Dec. 26 NH DHHS COVID-19 update: 1,031 positive results with 77 in Manchester; 11 deaths reported

CONCORD, NH – On Saturday, December 26, 2020, DHHS announced 1,031 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a daily PCR test positivity rate of 6.7%. Today’s results include 392 people who tested positive by PCR test and 639 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 6,119 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Of the results reported today:

• 12/19: 18 new cases today, for an updated total of 763 cases
• 12/20: 64 new cases today, for an updated total of 610 cases
• 12/21: 80 new cases today, for an updated total of 519 cases
• 12/22: 27 new cases today, for an updated total of 455 cases
• 12/23: 562 new cases, for an updated total of 820 cases
• 12/24: 280 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 one hundred thirty-five individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 49% being female and 51% being male. The new cases reside in Rockingham (326), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (157), Merrimack (78), Strafford (67), Coos (59), Belknap (38), Grafton (27), Carroll (22), Cheshire (14), Sullivan (3) counties, and in the cities of Nashua (90) and Manchester (77). The county of residence is being determined for seventy-three 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 eleven additional deaths related to COVID-19.

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

There are currently 277 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. In New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 39,933 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed with 894 (2%) of those having been hospitalized.

Current Situation in New Hampshire

 New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report (updated December 26, 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.