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CONCORD - New Hampshire's top epidemiologist on Monday pleaded with those who are ignoring stay at home orders or think they are not infectious because they feel fine that now is the time to step up to the plate and stop being reckless with their fellow Granite Stater's health.
"The virus is in our communities, it's circulating, spreading infections," Dr. Benjamin Chan said at a news conference held at the New Hampshire Fire Academy Administration Building.
Chan said the number of presumptive community-based infections are increasing and that growing evidence shows people who are asymptomatic can spread the diseases as much as someone who is confirmed contagious.
"There is more information on people who tested positive days before they had symptoms," Chan said. "Not just people that are symptomatic have to stay home, everybody must."
The dire warnings by Chan came on a day when the single-largest spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases was released:
On Monday health officials announced 56 new positive test results for COVID-19 in a single day, bringing the total number of New Hampshire cases to 314.
The new cases are 35 adult females and 21 adult males, according to state CDC officials..
The new cases reside in Rockingham (16), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (5), Strafford (5), Grafton (5), Merrimack (4), and Belknap (3) counties, and in the cities of Nashua (12) and Manchester (6).
Four of the new cases were hospitalized for their illness; thus far, 45 patients of the 314 positive cases (14%) have been hospitalized. Thirty-four of the new cases have no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to increase in the State and has been identified in all counties with cases.
DHHS also announced that new data sets are available. Effective immediately, the NH DHHS COVID-19 updates will include a map of positive cases on a town-by-town level.
Chan said everyone has got be mindful at this present time as health officials look to "flatten the curve" and bring the surge to a quicker conclusion rather one that some same could go into June or July.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said at one point he was looking at a surge vortex in the next two or three weeks.
But to make that work, everyone has to toe the line now.
"Even if you live in a town where COVID shows it's not circulating, concentrate on the assumption that it is in your community," Chan said.
Sununu also said the new delivery and pickup policies being implemented may change over time, but they are important to let retailers who are suffering financially some ability to try to weather the storm.
"We want people to change their model of doing business during this time," the governor said. "And we'll listen to their needs."
The governor also said he was proud to see how most Granite Staters are stepping up.
"I've been in the supermarket and customers are doing the best they can to social distance," Gov. Sununu said.
Sununu also reminded that those out of staters like from New York or Connecticut who are coming up for an extended stay must quarantine for 14 days.
The concern is that if other states with high rates come here they might get sick and overwhelm our health care system, officials note.
Also on Monday, Gov. Sununu announced that the State will be extending business tax payment deadlines to June 15 for 98% of New Hampshire small businesses. The State will also be extending interest and dividend payment deadlines to June 15 for 98% of interest and dividend taxpayers.
He also signed the Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus [CARES] Act agreement which provides New Hampshire with 100 percent funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to support benefit payments to people receiving unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are making every effort to provide assistance to families who are out of work during this time so that they can focus on what is most important - caring for their families and protecting their health by staying home," said the governor. "Over the past few weeks, New Hampshire's Department of Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis and Deputy Commissioner Richard Lavers have been working closely with my office and our federal partners to address some of the most pressing issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"By signing this agreement today on behalf of the state of New Hampshire, the U.S. Department of Labor will fund the growing number of unemployment recipients in our state and help the unemployment trust fund to remain solvent through this crisis."
The Federal CARES Act provides the following enhancements to the benefits available under Governor Sununu's Emergency Order #5:
- Granite Staters affected by COVID-19 currently drawing from the State's Unemployment Insurance fund will in many instances be shifted to the Federally funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. We are still awaiting Federal guidance on this and will provide more detail as received. All claimants will not need to take any new, additional actions, and should continue to file as they have been through the standard state mechanism.
- For those eligible under Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, there will be an increase of the minimum weekly benefit amount from $32/week to $168/week, which includes people earning less than $15,500 during their base period.
- An additional $600 per week to be added to an individuals weekly benefits for all weeks claimed starting this week -- 100% federally funded.
- Extends the length of time a person can receive benefits by 13 weeks, totaling 39 weeks -- 100% federally funded.
- State numbers as of Monday.
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NH Persons with COVID-191 314 Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 3 (1%) Hospitalizations 45 (14%) Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories2 5,412 Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL 3,171 Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3 65 Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) 1,100
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