Dec.23 NH DHHS COVID-19 update: 571 new positive results with 43 in Manchester; 21 deaths reported

CONCORD, NH – On Wednesday, December 23, 2020, DHHS announced 571 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a daily PCR test positivity rate of 4.6%. Today’s results include 422 people who tested positive by PCR test and 149 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 6,409 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Of the results reported today:

• 12/18: 24 new cases today, for an updated total of 676 cases
• 12/19: 97 new cases today, for an updated total of 719 cases
• 12/20: 26 new cases today, for an updated total of 532 cases
• 12/21: 110 new cases today, for an updated total of 437 cases
• 12/22: 314 new cases

Test results for previous days are still being processed and the total number of new positives for those days are not yet complete. Updated case counts for prior days will be reflected on the COVID-19 interactive dashboard.

Several cases are still under investigation. Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates. Of those with complete information, there are sixty-three individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 53% being female and 47% being male. The new cases reside in Rockingham (144), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (84), Merrimack (75), Strafford (68), Belknap (43), Cheshire (22), Carroll (19), Grafton (12), Coos (5), and Sullivan (4) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (43) and Nashua (38). The county of residence is being determined for fourteen new cases.

Community-based transmission continues to occur in the State and has been identified in all counties. Of those with complete risk information, most of the cases are either associated with an outbreak setting or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

DHHS has also announced 21 additional deaths related to COVID-19.

• 4 male residents of Hillsborough County, 60 years of age and older
• 6 female residents of Hillsborough County, 60 years of age and older
• 4 male residents of Merrimack County, 60 years of age and older
• 1 female resident of Merrimack County, 60 years of age and older
• 1 male resident of Rockingham County, 60 years of age and older
• 3 female residents of Rockingham County, 60 years of age and older
• 2 male residents of Strafford County, 60 years of age and older

There are currently 305 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. In New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 38,512 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed with 892 (2%) of those having been hospitalized.

 Current Situation in New Hampshire

New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report (updated December 23, 2020, 9 a.m.)

1 Includes specimens positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.

2 Includes 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.

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

 Number of Tests Conducted by Date of Report to NH DHHS

* Includes out-of-state public health laboratories, out-of-state hospital laboratories, and other commercial laboratories not already listed in the table.

Note: Patients who had both antibody and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are accounted for in both tables.

** Includes tests conducted at the UNH laboratory and their contracted lab Veritas.