Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 23, 2020, on the new coronavirus, COVID-19. DHHS will continue to issue COVID-19 updates each day to provide media and the public with current information about the State’s efforts.

On Monday, March 23, 2020, DHHS announced 23 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 101 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. The new cases are 12 adult males and 11 adult females. The 23 new cases reside in Rockingham (10), Grafton (5), Belknap (3), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (2), Carroll (1), and Strafford (1) counties and the city of Manchester (1). Four of the cases have no identified risk factors. The remaining new cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Community-based transmission has been identified in the majority of the counties in the State. Nine new cases are isolating at home. Five of the new cases are currently hospitalized; thus far, 11 patients out of the 101 positive cases (11%) have been hospitalized.

DHHS has also announced the State’s first death related to COVID-19. The deceased was a male resident of Hillsborough County who was over 60 years old and had multiple underlying health issues. We express our sympathies to this person’s family and friends.

Since first testing for COVID-19 on March 2, the State Public Health Laboratories (PHL) has conducted more than 2,400 COVID-19 tests. As the PHL continues to ramp up testing, there will be more positive tests. As COVID-19 spreads in our communities, the chance of being exposed to the novel coronavirus is increasing. It is critical that all residents take steps to protect themselves and their communities. DHHS emphasizes that residents should follow the following 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.

·  Anybody who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspect COVID-19 needs to stay home, and not go out into public places.

·  If you are 60 years or older or have chronic medical conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.

·  Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.

·  Employers need to move to telework as much as possible.

·  There is increasing evidence that this virus can survive for hours or possibly even a few days on surfaces, so people should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery cart and grocery basket handles, etc. 

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(updated March 23, 2020, 9:00 AM)

NH Persons with COVID-191	101
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19	1 (<1%)
Hospitalizations	11 (11%)
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL2	869
Total Persons Tested at NH PHL3	2417
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time)	900

1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL). Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.

3Includes specimens sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.

NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive

For more information, please visit the DHHS COVID-19 webpage at https://www.nh.gov/covid19.