More Than Half Of NH Senior Citizens Vaccinated: COVID-19 Update

CONCORD, NH — More than half the state's senior citizen population has been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the state's latest data report.

In the New Hampshire coronavirus vaccine allocation update issued on Tuesday, more than 61 percent of adults aged 65 to 74 and nearly 51 percent of residents 75 and older have received two doses of Moderna and Pfizer shots. While many people in the 65 and older category do not believe they are senior citizens, for data gathering purposes, that is how the age group is labeled. The state did not release age data for the Janssen Biotech J&J shot that has been put on hold but more than 39,000 people received those shots.

The state's latest data dashboard is reporting 24.8 percent of the nearly 1.36 million residents have been vaccinated.

Another fatality was also reported — a woman from Coos County connected to a long-term care setting who was 80 years of age or older. There have been 1,271 fatalities in the state or 1.38 percent of all infections.

The state also reported another 285 positive test results — with most found via polymerase chain reaction tests, including 59 children. Most of the new cases were male — about 53 percent. Eighty-two of the new patients live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 50 reside in Rockingham County, 21 live in Merrimack County, and nine live in Nashua. Most of the new cases had confirmed contact with someone who tested positive or traveled recently, according to the report.

The state said 129 people are hospitalized. There are 3,159 active cases with 95.2 percent of all cases recovered, according to state data. More than 2.073 million tests have been administered to 51.8 percent of the state's population.

Cases connected to the K-12 school setting dipped to 210 while college and university cases were at 93.

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• Coronavirus In New Hampshire Update: 678 New Infections
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• Another 5 COVID-19 Deaths In New Hampshire: 48-Hour Report
• NH 'Safest COVID State,' Study Says

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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