4 More Die Of COVID-19 In New Hampshire: 7-Day Report

CONCORD, NH — Another four people last week died due to or related to COVID-19 as active coronavirus case counts dropped below four in all but a handful of communities in New Hampshire.

The deaths included two women from Grafton County and two men from Rockingham County. One of the women from Grafton County died during the week of May 31 and was only confirmed last week as a COVID-19 death. Of the four people who died, two lived in long-term care settings while one was 80 years of age or older and three were between 70 and 79, according to the state.

There have been 1,371 fatalities in New Hampshire or 1.38 percent of all infections.

During the past week, 146 new cases of coronavirus were reported after hundreds of tests were administered. Slightly more than 13 percent of the new infections were workers in the healthcare field while about 13 percent were long-term care residents.

“Community-based transmission continues to occur in the state and has been identified in all counties,” the state said. “Of those with complete risk information, most of the cases have either had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis or have recently traveled.”

Only five communities in New Hampshire have more than four active cases of coronavirus: Nashua with 15, Claremont with 11, Manchester and Rochester with 10, and Salem with six.

There is one active institutional outbreak, at Birch Healthcare Center in Rochester, where there have been 42 resident cases, five staff cases, and six deaths.

As of Friday, 99,403 have been infected with the virus while there were only 167 current cases in the state. Thirteen people are hospitalized with no one in intensive care units.

Nearly 2.42 million tests have been administered with 56.5 percent of all residents tested at least once. Around 728,000 residents have been fully vaccinated or 53.7 percent of all residents.

State health officials are also reporting 14 active cases connected to K-12 schools in New Hampshire including single cases at Salem High School, Windham High School, and St. John Regional School in Concord.

There are no active cases connected to colleges and universities.

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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 a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to not go out to 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.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Schools, Employers, Employees, and Businesses (Can your employer force you to get the vaccine? It depends).

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Healthcare Providers and Public Health Partners

• Guidance to schools can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 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.
• To access the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, click on this link here.
• To access the state's COVID-19 Interactive Map Dashboard, click on this link here.

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