NH Posts Highest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases Since Mid-June

Tony Schinella
Updated ·4 min read

CONCORD, NH — The state of New Hampshire posted 61 new positive test results for COVID-19 — the most new cases reported in the state since June 16 when 72 cases were reported.

Six of the new cases were children while 53 percent were female. One case is still under investigation. Twelve of the new cases live in Merrimack County while 12 also reside in Rockingham County. Another nine live in Nashua, five live in Manchester, and three live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua.

The new cases bring the accumulative case count in the state to 7,920 cases since March 1 with 7,164 people or 90 percent recovering from the virus.

No new hospitalizations and no new deaths were reported but officials revised the current hospitalization number back up to eight (only seven were reported in the hospital Friday).

The state collected 2,886 polymerase chain reaction specimens Friday after issuing 5,750 tests on Thursday. Fifty-seven antibody laboratory tests were collected Friday.

Around 239,000 people have been tested with PCR tests while close to 31,000 have been tested with antibody lab tests.

Approximately 2,000 people are under public health monitoring by the state.

Neither the state's COVID-19 Overview Dashboard which features trend information, school data, and other data nor the COVID-19 Summary Dashboard, which features maps of accumulative and current positive data were updated Saturday.

Sununu Signs Health Care Ethics Committee Order

By executive order Friday, Gov. Chris Sununu gave the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services the power to revamp the state's health ethics committee with new members.

About a decade ago, the Legislature create the New Hampshire Crisis Standards of Care Plan and CSC Clinical Guidelines to assist the governor in overseeing the state's healthcare system. However, the executive order stated, New Hampshire's experience with COVID-19, to date, "reveals that the state requires a broader range of perspectives related to allocation of resources than what the Legislature contemplated when it passed" the law many years ago.

The ethics committee will review the implications of any powers that need to be exercised by the commissioner including "confiscation, distribution, and rationing of anti-toxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents, medical equipment; the issuance, due process, and enforcement of orders of isolation, quarantine, medical examination, and medical treatment; and issue relative to information sharing and confidentiality."

The full Emergency Order No. 69 can be found here in PDF format.

Also on Friday, Sununu extended the state of emergency in New Hampshire for another 21 days.

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Stop 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.

  • When you can't practice 6 feet of social distancing, wear a face covering.

  • Anyone who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.

  • If you are 60 years or older or have chronic and underlying health conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.

  • Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.

  • Employers should work from home as much as possible.

  • There is increasing evidence that the virus can survive for hours or possibly days on surfaces. 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.

  • Wear a face covering.

  • 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