As more vaccines arrive in New Hampshire, case numbers and hospitalizations continue to grow, and health officials are urging Granite Staters to continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.>> Download the FREE WMUR appState epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said the state’s test positivity rate has been stable at a 9.1% average over the past seven days. There were 624 new cases reported Tuesday, and the number of current hospitalizations is at a record 297.>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMURGov. Chris Sununu said there is no need in New Hampshire to impose more restrictions, as Massachusetts is doing to try to address the surge in cases there. He said he expects the number of hospitalizations to continue to rise, but nothing has risen to the level of requiring a return to more restrictions.No new deaths were announced Tuesday, but Sununu noted that hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag the case numbers. He said there is some sign that new cases are leveling off.>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important informationDr. Beth Daly, chief of the state Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said more than 4,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been distributed in the state, mostly to hospitals, where front line workers have been vaccinated. “This represents 92% of the vaccine that we allocated to hospitals last week,” Daly said. “The hospitals have used this vaccine to vaccinate 3,819 of our frontline workers to prevent COVID-19.”Officials said that information on how much vaccine has been distributed to hospitals and how much each hospital has administered will soon be made publicly available.Over the weekend, the Moderna vaccine received an emergency use authorization. Daly said the state received more than 24,000 doses of the vaccine Tuesday, and about half of those will be distributed to hospitals and about half will be used to launch state-run fixed vaccination sites, which will open Dec. 29.Those sites will be used to vaccinate high-risk health providers not in hospitals and first responders. The vaccine schedule is being organized with first responder agencies.Another 8,875 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are arriving this week. Daly said those will mostly be used to support the federal long-term care center vaccination program with pharmacies.State leaders asked people to avoid gathering with anyone not in your immediate household over the holidays. Sununu said on Monday they will not be controlling what people do in their own homes, but said following the guidelines and continued vigilance coupled with the process of the vaccines will lead to a positive outcome. He said he knows Granite Staters have been putting 110% of their effort into this and that needs to continue for a while longer. Chan urged people not to take part in any unnecessary travel or gatherings.”The numbers remain at risk for going up, both the numbers of hospitalizations, infections and people dying from COVID-19,” Chan said. “So, it’s critical not for people to let their guard down now, or over the next few months, especially as we have vaccine now increasingly available over the coming weeks.” ** Town-by-town COVID-19 case data **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
CONCORD, N.H. —
As more vaccines arrive in New Hampshire, case numbers and hospitalizations continue to grow, and health officials are urging Granite Staters to continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
State epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said the state’s test positivity rate has been stable at a 9.1% average over the past seven days. There were 624 new cases reported Tuesday, and the number of current hospitalizations is at a record 297.
>> Latest coronavirus coverage from WMUR
Gov. Chris Sununu said there is no need in New Hampshire to impose more restrictions, as Massachusetts is doing to try to address the surge in cases there. He said he expects the number of hospitalizations to continue to rise, but nothing has risen to the level of requiring a return to more restrictions.
No new deaths were announced Tuesday, but Sununu noted that hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag the case numbers. He said there is some sign that new cases are leveling off.
>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important information
Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the state Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said more than 4,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been distributed in the state, mostly to hospitals, where front line workers have been vaccinated.
“This represents 92% of the vaccine that we allocated to hospitals last week,” Daly said. “The hospitals have used this vaccine to vaccinate 3,819 of our frontline workers to prevent COVID-19.”
Officials said that information on how much vaccine has been distributed to hospitals and how much each hospital has administered will soon be made publicly available.
Over the weekend, the Moderna vaccine received an emergency use authorization. Daly said the state received more than 24,000 doses of the vaccine Tuesday, and about half of those will be distributed to hospitals and about half will be used to launch state-run fixed vaccination sites, which will open Dec. 29.
Those sites will be used to vaccinate high-risk health providers not in hospitals and first responders. The vaccine schedule is being organized with first responder agencies.
Another 8,875 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are arriving this week. Daly said those will mostly be used to support the federal long-term care center vaccination program with pharmacies.
State leaders asked people to avoid gathering with anyone not in your immediate household over the holidays.
Sununu said on Monday they will not be controlling what people do in their own homes, but said following the guidelines and continued vigilance coupled with the process of the vaccines will lead to a positive outcome. He said he knows Granite Staters have been putting 110% of their effort into this and that needs to continue for a while longer.
Chan urged people not to take part in any unnecessary travel or gatherings.
“The numbers remain at risk for going up, both the numbers of hospitalizations, infections and people dying from COVID-19,” Chan said. “So, it’s critical not for people to let their guard down now, or over the next few months, especially as we have vaccine now increasingly available over the coming weeks.”