Contact tracing along with testing are key to keeping virus on the run, Sununu says

CONCORD - Listening to Gov. Sununu and DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette, you might think the COVID-19 strategy is all about the test.

But just as important is the contact tracing, a whole new line of work in this post-COVID-19 world. Contact tracing painstakingly tracks those who test positive - and are often asymptomatic - to find out whom they may have come in contact with in recent weeks. Anyone who has is asked to self-quarantine and monitor their health for a period of time.

Without giving numbers Shibinette on Monday said the amount of confirmed cases involving asymptomatic individuals is trending upward.

"As we do more testing we're finding a lot of asymptomatic cases," Shibinette said, adding about 5-7 percent of those tested in recent weeks have tested positive.

Currently more than 3,000 New Hampshire residents are being monitored. Some of those are folks who tested positive or have symptoms. Others are folks who were found to have come in contact with someone who tested positive. They are also monitored while being asked to self-quarantine to mitigate virus spread.

"Contact tracing is an important tool in our toolbox to stop the virus," Gov. Sununu said. "Some states didn't stay with it but we did and it's working."

Some experts have predicted the nation will be needing 100,000 to 180,000 contact tracers. Some want ads say contact tracers can make from $17-$22 an hour. Shibinette last week said she had about 70 right now, but that number is bound to spike with all the new confirmed cases as testing continues to ramp up.

The governor said all of the state's contact tracers are at one center, and more will be hired whenever they are needed.

Right now more than 3,000 individuals are being monitored statewide.

"We don't know how and what the numbers are going to be, but we will bring contact tracers as we need them," Sununu said. "We'll do whatever it takes. We need to quarantine individuals who have come in contact with positive cases. That's how you mitigate the virus."

Regarding testing, State epidemiologist Benjamin Chan said nearly 34,000 Granite Staters have been tested with daily totals averaging 1,200.

During Monday's press conference in Concord Chan announced 89 new cases for a total of 3,160 with no new deaths. He said of those confirmed cases, three had to be hospitalized.

Shibinette, who said the state was unfairly criticized last week for its number of deaths inside congregate elderly housing, pushed back hard with numbers that show the Granite State is doing the best of many states including most in New England.

She said looking at the percentage of deaths in the state's elder care residential communities, New Hampshire stood at .7 percent, Rhode Island at 5 percent, Massachusetts at 4.6 percent and Connecticut at 3.2 percent.

Locally just one of the new cases was identified as a Strafford County resident.

Local current cases as of Monday show 21 in Rochester, 47 in Dover, 15 in Barrington, 5 in Somersworth and 1-4 in Farmington and Milton

The total cases in Rochester overall is 36.

Meanwhile, in Maine, the confirmed case total rose to 1,462 with 200 hospitalizations and 65 deaths.

More NH COVID numbers

NH Persons with COVID-19 3,160

Recovered 1,231 (39%)

Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 133 (4%)

Total Current COVID-19 Cases 1,796

Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19 318 (10%)

Current Hospitalizations 117

Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) 3,025