Another Coronavirus Death In New Hampshire; 362 More Positives

CONCORD, NH — Another elderly New Hampshire resident has died due to or related to the new coronavirus.

The man was 60 years of age or older and live in Coos County. He was the 513th fatality in the state. About 3 percent of all New Hampshire residents who are infected with coronavirus die of COVID-19.

The State Joint Information Center reported another 362 people have tested positive for the coronavirus including 25 children. About 15 cases are still under investigation. A little more than half of the new cases were male. Of the new cases, 63 live in Hillsborough County outside of Manchester and Nashua, 61 live in Rockingham County, 43 reside in Merrimack County, and 20 live in Nashua. Another 76 people live in Manchester.

The new test results were found after about 5,400 specimens were collected Monday and prior day counts were increased slightly. Another 740 test results are pending. The daily positivity rate for polymerase chain reaction tests was 3.9 percent on Tuesday.

The state said most of the cases either had close contact with a person who was a confirmed diagnoses or associated with an outbreak setting.

About 121 people are hospitalized and 6,650 are under public health monitoring by health officials. Nearly 408,000 people have been tested via PCR tests while another 33,000 have received antibody tests. Around 776,000 PCR tests have been administered in New Hampshire.

Plaistow Pub Hit With Fine

Richard Leclaire of Grumpy's Bar & Grill in Plaistow is being fined $1,500 for coronavirus emergency order and guidance violations, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.

The establishment was accused of not following restaurant safety guidelines — specifically, not enforcing social distancing or face coverings.

The state said a health officer from Plaistow contacted the bar on four occasions between May and August about the lack of safety compliance. Police visited the restaurant on Nov. 14 and "observed only one person in the bar — a bartender — wearing a face covering." The attorney general's office said the officer's observation matched a photo sent to the health department Nov. 13 "which clearly shows overcrowding, standing and mingling in the bar area, no social distancing between tables, and no face coverings," the state said. Tables were also spaced less than six feet apart.

All were violations of the emergency orders, the state said.

The fine follows a few days after a report of potential community exposure at Grumpy's — with health officials warning anyone who was in the bar area of the establishment or near the pool tables on Nov. 10 or Nov. 14 that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Free Testing Expanded At 4 NH Rite Aid Locations

Rite Aid is expanding its free coronavirus testing after extending a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Now, Granite Staters, 13 and older, can acquire a self-swab test, whether the person is exhibiting symptoms or not. Children under 18 must have parental or guardian approval.

Participating Rite Aids include 4976 Dartmouth College Highway in Haverhill, 1631 Elm St. in Manchester, 331 Main St. in Nashua, and 1390 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth.

Testing will not be available on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.

Hour are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

To pre-register online, visit riteaid.com.

'Stay Strong, Mask On'

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health launched two advocacy campaigns to promote wearing a mask both regionally and nationally.

The hospital launched "Stay Strong. Masks On" through public service announcements, advertising, and digital messaging throughout the New Hampshire and Vermont, focusing on the importance of mask and face coverings wearing and "facing down the pandemic," the hospital said. It also joined about 100 of the nation's largest and best known health systems in "Mask Up," which called on all Americans to work to slow the spread.

"As we have emphasized from the onset of the pandemic, wearing a mask is a public health imperative," Joanne Conroy, the CEO and president of the company, said. "We are pleased to see Governor Sununu heed the advice of scientists and health professionals and implement this common-sense step to slow the spread of this deadly pandemic. We are also proud to join with other top health systems across the country to continue to emphasize the importance of mask-wearing. Americans — especially Northern New Englanders — are resilient and have the drive and determination to handle just about anything. The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to test our willpower — but we have what it takes to get through this."

ALSO READ:

• New Hampshire Has Another 445 Coronavirus Cases: Update
• Less Than $1M Left Of CARES Act’s $1.25B; $0 For Food Stamps
• Manchester Bar Closes Due To Positive Employee COVID Tests
• Rayno: Mask Mandate Helps, But More Needed In New Hampshire
• 4 More In New Hampshire Die Due To Coronavirus: Update

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.

• Guidance to schools can be found can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available 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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