NH Coronavirus: Monitoring Surges To 3,350; 22nd Death Announced

Tony Schinella
Updated ·9 min read

CONCORD, NH — If what public health officials have been saying for the last week is true, it appears that the state of New Hampshire is seeing its surge of the new coronavirus — at least when it comes to public health monitoring cases. Approximately 3,350 are under public health monitoring in New Hampshire — a jump of more than 1,100 in 24 hours, according to the latest statistics released by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. A 22nd person has also died in New Hampshire due to COVID-19. The patient, a woman, was over the age of 60 and had underlying health issues.

Lori Shibinette, the commissioner for the health department, said Friday the woman was a resident of Hanover Hills in Manchester, a long-term care facility. The woman is the 11th death in the state at a residential community.

Officials also announced 66 new coronavirus cases in the state. Some of those cases, Shibinette said, were tested in Massachusetts and the results were submitted from there. Once a week, she said, the Mass. Public Health Department submits the information to New Hampshire which is why there are occasional weekly spikes in the positive cases — even though cases tend to be trending down.

Several of the cases, according to the state, were still under investigation but those with complete information were all adults — 48 percent being women and 52 percent men. Seven of the cases required hospitalization. About a third of the new cases live in Rockingham County while 25 live in Hillsborough and three in Merrimack County.

Only nine of the new cases had no identified risk factors, according to the state. The rest either traveled domestically or internationally or were in contact with a positive case of COVID-19.

The new cases bring the total to 885 in New Hampshire. Of those, 234 or 26 percent have recovered, with 134, about 15 percent, requiring hospitalization. According to the state, 9,608 have tested negative at NH Public Health Laboratories, LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity. Around 93 tests are pending at the state lab with 4,826 cases being tested at the lab.

Also, Concord firefighters and police were sent to a home in the city's North End Friday for a possible new coronavirus death. The man, in his early 20s, was previously confirmed to be a positive case. Only a few deaths have been reported so far in Merrimack County.

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250+ Child Care Providers Lined Up

The health department announced Thursday that 262 child care emergency programs have been established in the state serving more than 5,500 children.

The program was created to support families of essential workers during the outbreak. More than $5 million of funding has been committed by the state and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to establish and ensure "a robust and effective system of emergency child care" for parents and employers providing essential services during COVID-19.

"Child care programs are part of the foundation of strong and healthy families, and ensuring safe, quality, and accessible child care is vitally important as we continue to respond to COVID-19," said DHHS Associate Commissioner Christine Tappan. "We are grateful for the funding that has allowed us to create a private-public partnership that will ensure families have the support they need during this public health emergency, and safeguard the stability of the child care system once the pandemic is over."

SoClean Continues To Deliver Masks

The Peterborough company responsible for the "Masks for New Hampshire" effort is continuing to deliver masks to health care facilities.

Last week, it was 25,000 masks to more than 40 facilities. Beginning Friday, an additional 175,000 masks will be delivered to more than 200 health care facilities. The masks are being delivered by nearly 50 SoClean employees.

"We continue to hear from healthcare organizations across the state that have mask shortages and need a short-term supply," said Robert Wilkins, the CEO of the company. "Our goal is to get these masks to organizations as soon as possible so they can help ensure the safety of those on the front lines who are working tirelessly to fight this pandemic."

Healthcare facilities interested in being included on the distribution list should contactMasksforNH@soclean.com with information about the organization's needs.

Mormons Donate 20 Tons Of Food

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated more than 40,000 lbs. of food to the New Hampshire Food Bank Thursday.

The donation, which primarily consists of canned and packaged goods, supports the food bank's statewide food distribution efforts. The donation was arranged by local leaders in the Granite State, where the Church has 21 congregations.

"Our members in New Hampshire appreciate what the New Hampshire Food Bank does for them and their neighbors," said Dan Billin, the communications director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in central and northern New Hampshire. "As followers of Jesus Christ, we are grateful to be able to help feed the hungry by supporting the work of the New Hampshire Food Bank."

State Has New Resource Guides

The Division of Children, Youth and Families has created two new resource guides to assist families, caregivers, and others to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first is "Supporting Child and Family Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Emergency," which features practical tips on how to support children and families as well as a list of resources available to families statewide.

The second is the Family Support Warm Line, a partnership between DHHS and Waypoint. The Family Support Warm Line is a no-cost, confidential phone support line focused on promoting family resiliency.

Residents can call 800-640-6486 and speak with family support professionals and parent partners for help with managing family challenges, coping strategies, or emotional support.

The resources were prompted by Gov. Chris Sununu's Emergency Order No. 22 and a decrease in referrals to DCYF.

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"Our data has shown a decline in the number of calls made to DCYF from those community helpers who regularly see kids face to face, but this is continues to be a stressful time for families and our focus has to remain on prevention," said DCYF Director Joseph Ribsam. "Having resources readily available and a place where parents and caregivers can turn if they need to talk to someone can make a difference for our families and guide them to the services they need to stay strong and healthy, before they reach a tipping point that leads to abuse or neglect."

Sens. Hassan, Shaheen Hold Telephone Town Hall

At 7 p.m. on April 14, U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen will host a telephone town hall to answer questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts by the federal government to combat the virus.

State and federal officials will also participate in the call.

Signup to participate online at Hassan's website.

No Parking Along Parts Of Route 1A

The towns of North Hampton, Rye, and Seabrook are banning parking along Route 1A-Ocean Boulevard in an effort to reduce visitors to the communities.

The restrictions, according to North Hampton Police, will stay in place until the New Hampshire beaches fully reopen to visitors. "Vehicles parked illegally are subject to being ticketed and/or towed at the owner's expense," police wrote on Facebook.

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.

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This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch