Another Death, 486 New Positive Coronavirus Infections In NH

CONCORD, NH — Another 486 new positive coronavirus test results were reported on Wednesday, according to the State Joint Information Center.

The new cases, including 89 more children, were discovered after 13,700 tests were administered on Tuesday. Most of the cases were found via antigen tests and most were male. Most of the new cases live in Rockingham County — 144, while 117 live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 54 reside in Merrimack County, and 24 live in Nashua. The state is investigating where 31 new patients live.

Another Granite Stater — a man from Rockingham County, who was between 70 and 79, has died due to or related to COVID-19.

There are more than 3,100 current coronavirus cases while 77 people are hospitalized. More than 1.9 million tests have been administered while 49.6 percent of Granite Staters have been tested at least once.

K-12 school settings in New Hampshire have 187 cases currently while colleges and universities have 122 active cases.

More Granite Staters Sign Up For Vaccines

On Wednesday, the state reported that more than 35,000 New Hampshire residents, between 30 and 39, signed up for vaccinations.

Another 25,000 have already received their first doses in that age bracket. Another 51,000 appointments have been set for those in the 40 to 49 age bracket.

"Today's expansion of eligibility to individuals 30 and older was another massive success," Gov. Chris Sununu said. "As we designed VINI, creating an easy-to-use system that allows Granite Staters to complete the registration and scheduling process as quickly as possible was our focus, and on average, users completed the process in well under 15 minutes. Today was another win for New Hampshire."

Vaccines for 16-plus will begin Friday.

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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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