Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 26, 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 Wednesday, March 26, 2020, DHHS announced 21 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 158 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. The new cases are 5 adult males, 15 adult females, and one male under age 18. The new cases reside in Rockingham (11), Merrimack (2) Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (1), Cheshire (1), Grafton (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the City of Manchester (4). Five of the new cases have no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to increase in the State and has been identified in the majority of counties. The remaining cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Three of the new cases are currently hospitalized; thus far, 25 patients of the 158 positive cases (16%) have been hospitalized.

DHHS also issued guidance regarding two potential community exposures of the coronavirus.

DHHS has determined that a person with COVID-19 was at Honey Dew Donuts, Season’s Corner Market, 501 South Broadway in Salem, NH on the following dates and times:

·  Tuesday March 17, 2020, 5:00 AM- 6:00 AM

·  Wednesday March 18, 2020, 5:00 AM- 10:00 AM

·  Thursday March 19, 2020, 5:00 AM- 7:30 AM

Any individuals who visited the Honey Dew Donuts on the dates and times above may have been potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus and should observe their health for fever or respiratory illness. Any person who visited the facility and develops symptoms should stay away from other people, and immediately contact their healthcare provider.

DHHS has also determined that a person with COVID-19 attended an event that began at 7:00 pm on Saturday, March 14, 2020 in the Garrish Gym at Coe-Brown Academy, 907 1st New Hampshire Turnpike in Northwood, NH. Any individual who attended the event on March 14 in the Garrish Gym at Coe-Brown Academy may have been potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus and should observe their health for fever or respiratory illness. Any person who was in the Garrish Gym during the event and develops symptoms should stay away from other people, and immediately contact their healthcare provider. The risk of exposure applies only to the Garrish Gym during the event at 7:00 pm, and not to attendance at the school or at other school activities.

Instructions for self-observation are available here: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/residents/documents/self-observation-covid.pdf

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(data updated March 26, 2020, 9:00 AM)

NH Persons with COVID-191	158
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19	1 (<1%)
Hospitalizations	25 (16%)
Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories2	3,395
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL	2,721
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3	592
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time)	825

1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes specimens tested at the NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL), LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.

3Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH PHL. Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.

NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive

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