LIVE BLOG - CORONAVIRUS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: 4 more deaths, 872 new COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire
Update: Thursday, Dec. 17, 3:20 p.m.
State health officials announced four more deaths of New Hampshire residents as a result of COVID-19 Thursday, bringing the state s total deaths to 629 since the start of the pandemic. Three of the deaths were associated with outbreaks at long-term care facilities.
The state also announced 872 newly-identified coronavirus infections. In the past week, New Hampshire has averaged around 8,000 COVID tests per day, with a positivity rate of about 9%. There are currently 6,928 active infections across the state, and 284 patients are hospitalized with the virus.
LIVE BLOG - CORONAVIRUS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: COVID Cases Continue To Rise At State Men s Prison
Update: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m.
The state men’s prison in Concord is continuing to see more COVID-19 cases on a daily basis.
There are currently 40 staff who have tested positive for COVID-19. That s up from 16 staff cases a week ago.
Over 140 inmates are now positive for COVID-19, up from 28 cases just last week.
No one has died from COVID in the facility, the state says. Officials say they continuing to conduct testing, and many inmates are in quarantine.
- Sarah Gibson
Update: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:15 p.m.
LIVE BLOG - CORONAVIRUS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: State reports 670 new cases - no new deaths
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 6:21 p.m.
State health officials announced 670 new coronavirus cases Tuesday night. No additional deaths were reported - the current COVID-19 death toll is 604.
The daily PCR positivity test rate was 6.2%, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The results reported Tuesday included 81 new cases for Dec. 10, 91 for Dec. 11, 1 for Dec. 12, 111 for Dec. 13, and 386 for Dec. 14.
There are 252 residents hospitalized and 6,477 active cases statewide. Since the pandemic began, the state has recorded 32,545 cases of coronavirus.
- NHPR Staff
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 4:19 p.m.
LIVE BLOG - CORONAVIRUS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Increase in applicants for home heating help
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 4:19 p.m.
There is greater interest in winter home heating assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
New Hampshire’s community action agencies say they’re seeing more first-time applicants for the assistance.
Betsey Andrews Parker leads the Strafford County CAP. She spoke on a panel with Congressman Chris Pappas on Tuesday about expiring federal aid programs that have let groups like hers expand their usual programs. She hopes that aid will continue.
“People are really actually ruining their credit because they’re trying to keep themselves afloat during this time,” she said. “So having this program has been incredibly beneficial for a lot of middle income families who’ve never accessed community action services before.”
LIVE BLOG - CORONAVIRUS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Front-line health workers get vaccine
Update: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 11:09 a.m.
Front-line health workers were among the first people in New Hampshire to get their COVID-19 vaccine at Elliot Hospital in Manchester this morning.
The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in New Hampshire on Monday.
Temperatures were in the 20s, but five health care workers braved the cold to get their shots outdoors. Some said they did it because they wanted to show the public that the vaccine was safe.
At the event, New Hampshire Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette said everyone should get the vaccine when it s more widely available not only for themselves, but for those who have been on the front lines of the pandemic.