New NH Coronavirus Hospitalization Data Dashboard Unveiled

CONCORD, NH — State health officials unveiled a new data dashboard featuring hospitalization information on Wednesday.

The dashboard, the seventh slot on the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, features a line graph of confirmed and suspected cases of coronavirus that have been hospitalized statewide from late March 2020 until today. It also has resource availability metrics statewide — so residents can see how many hospital beds have been available from early October 2020 until now. A state map also separates hospitals into four state regions: Upper Valley and Southwest, I-93 Corridor, Seacoast, and North Country. There is also a percentage of available beds for each region as well as a drop-down menu featuring ventilators available, ICU, and staffed hospital beds, too.

State health officials announced 267 new positive coronavirus test results on Wednesday, including 47 children, after more than 11,000 tests were administered on Tuesday. More than half the new infections were found by polymerase chain reaction tests and slightly more than half were male. The PCR positivity rate was 1.8 percent for the day and there are 2,003 active cases in New Hampshire.

Most of the newly infected live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua — 77, while 69 reside in Rockingham County, 29 live in Merrimack County, and 15 live in Nashua.

"Community-based transmission continues to occur in the state and has been identified in all counties," the State Joint Information Center said. "Of those with complete risk information, most of the cases have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis."

Two more Granite Staters also died — men from Rockingham and Sullivan counties. Both lived in long-term care settings while one was 80 years of age or older and the other was between 70- to 79-years-old.

Six communities in New Hampshire have more than 50 active cases: Manchester with 229, Durham has 81, Nashua with 81, 74 in Keene, Derry at 59, and Salem with 54. Concord has 46 cases while Portsmouth has 44. The state is reporting Merrimack with 37, Londonderry and Milford at 32, Bedford with 29, Windham with 28, 26 in Exeter, 19 in Hampton, Amherst at 10, and North Hampton with six.

At colleges and universities, there are 120 active cases — including 54 at UNH in Durham and 21 at Dartmouth in Hanover.

There are 102 cases connected to the K-12 school settings in New Hampshire including three at Milford High School and Londonderry Middle School; two at Concord High School, Portsmouth High and Middle schools, Salem High School, Winnacunnet High School; and single cases at the New Franklin School in Portsmouth, the Merrimack Middle School and Thorntons Ferry School, the Souhegan Coop High School in Amherst, the Rundlett Middle School in Concord, Jacques Memorial Elementary School in Milford, Nashua High School South, Concord Christian Academy, South Elementary School in Londonderry, Phillips Exeter Academy, the Mary C. Dondero Elementary School in Portsmouth, Exeter High School, and the Golden Brook Elementary School in Windham.

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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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