New Hampshire health officials announced Tuesday there were no new outbreaks of COVID-19 this week at long-term care and other congregate living facilities, and a dozen outbreaks, including one at the state Veterans Home, have closed.The decreasing number of outbreaks follows other trends that show that while COVID-19 is still spreading widely in New Hampshire, the rate of spread is slowing some, with active cases, test positivity and hospitalizations all trending lower.>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR”I am very pleased to announce we are closing the New Hampshire Veterans Home outbreak effective Jan. 26,” said Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette. “So, we’re very happy that that’s closed.”Gov. Chris Sununu said the state’s efforts to vaccinate staff members and residents at the facilities may be helping to prevent or shut down outbreaks. “It’s working,” Sununu said. “Yeah, there’s no doubt it’s having some effect.”>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important informationAccording to Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, 18,000 people in long-term care facilities have received the first dose of the vaccine, and about 5,000 have received the second dose. She said the total population of residents and staff members in those facilities is about 33,000, so there is more work to be done to get most of them vaccinated.Health officials said more outbreaks are still likely until the virus is no longer spreading widely in the community. There are still 32 active outbreaks in congregate living facilities in the state.This story will be updated.** Town-by-town COVID-19 case data **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
CONCORD, N.H. —
New Hampshire health officials announced Tuesday there were no new outbreaks of COVID-19 this week at long-term care and other congregate living facilities, and a dozen outbreaks, including one at the state Veterans Home, have closed.
The decreasing number of outbreaks follows other trends that show that while COVID-19 is still spreading widely in New Hampshire, the rate of spread is slowing some, with active cases, test positivity and hospitalizations all trending lower.
>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR
“I am very pleased to announce we are closing the New Hampshire Veterans Home outbreak effective Jan. 26,” said Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette. “So, we’re very happy that that’s closed.”
Gov. Chris Sununu said the state’s efforts to vaccinate staff members and residents at the facilities may be helping to prevent or shut down outbreaks.
“It’s working,” Sununu said. “Yeah, there’s no doubt it’s having some effect.”
>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important information
According to Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, 18,000 people in long-term care facilities have received the first dose of the vaccine, and about 5,000 have received the second dose. She said the total population of residents and staff members in those facilities is about 33,000, so there is more work to be done to get most of them vaccinated.
Health officials said more outbreaks are still likely until the virus is no longer spreading widely in the community. There are still 32 active outbreaks in congregate living facilities in the state.
This story will be updated.