Coronavirus Blog: Earlier Updates (Feb. 16 through March 31, 2021)

This post gathers NHPR's past updates on coronavirus in New Hampshire.

NOTE: Some of the stories below may contained outdated guidance and stories that have since evolved. Please click the links below for the most up-to-date coverage and guidance.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL EARLIER COVID-19 UPDATES

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Update: Wednesday, March 31, 6:01 p.m.

The group representing New Hampshire colleges and universities says it in discussions with Gov. Chris Sununu to identify a date when all college students - including those from out of state - become eligible for the state's COVID vaccine registration process.

A spokesperson for Sununu says the state's position has not changed, and that non-resident students who attend college in New Hampshire are not currently eligible for vaccines here.

When registering for a vaccine, New Hampshire residency can be shown with documents such as a drivers license or payroll check with a state address.

Eligibility for out-of-state students varies across New England. Rhode Island and Massachusetts will include all out-of state college students in their vaccine plans starting April 19th.

Maine and Vermont are only allowing residents to register.

- Alli Fam

Update: Wednesday, March 31, 4:41 p.m.

About 19 percent of men and women incarcerated in New Hampshire's prisons have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The state Department of Corrections says it is currently vaccinating inmates in its four facilities aged 50 and above and hopes to start vaccinating inmates above the age of 40 next week.

It says that it has requested vaccines for all remaining residents but is waiting for state allocations.

During Phase 1b earlier this year, state-run correctional facilities offered vaccines to staff on-site. It says about 60 percent of its staff got vaccinated that way, and others have been vaccinated in the community since then.

The Department of Corrections says it is not able to collect more detail on staff vaccination rates off-site because of medical privacy protections

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Wednesday, March 31, 4:31 p.m.

More than 35,000 residents booked an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine today by 3 p.m., Gov. Chris Sununu said.

Today was the first day those in the 30-39 age bracket were able to sign up via vaccines.nh.gov. Sununu says users did not experience wait times today. The state will further expand the eligibility Friday, when those 16 and older can register for the vaccine.

The state estimates about 25,000 in the 30-39 group have already received at least their first dose.

In his update this afternoon, Sununu noted that, due to FDA requirements, 16- and 17-year-olds will only be allowed to get the Pfizer vaccine, and a parent must be present at the time of the vaccination.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 31, 3:30 p.m.

N.H. health officials have announced 486 new cases today, the highest daily new case total since February 1.

The state says 89 of those cases are in people under the age of 18. One additional death was reported, putting the overall total at 1,238.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, March 30, 8:01 p.m.

State health officials announced 408 new COVID-19 cases and 2,864 active cases statewide - the most current cases in a day since Feb. 21. Explore The Data: Tracking COVID-19 in New Hampshire

No additional deaths were reported Tuesday. 

Of the new cases, 70 residents were under age 18. There are currently 80 people hospitalized in the Granite State due to coronavirus, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, March 30, 6:01 p.m.

The University of New Hampshire has announced that it will cancel in-person, on-campus youth programs this summer.

“The decision was made after careful review of available staffing, COVID-19 health and safety requirements, and the significant work required over the summer to ensure the university can open fully for the fall semester,” reads part of the UNH announcement.

“We regret any inconvenience this may cause for family summer planning. We truly appreciate your interest in our youth programs and camps and hope you will find suitable alternatives for a wonderful summer camp experience.”

— NHPR Staff

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Update: Tuesday, March 30, 3:01 p.m.

A two-day vaccination clinic at Fidelity in Merrimack vaccinated 2,570 people, according to Nashua Public Health.

The vaccinated individuals were teachers, school staff, child care providers, youth camp staff, and residents 50 and older from greater Nashua.

Fidelity provided space, as well as a 10,000-square-foot tent, for the clinic. In addition to Nashua Public Health, the clinic was organized with support from Nashua Public Works, Litchfield Police, and Merrimack police and fire departments.

The multi-agency and jurisdictional teamwork is a staple behind these kinds of clinics, not to mention the volunteers that help. The mass vaccination clinics at New Hampshire Motor Speedway saw health and public safety personnel from towns and cities from around the state.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, March 30, 1:21 p.m.

U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire say the state is getting nearly $30.7 million in additional federal money to support COVID-19 vaccines to correct a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formula that previously shortchanged small states.

The money is coming from the December federal aid package, as well as the latest one, known as the American Rescue Plan.

The amount includes an installment Tuesday of more than $12.7 million through the December funding package, as well as nearly $18 million that will arrive through subsequent installments starting in April.

- Associated Press

Update: Tuesday, March 30, 8:20 a.m.

The next phase of vaccination signups in New Hampshire is off to a smooth start Monday. Residents age 40-49 became eligible Monday, including Gov. Chris Sununu.

Your Guide To Coronavirus Vaccines in New Hampshire

His office said by 4 p.m., 36,000 people had booked appointments.

The next group, ages 30-39, can register as of Wednesday, and the last group ages 16-29, can sign up Friday.

The vaccine has not yet been approved for children under 16.

- Associated Press

Update: Monday, March 29, 5:10 p.m.

No new deaths were reported today - a first for the month - but in addition to 272 newly identified cases, the total case count grew by 47 after the state conducted a look at the quality of its data. Those additional cases range from November 2020 through March 2021. The total number of cases identified in N.H. is now 83,340.

There are currently 73 residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and 2,785 active cases.

- NHPR Staff

  Update: Monday, March 29, 4:22 p.m.

In the Seacoast region and Strafford County, community groups, like Black Lives Matter Seacoast, are helping people of color 18 and older schedule their appointments. The community groups are collecting the contact information of residents of color who want a COVID-19 vaccine, and passing the list to the region’s Public Health Network.

The North Country and Greater Manchester Regional Public Health Networks are also scheduling residents of color through the state’s equity allocation.

Greater Monadnock Public Health Network is operating a vaccine waitlist to provide vulnerable populations the opportunity to find earlier vaccine appointments.

You can find your Regional Public Health Network here.

- Alli Fam

Update: Sunday, March 28, 9:20 p.m.

New Hampshire health officials reported nearly 800 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. The average number of new daily cases has been inching up in recent weeks, as state health officials warn of another possible surge in the virus.

Even as the pace of vaccination picks up in the state, COVID-19 continues to spread and shows little sign of fully receding.

The average daily number of hospitalizations in New Hampshire has held steady for two weeks.

Meanwhile, the state has averaged between two and four deaths linked to the coronavirus every day for more than a month.

-NHPR staff

Update: Sunday, March 28, 7:00 p.m.

The state held its second COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic over the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

In all, more than 9,000 people got their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine over the past two days at the track.

Vaccinators administered the shots through opened car windows. At times, the state says more than 700 people an hour were being vaccinated.

People who received their first shots over the weekend will get their second shot in late April.

-Josh Rogers

Update: Saturday, March 27, 4:16 p.m.

Four additional Granite Staters have died from COVID-19. The state Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday announced the four residents were from Belknap, Cheshire, Hillsborough, and Rockingham counties. 

The state reported 401 new cases, and 2,818 current infections statewide.

There are 78 residents in the hospital due to the virus.

Since the pandemic began, the state has confirmed 82,745 coronavirus cases.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, March 26, 5:17 p.m.

New Hampshire is now averaging about 40 more COVID-19 cases a day than a week ago. This comes amid steadily increasing or stagnant progress on the pandemic on several fronts.

Hospitalizations, which declined sharply through much of January and February, have been stuck in roughly the same place for the past week: About 70 people have been treated, statewide, each day.

Two new deaths from COVID-19 were also confirmed Friday: A man over age 60 from Cheshire county, and a man under age 60 from Hillsborough County.

Since the pandemic began, 1,231 New Hampshire residents have died from the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, March 26, 3:59 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu today issued his 18th extension of the state emergency declaration, which was first issued a year ago this month in response to the coronavirus pandemic. He also extended the state's mask mandate through April 16.

The order requires residents who are over the age of 5 to wear a mask any time they are in public spaces, indoors or outside, and they are unable to maintain social distance of 6 feet from those outside of their households.

Asked about the mask order during a news conference Thursday, Sununu said he expected to extend the mask order, citing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases and concern for a "spring surge" in cases.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, March 25, 3:25 p.m.

New Hampshire residents over the age of 16 will be able to register for vaccine appointments within days, Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday.

Residents between 40-49 years old will be able to begin registering using the state's VINI system on March 29, residents between 30-39 will be able to register on March 31, and residents over 16 can register beginning on April 2.

- NHPR Staff

Editor's note: NHPR is tracking this developing story. Bookmark NHPR.org for updates.

Update: Thursday, March 25, 3:15 p.m.

New Hampshire's state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan announced one new COVID death Thursday. The patient was associated with a long-term health care setting, Chan said. Since the start of the pandemic, 1,229 Granite Staters have succumbed to the virus.

The state also reported 418 new infections. According to Dr. Chan, New Hampshire's case numbers are trending upward, with a seven-day average of 300-350 new positive test results per day. The test positivity rate is also increasing, with a seven-day average of 4.4%.

Chan says the increase in new cases is primarily in patients under 60, and that vaccination roll-outs have contributed to a decrease in cases in older patients. Some of the cases contrinuting to that trend may be tied in an increase in infections on the state's college campuses, according to Chan.

There are 82 residents hospitalized with the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 24, 5:55 p.m.

After steady improvement containing the pandemic since the start of the year, progress in New Hampshire appears to have stalled.

On Wednesday, the state reported that 10 more people have died from the virus, the highest one-day jump in over a month. Three of those people were under age 60, according to the state.

As New Hampshire's seeing rising averages in new deaths and cases of COVID-19, hospitalizations are stuck at the same level they have been for the last week. They still have yet to fully fade back to levels seen before the winter surge.

Statewide, New Hampshire hospitals have been treating at least 60 people for the coronavirus every day since early November.

The state also reported 360 new cases. Since the pandemic began, New Hampshire has confirmed 81,521 positive tests for coronavirus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 24, 4:06 p.m.

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law Wednesday that would allow VA Medical Centers to vaccinate all veterans, including those who are not currently enrolled in VA healthcare, as well as their spouses and caregivers.

Sen. Maggie Hassan is an original cosponsor of the Senate version of the bill.

A spokesperson for the Manchester VA would not say when COVID-19 vaccines would be available to those who now qualify under this law, but encouraged anyone interested to sign up for updates at the VA's website.

Veterans who received a dishonorable discharge are excluded.

- Peter Biello

Update: Tuesday, March 23, 6:54 p.m.

State health officials announced an additional COVID-19 death Tuesday. A man from Hillsborough County, who was older than 60, died from complications with the virus.

The state also announced 386 new cases, 2,476 active infections, and 64 hospitalizations.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, March 23, 1:34 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu announced that the state will have a second mass vaccination site this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It is by appointment only, and it will be held Saturday and Sunday.

The state vaccinated more than 11,000 residents March 6-8 at the race track in Loudon. 

Sununu said appointments remain available for eligible residents to schedule in the state's COVID-19 vaccination website.

The state hopes to vaccinate 8,000 residents this weekend. In the announcement, Sununu's office says the Pfizer vaccine will be the only vaccine offered at this weekend's appointments at the Motor Speedway.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, March 22, 4:55 p.m.

There are 207 newly-identified COVID-19 infections in New Hampshire, according to Monday's report from state health officials. Of the cases with complete information, all ten of the state's counties are represented, and 35 of the patients are younger than 18.

No new deaths were reported, and the hospitalization number remained stable at 72.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Sunday, March 21, 6:00 p.m.

State health officials announced 241 new positive test results for COVID-19 Sunday. Forty of the newly-identified infections are connected to patients under the age of 18, and the cases span all ten of New Hampshire's counties.

No new deaths were reported.

- NHPR Staff 

Update: Saturday, March 20, 7:00 p.m.

Four more New Hampshire residents have died from the coronavirus, according to state health officials. The Department of Health and Human Services says that the patients who died were residents of Cheshire, Hillsborough, and Rockingham Counties. 

The state also reported 344 newly-identified COVID-19 infections, and a current case total of 2,241. Sixty-three Granite Staters are hospitalized with the virus.

Since the start of the pandemic, 1,217 residents have died from the coronavirus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, March 19, 3:40 p.m.

State health officials announced six new COVID-19 deaths Friday. The patients who died were residents of Cheshire, Coos, Hillsborough, and Rockingham counties.

The state also reported 334 new positive test results for the coronavirus, including 67 individuals younger than 18 years old. Officials are tracking 2,345 active infections, and 74 Granite Staters are currently hospitalized with the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Explore the data: Visit NHPR's COVID-19 data tracker

Update: Thursday, March 18, 5:30 p.m.

Governor Sununu says vaccine eligibility for all adults in New Hampshire is only weeks away.

People who work in schools and child care facilities are getting vaccinated now. Registration will open up people who are 50 and older next week, on March 22.

“I think some folks will be registering on the 22nd and getting their vaccine like the twenty second or the twenty third," Sununu said at a press conference Thursday. "It's we're not waiting weeks away here. Folks can register and get the vaccine almost immediately.”

Sununu didn't have an exact date for when the general population will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Registration is now happening on VINI, the state’s new system for vaccine appointments, which rolled out Wednesday.

- Alli Fam

Update: Thursday, March 18, 3:25 p.m.

Five more New Hampshire residents have died as a result of COVID-19, state health officials announced Thursday. According to state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state's death toll now stands at 1,207 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Chan says that in the past week, the state has seen sixteen deaths, 80% of which are tied to community transmission, rather than long-term care and residential facilities. This is the result of vaccinations being pioritized for nursing homes, Chan says.

Case numbers have risen slightly compared to previous weeks. According to Dr. Chan, the state averaged 250-300 newly-identified infections per day in the past seven days, with a test positivity rate holding steady at about 3.6%.

New Hampshire health officials are currently tracking 2,340 active cases of the coronavirus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 17, 4:20 p.m.

New Hampshire health officials announced 327 newly-identified coronavirus infections Wednesday. No new deaths were announced. The new cases are patients who reside in all ten New Hampshire counties. Sixty-two of the patients are under 18 years old. 

Seventy-nine Granite Staters are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 17, 8:20 a.m.

A bill aimed at regulating price gouging in states of emergency went before a state Senate committee Tuesday morning.

Brandon Garod, chief of the Consumer Protection Division at the Department of Justice, says many consumers called his office to report possible price gouging of essential goods like PPE during the pandemic.

“I found myself in the unfortunate position of having to tell these callers, tell these consumers that, New Hampshire doesn’t have any price gouging protection,” Garod said. “And, as a result, that there wasn’t really a mechanism for the attorney general’s office to institute an investigation.”

Not all high prices would be considered price gouging in the bill. A business could be passing on the increased cost of acquiring the product to the consumer, among other possibilities. 

Some economists have argued that high prices stop consumers from hoarding goods and incentive suppliers to produce more, which can push prices back down.

-Alli Fam

Update: Tuesday, March 16, 6:35 p.m.

Colby Sawyer College continues to deal with a surge in COVID-19 cases identified last week.

The school has converted the gymnasium into emergency isolation housing, and although a few students have isolated there, it is currently empty.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 16 of the 55 students who tested positive remained on campus. The rest are isolating at home, according to a spokesperson for the school.

Students who tested negative at Friday’s mass testing event were also offered the opportunity to return home, which is what sophomore Kylie Callan did.

“From what I heard, there was someone in the same dorm as me,” Callan said. “She was moving out, but she was positive. I hadn't packed anything, but I was like, ‘I'm getting out now.’ ”

Classes are online, and will remain so until March 24th.

The surge of cases at Colby Sawyer is the latest in a string of college-centered COVID outbreaks in New Hampshire. College towns like New London, Durham and Hanover are seeing some of the highest per capita case counts in the state.

-Alli Fam

Update: Tuesday, March 16, 8:03 p.m.

State health officials announced three additional COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday. All three residents were older than 60.

New Hampshire has recorded 1,202 deaths from the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

The state reported 286 new cases, 2,074 active infections, and 66 hospitalizations on March 16.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, March 16, 7:35 a.m.

Several local hospitals are loosening visitor policies, as coronavirus cases in New Hampshire continue to decrease and vaccination efforts expand.

Catholic Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center both made changes this week to allow one visitor per patient in most cases. DHMC in Lebanon will allow three visitors at a time for end-of-life care.

Elliot Hospital, Concord Hospital, and Portsmouth Regional Hospital also have relaxed visitation policies this month.

-Daniela Allee

Update: Tuesday, March 16, 7 a.m.

New Hampshire health officials have identified a COVID-19 cluster associated with a wrestling tournament in Hampton.

Officials say the event took place March 6 at the RIM Sports Complex. They say anyone who participated in or attended the tournament should seek testing. Contact tracing investigations are underway.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said it’s aware of the situation and is following up on it.

-NHPR staff

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Update: Monday, March 15, 5:05 p.m.

New Hampshire officials reported 224 newly-identified COVID-19 infections Monday. No new deaths were reported.

Of the new cases, 31 patients are under the age of 18. According to officials, most of the cases are associated with an outbreak setting or a close contact with an infected person.

There are 68 current coronavirus hospitalizations in New Hampshire.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, March 15, 2:40 p.m.

New Hampshire tourism leaders are optimistic about the return of warm weather, but say they'll still need help staying afloat amid the pandemic.

Amy Landers of the Lakes Region Tourism Association, says summer lodging reservations are already filling up. She says restaurants are hoping that cities and towns will continue to loosen restrictions on outdoor dining as they did last summer, including take-out beverages and allowing for more outside dining.

Restaurants in the state have been allowed to open for both indoor and outdoor dining since last June.

- Todd Bookman

Update: Sunday, March 14, 5:20 p.m.

State health officials announced 307 newly-identified cases of COVID-19 in New Hampshire Sunday. No new deaths were announced.

The Department of Health and Human Services reports that 64 of the new cases are patients under the age of 18, and that the infections span all ten New Hampshire counties.

71 Granite Staters are currently hospitalized with the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Saturday, March 13, 4:06 p.m.

The state announced four additional deaths from COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,199 in New Hampshire since last March. 

The fatalities come as certain data points are heading in the right direction, including the number of people hospitalized due to the virus down to 72 - the lowest number in four months.

There were 256 new cases of COVID-19 and 2,174 active statewide infections reported Saturday.

- NHPR Staff

NHPR's Sarah Gibson covered the first day of teacher vaccinations in New Hampshire on Friday. In some communities, schools coordinated with their first responders and local public health networks to get their COVID-19 vaccine doses.

At Dover High School, Gibson met third-grade teacher Susan Schlapak. "I think it will just be a peace of mind for me," Schlapak said. "It won't change much because we still have to be 6 feet apart and 3 feet apart. But at least I will feel more comfortable."

READ MORE HERE

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Update: Friday, March 12, 4:15 p.m.

As the week winds down, New Hampshire is averaging slightly more new COVID-19 cases each day than it was one week ago.

About 260 cases a day as of Friday, versus 250 a day last Friday. That measure of the pandemic’s impact on New Hampshire has been stabilizing a bit, after a period of sharp decline in late January and early February.

The number of hospitalizations and active cases are continuing to inch downward from the winter surge, though they still are much higher than they were before the late 2020 spike in cases.

New Hampshire has averaged about two deaths each day from COVID-19 over the last two weeks.

State officials announced Friday that the virus claimed four more residents -- three from Hillsborough County and one from Rockingham, all over age 60.  Since March 2020, nearly 1,200 Granite Staters have died from COVID-19.

The state also reported 287 new cases, 2,177 active infections, and 73 current hospitalizations.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, March 12, 1:57 p.m.

New Hampshire is planning to go live with its new COVID-19 vaccine appointment system on March 17.

Before that day, instructional videos will be available for the state-created Vaccine & Immunization Network Interface — or VINI for short. The videos will cover the main parts of the process, including screening and registration, scheduling, receiving the vaccine, and a verification message.

VINI is replacing the CDC's Vaccine Administration Management System, or VAMS, which New Hampshire originally signed up to use. Thousands of people struggled to book their booster shots within the recommended time using that system.

-- AP

Update: Thursday, March 11, 5:30 p.m.

Pandemic-inspired do-it-yourself home renovations could have some negative health outcomes for children in old homes, state health officials say.

Patricia Tilley, deputy director of public health services in New Hampshire, said the main concern is exposure to old lead paint.

“Individuals across the economic spectrum are moving into homes that are older, doing some home repairs and end up poisoning their own children with lead,” she told lawmakers this week

More than half of New Hampshire homes were built before lead-based paint was banned in 1978. Children are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of lead paint because their brains and nervous systems are still developing.

With kids spending more time at home during the pandemic, lead exposure may also be increasing, and going undetected, as people put off routine checkups.

The CDC estimates that nationally, around 10,000 children with elevated levels of lead in their blood may have been missed in the early months of the pandemic.

Anyone worried about lead exposure should contact their doctor or seek more information at the DHHS website: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/bchs/clpp/

-Alli Fam

Update: Thursday, March 11, 3:15 p.m.

State health officials announced that four more New Hampshire residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the state's death toll since the start of the pandemic to 1,191.

According to state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, one of the deaths was a patient associated with a long-term care facility.

The state announced 341 newly-identified coronavirus infections, and a current test positivity rate of 3.4%. According to Chan, the data all points to slowly declining case numbers across the state.

Officials are currently tracking 2,114 active COVID-19 infections.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, March 11, 8:57 a.m.

House Speaker Sherman Packard says there are no known COVID-19 cases associated with recent legislative sessions Feb. 24-25.

His office reports that, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services, the state provided a risk-mitigated environment. The February in-person session was held at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford. It was the first in-person, indoors session since September. 

Democrats in the House argued -- and pursued a lawsuit to the effect -- that a remote option should be available for state representatives who have underlying health conditions or concerns. Packard rejected that argument. "Careful and cautious management has led to good results, and that's exactly what we have done with the Legislature," Packard said in a statement Thursday.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 10, 4:33 p.m.

State health officials reported two additional COVID-19 deaths today.

The state says men from Rockingham and Sullivan counties, both 60 or older, died from complications with the coronavirus. To date, 1,187 residents have died from the virus.

The state announced 267 new cases, 2,003 active infections, and 75 current hospitalizations.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, March 10, 9:09 a.m.

Dartmouth College says it has eased some coronavirus-related restrictions on campus, now that the number of students testing positive has declined and there have been no major guideline violations.

The school on Monday reopened Dartmouth's Baker-Berry Library, the alumni gym, fitness center and other buildings for students and employees who are approved to be on campus.

Officials said students should continue to refrain from visiting one another in their rooms or gathering in hallways. Common spaces and kitchens in residence halls remain closed, and "grab and go" dining is still in effect.

- AP

Update: Tuesday, March 9, 4:41 p.m.

The confirmed number of active infections statewide has fallen below 2,000. It's another promising indicator for state health officials as they track the coronavirus pandemic. It's the lowest number of current cases reported in a day since early November, and for most of January that daily number was above 6,000.

Current hospitalizations also continue to fall. There were 73 hospital patients, as of Tuesday morning.

The state did announce an additional death linked to COVID-19. A woman from Hillsborough County, who was older than 60, has died. There have been 1,185 deaths in New Hampshire due to the virus since the pandemic began.

There are 219 new cases statewide.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, March 8, 6:30 p.m.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced 226 new coronavirus infections today, including 22 cases connected to patients under the age of 18. The state says the testing positivity rate is 5.8%.

No new deaths were reported. There are currently 81 Granite Staters hospitalized with the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Related story: U.K. Variant of COVID-19 Detected on UNH Campus

Update: Sunday, March 7, 3:30 p.m.

State health officials announced three more deaths related to COVID-19 on Sunday. The patients who died were residents of Cheshire, Hillsborough, and Strafford Counties.

The state also reported 196 new positive test results for the coronavirus. Several cases are still under investigation, according to officials, and the results of those cases will be reported in the coming days.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Saturday, March 6, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday was the first day of a three-day mass vaccination clinic scheduled at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

State health officials say they hope to vaccinate more than 11,000 people by the end of the drive-in clinic, using the recently approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

The site is appointment only, and many people with first-dose appointments originally scheduled in April moved up to this weekend.

Peter Hamilton of Concord, who got his shot Saturday morning, said he was grateful for the many volunteers staffing the site.

“I think the people here who are doing all the work, all the nurses and everything, they have been great,” Hamilton said. “I have no complaints at all. They're just wonderful people.”

Temperatures Saturday remained below freezing, posing some challenges for the staff, who had to keep the vaccine warm, often with hot packs or by keeping the vials against their bodies. 

-Alli Fam

Update: Friday, March 5, 6:44 p.m.  

State health officials announced 320 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. There were no additional deaths to report.

There are currently 2,240 active infections statewide and 90 residents hospitalized due to the coronavirus.

Of the 320 new cases, 42 are residents under 18 years old. Since Sunday, 212 of the newly reported cases in New Hampshire were people under 18.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, March 5, 6:00 p.m.

School districts and regional health networks in New Hampshire are gearing up to vaccinate teachers as early as next week, after Gov.  Chris Sununu announced there are enough vaccines to begin giving shots to child care workers and school staff.

Gorham Schools Superintendent David Backler said the news comes as a relief, particularly for middle-aged and older teachers who have been teaching in-person for most of the school year.

“Just knowing that there's a time in the near future when they're going to be in the building and know they're vaccinated makes me feel so much better,” he said.

The Gorham and Berlin school districts are working with their local public health network to coordinate teacher vaccinations at a former-school-turned-vaccine-clinic in Berlin. The state says these can start on March 12, but Backler said the exact date depends on how fast the local clinic finishes with the current vaccination stage, Phase 1b, and how fast they get a fresh shipment of vaccines.

-Sarah Gibson

Update: Thursday, March 4, 7:45 p.m. 

Beginning Friday, homebound Granite Starters who are not already affiliated with a home care agency can call 2-1-1 to get screened for a COVID-19 vaccination. State Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette announced the service at a press conference Thursday.

“There are two different categories,” she said. “One that’s just for groups of people that just need transportation, and one for people that truly need the vaccination given in their home.”

Shibinette said the homebound vaccinations will be time consuming, in large part due to the time it takes to travel to people's homes.

-Alli Fam

Update: Thursday, March 3, 5:35 p.m.

The New Hampshire Senate voted Thursday to back a COVID-relief bill that would commission an outside review of the state's long-term care facilities. 

Before the unanimous vote, Nashua Democrat Cindy Rosenwald noted that the coronavirus has hit New Hampshire's nursing homes particularly hard.

"New Hampshire has had the highest long-term care death rate in the country,” she said. “Around 800 individuals, or 75 to 80% of our total deaths from COVID-19."

Among other things, the bill would also create a micro-enterprise fund to provide grants of up to $25,000 for businesses that saw their revenue drop by at least 50%, had lost workers, or were forced to close because of the pandemic.

-Josh Rogers

Update: Thursday, March 4, 5:00 p.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu announced Thursday that Granite Staters in Phase 2 of the state's vaccination plan can begin receiving their shots this month. Teachers and childcare providers will start getting vaccinated on March 12, and those age 50 and older are set to begin two weeks later.

Sununu said the state is currently receiving 40,000 to 50,000 vaccines a week, compared to around 13,000 weekly doses back in December.

“There's a lot of availability and we just don't want to slow down,” he said.

Sununu said the state will also roll out a new online vaccine registration system soon.

And this weekend the state will be administering the newly-approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine at an appointment-only mass vaccination site at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Health officials said nearly all appointments were accounted for as of Thursday afternoon.

-Alli Fam

Update: Thursday, March 4, 3:20 p.m.

State health officials announced three more coronavirus-related deaths of New Hampshire residents Thursday, bringing total deaths since the start of the pandemic to 1,178. According to state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, none of the new deaths were associated with long-term care facilities. 

In the past week, 15 Granite Staters have died from the coronavirus.

The state also reported 231 new COVID-19 infections, and is currently tracking 2,191 active cases. According to Chan, the test positivity rate is now under four percent, continuing a trend of declining positive results in recent weeks. Chan says that on average, new case numbers have averaged between 200 and 250 per day in the past week.

State officials announced a new outbreak at the Hillborough County Department of Corrections, with 19 inmates and two staff infected with COVID-19.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, March 4, 11:20 a.m.

The Manchester VA Medical Center has begun offering coronavirus vaccinations to all its enrolled veterans, regardless of age.

The facility's vaccine team has been trying to contact all patients who are age 65 and older and will continue to prioritize that age group. But officials said Tuesday that enrolled veterans of any age also may schedule appointments.

Designated caregivers of those veterans also are eligible, but the veteran must be present during the appointment.

- AP 

Update: Wednesday, March 3, 5:00 p.m.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services reported five additional resident deaths from the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing total deaths in the state to 1,175 since the start of the pandemic. The patients who died were residents of Belknap, Rockingham, and Strafford counties.

State health officials also announced 244 newly-identified COVID-19 infections; officials are currently monitoring 2,215 active cases across the state.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, March 2, 5:01 p.m.

State health officials announced 242 new COVID-19 cases today and — for the third straight day — did not report any additional deaths from the virus.

There are 2,274 active infections statewide and 88 residents are currently hospitalized. Both of those numbers show continued promising trends for New Hampshire.

Since the pandemic began, the state has reported 1,170 deaths and 75,803 cases.

- NHPR staff

Update: Tuesday, March 2, 4:41 p.m.

Community and religious leaders continue to assist the state in its effort to vaccinate populations who are highly vulnerable to COVID-19, including people of color, geographically isolated residents and people who are homeless.

Speaking on NHPR's The Exchange, Reverend Sandra Pontoh of the Maranatha Indonesian United Church of Christ said she's been working with Indonesian residents in Strafford County. She says some have raised concerns around religion.

“Oh 'this is the antichrist,' and blah blah blah, don’t come. And I have to be like, I got mine, and I’m a pastor, so this is not about religion."

The state has dedicated 10% of its COVID-19 vaccines to target communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

- Alli Fam

Update: Tuesday, March 2, 10:43 a.m.

The state will have a mass COVID-19 vaccination site at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on March 6-8. It is by appointment only.

Gov. Chris Sununu says the state will be reaching out to individuals who have later first-dose appointments in April, and offer them the chance to move up their appointment at the track in Loudon. The state aims to vaccinate over 10,000 at NHMS this weekend.

The site will be open 8 a.m to 4 p.m. over the three days.

Sununu says the state plans to vaccinate record numbers of Granite Staters.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, March 1, 5:30 p.m.

New Hampshire health officials announced 164 new positive test results for the coronavirus Monday, including 25 individuals under the age of 18. The state is reporting a test positivity rate of 4%, and is tracking 2,363 active infections.

No new deaths were reported Monday. There are currently 90 Granite Staters hospitalized with the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Monday, March 1, 11:45 a.m.

Jury trials are resuming in most of New Hampshire after being almost entirely suspended since March 2020.

The state judicial branch says it has assessed COVID-19 risk in courthouses across the state, examining everything from air filtration systems to county transmission levels and courtroom layout. As of now, all counties but Strafford and Sullivan are resuming scheduled trials.

Under the new guidelines, any juror requesting to be excused because of hardship or concern about safety will not have to report for service. Jury will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and be required to wear a mask and maintain social distance during trials, but witnesses will be allowed to remove masks while on the stand.

- Sarah Gibson

Update: Sunday, Feb. 28, 1:45 p.m.

State health officials reported 270 newly-identified COVID-19 infections Sunday, including forty-five patients under the age of 18. There are currently 2,532 New Hampshire residents with known active infections.

Hospitalizations continue to drop in the Granite State, and now stand at 87. So far, 1,170 residents have died from the coronavirus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Saturday, Feb. 27, 4:06 p.m.

The number of new infections confirmed continues to drop in New Hampshire. The state announced 287 new cases Saturday, and active infections statewide decreased to 2,672.

Health officials did announce three additional deaths due to the coronavirus: residents from Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Rockingham counties.

Current hospitalizations dropped by five patients to 93. 

Since the pandemic began, New Hampshire has had 1170 COVID-19 deaths and confirmed 75,166 positive cases.

- NHPR staff

Update: Friday, Feb. 26, 7:14 p.m.

The state announced four more COVID-19 deaths Friday night. The latest update increases the number of overall coronavirus deaths in New Hampshire to 1,167.

The four residents were from Grafton, Hillsborough, Strafford, and Sullivan counties. All were at least 60 years old, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The county of residence and that general age range were the only identifying pieces of information DHHS released.

The state reported 337 new cases and 2,827 active infections statewide. The number of current hospitalizations remains low - at 95. 

- NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, Feb. 26, 7:22 a.m.

Dartmouth College has transitioned call classes to remote learning through March 1 due to an increase in student cases.

The temporary restrictions include closing indoor gathering spaces, such as the library and Alumni Gym, until March 2. Dining services are currently "grab-and-go" options.

The college reported 37 active COVID-19 cases among students earlier this week. See the Dartmouth College COVID-19 dashboard.

- NHPR Staff

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Update: Thursday, Feb. 25, 6:29 p.m.

The state is working to expand vaccination efforts across New Hampshire, including for residents who are unable to get out to get their vaccine dose. READ: N.H. Launches New Effort To Help Homebound Residents Get Vaccinated

So far, more than 288,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, according to Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control for New Hampshire Health and Human Services. Of those, 197,000 were first doses; the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are a two-shot dose.

State health officials today also noted progress in vaccination at long-term care facilities, which will help update and expand visitation policies.  DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette said the new guidelines would soon be introduced. 

This comes as the state is close to administered COVID-19 vaccines at long-term care centers. Shibinette noted most nursing homes have expanded visitations, including in-person meetings, with appropriate social distancing and mask use.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, Feb. 25, 3:10 p.m.

The state epidemiologist announced six additional COVID-19 deaths today, while also signaling promising trends with new cases and hospitalizations in New Hampshire.

Dr. Benjamin Chan said that only one of the six fatalities was associated with a long-term care facility. New Hampshire has had 1,157 deaths due to the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and the majority of those deaths were at nursing homes and congregate care settings.

The state reports 97 current hospitalizations, which Chan says is the lowest in around three months. There were 355 new cases and 2,858 active infections statewide, as of Thursday.

New Hampshire is averaging 300 to 350 cases a day over the past week.

The state appears to be making progress on outbreaks at community settings. Lori Shibinette, commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, says the state has closed outbreak cases at five care centers, including outbreaks at the Carroll and Sullivan County jails.

There are currently seven known outbreaks in the state.

To date, the state has administered 288,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at DHHS.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 5:39 p.m.

The state confirmed two additional COVID-19 deaths -- a man from Hillsborough County and a woman from Rockingham County. Both were over 60.

There were 338 new cases reported Wednesday; about one-fifth of those cases were in people under age 18.

The state has been averaging between 300 and 400 new cases a day over the last two week, about half of what was reported one month ago, but it's still much higher than what was reported for most of 2020, including the initial surge of COVID-19 last spring.

More than 1,150 people have died from the coronavirus in New Hampshire, the vast majority in connection with outbreaks at long-term care facilities.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 11:30 a.m.

The New Hampshire House is meeting in a domed sports facility in Bedford today. The meeting comes after afederal judge rejected a Democratic lawsuit challenging House Speaker Sherman Packard's decision to deny medically fragile lawmakers the option to participate remotely during the pandemic.

COVID-19 will loom over the meeting at the 50,000 square foot NH Sportsplex, where lawmakers will be asked to but not required to wear masks.

Several bills deal directly with the pandemic. They include measures to limit the emergency powers of Gov. Chris Sununu and the state's health commissioner, Lori Shibinette. One bill would forgive businesses sanctioned for not heeding state coronavirus guidance. Another would allow a legislative panel to vote to overturn heath policies ordered by the state's top health official.

Dozens of other bills are slated for votes during the two-day session. They include a proposal to redefine an adequate education, as well as measures to limit abortion rights, and expand the permissible use of deadly force.

- Josh Rogers

Update: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 3:53 p.m.

The number of new infections, deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 are stabilizing, and far below where they were one month ago, but the state says there’s still substantial spread of COVID-19 happening in all counties.

The state is averaging about 340 new infections a day, and about 115 hospitalizations.

Another person was also confirmed dead from the coronavirus today — a woman from Cheshire County who was at least 60 years old.

The college towns of Durham and Plymouth continue to report among the highest numbers of active COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire, outpacing many other more populous communities.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Durham led the state with 238 active infections, followed closely behind by Manchester, the state’s largest city, with 234 infections, and Plymouth, with just under 200.

The state reported 259 new cases, 2,728 active infections statewide, and 112 current hospitalizations due to the virus.

New Hampshire has had 1,155 deaths and 73,923 known coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 10:54 a.m.

The University of New Hampshire plans to resume in-person learning on Wednesday. The college moved to remote learning over a week ago after a spike in coronavirus cases.

All other social restrictions remain in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Students living off campus are not allowed in any residence halls, and on-campus students are not allowed to visit other halls, apartment buildings or off-campus friends.

UNHPresident James Dean says the college will continue to closely monitor the data to see if more restrictions can be lifted, or if the school will need to move to remote learning again.

- Mary McIntyre

Update: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 10:01 a.m.

Gov. Chris Sununu has ordered that all flags on public buildings and grounds in New Hampshire be lowered to half-staff  in remembrance of the more than 500,o00 Americans who have died from COVID-19.

Over 1,100 those people who have died from the virus have been from New Hampshire. Sununu has directed that the flags remain at half-staff until sunset on Friday, Feb. 26.

- NHPR Staff

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 Update: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 10:00 a.m.

Cinemagic movie theatre locations in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts are closing permanently.

The Zyacorp Entertainment Company operates eight theatres across New England, including locations in Hooksett, Merrimack and Portsmouth.

Major American movie theater chains have reported massive drops in revenue over the last year due to the pandemic.

Update: Monday, Feb. 22, 5:40 p.m.

For the first time since mid-January, state health officials reported no new COVID-19 deaths Monday.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced 252 newly-identified coronavirus infections, including 34 patients under the age of 18.

So far, 1,154 Granite Staters have died from the virus, and there have been more than 73,000 infections. 109 residents are currently hospitalized.

- NHPR Staff  

Update: Sunday, Feb. 21, 6:01 p.m.

State health officials announced one additional death Sunday, bringing the total COVID-19 death toll in New Hampshire to 1,154.

The state reported 267 new cases, and active infections statewide fell below 3,000 -- to 2,940. Currently, 109 residents are hospitalized with the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Saturday, Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m.

Current COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Hampshire continue to drop. There were 109 residents hospitalized Saturday, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Health officials announced one additional coronavirus death - a man from Grafton County. There have been 1,153 deaths in New Hampshire since the pandemic began.

The state reported 396 new cases and 3,081 active infections statewide.

—NHPR Staff

Update: Friday, Feb. 19, 6:09 p.m.

The state announced two additional COVID-19 deaths Friday, as well as 379 new cases.

There are currently 3,056 active infections statewide and 116 residents hospitalized. Hospitalizations continue to trend downward; there are 10 fewer people hospitalized than Thursday's report.

[Go Deeper: Explore the Data: Tracking COVID-19 in New Hampshire.]

Since the pandemic began, New Hampshire has reported 1,152 deaths and confirmed 72,767 coronavirus cases.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, Feb. 18, 3:15 p.m.

New Hampshire reported two new COVID-19 deaths Thursday, bringing the total deaths in the state to 1,150 since the start of the pandemic. According to state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, both patients who died were associated with long-term care facilities.

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New cases in the state have increased slightly from recent daily reports, with health officials announcing 461 in today's report. In the past week, New Hampshire has averaged 350-400 newly-identified cases, but Chan says today's increase is tied to the state's colleges and universities. According to Chan, 141 of the new cases were tied to college campuses, and new infections at colleges and universities have averaged about 90 per day in the past week. 

There are currently 126 residents hospitalized with the virus, a number Chan says is trending down, but is about the same number of hospitalizations New Hampshire saw during the first peak of the pandemic last spring.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Thursday, Feb. 18, 6 a.m.

State health officials announced 12 additional COVID-19 deaths Wednesday night, bringing New Hampshire's total deaths from the virus to 1,148.

Six of the deaths were from Rockingham County, four from Hillsborough County, and one each from Coos and Strafford counties.

The state reported 379 new cases and has an estimated 3,372 active infections statewide. As of Wednesday night, 126 residents were hospitalized due to the virus.

- NHPR Staff

Plymouth State University is the latest higher education institution in New Hampshire to go back to online classes because of a growing number of student COVID-19 cases.

The university said Tuesday it has just about run out of quarantine and isolation space. All campus events, including athletic competitions, have been canceled, and all gatherings have been limited to no more than six people.

On-campus dining services are limited to take-out only, and on-campus students may not visit residence halls where they don't live.

All restrictions are in place until at least Sunday.

- Associated Press 

Update: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 5:00 p.m.

Both the New Hampshire Department of Education and the state health department say new federal recommendations on COVID-19 in schools will not change the state's own reopening guidelines. 

Last week, the CDC released updated data and recommendations to help schools decide when it's safe to reopen and what mitigation measures to focus on. In addition to continued social distancing and mask-wearing, the CDC recommends that schools not reopen fully if community transmission of COVID-19 remains high.

That contradicts current recommendations from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, which says that in some scenarios, schools are safe to reopen fully or in a hybrid model, even with substantial community transmission of the coronavirus.

By some metrics, all counties in New Hampshire continue to have extremely high COVID-19 transmission levels, but a number of schools are open several days a week. Gov. Chris Sununu is pushing all schools to reopen. On Wednesday, state officials said that following the new CDC guidance "would place unnecessary barriers to in-person learning. New Hampshire K-12 schools have shown that they can conduct in-person learning effectively with implementation of the core mitigation measures recommended since the opening of schools last summer/fall."

State officials also noted that as community transmission declines New Hampshire schools “have the resources they need to offer in-person education."

-Sarah Gibson

Update: Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6:06 p.m.

The number of active infections in New Hampshire continue to fall. State health officials said tonight there are 2,857 current cases statewide. The number was nearly 7,000 in late 2020, and more than 6,000 for around three weeks in January.

The state also reported 258 new cases, and one additional death. A man from Strafford County was the latest resident to die due to the coronavirus.

There are 119 current hospitalizations in the state. Since the pandemic began, the state has recorded 1,136 COVID-19 deaths and confirmed more than 71,000 cases.

- NHPR Staff

Update: Tuesday, Feb. 16, 10:41 a.m.

New Hampshire's COVID-19 vaccination sites and testing clinics are closed Tuesday because of the storm. State officials were reaching out by phone Monday to reschedule everyone for appointments later in the week.

The state's vaccine website is vaccines.nh.gov. On the site, the state asks residents not to immediately call 2-1-1 at this time, as representatives will call people for rescheduling of appointments.

For more on COVID-19 vaccines, check out NHPR's guide to the vaccines in New Hampshire. If you have questions or observations about the process, and or experience with coronavirus you'd like to share with NHPR, please email them to coronavirus@nhpr.org

- Staff & Wire