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch
