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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update on the new coronavirus, COVID-19.
On Thursday, April 9, 2020, DHHS announced 31 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 819 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. Several of the new cases are still under investigation. Of those with complete information, all are adults with 58% being female and 42% being male. The new cases reside in Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (9), Rockingham (7), Carroll (4), and Merrimack (3) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (4) and Nashua (4). Nine new COVID-19-related hospitalizations were reported; thus far, 127 (16%) of the 819 positive cases have been hospitalized. Eleven of the new cases have no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to increase in the State and has been identified in all counties with cases. Most of the remaining cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
DHHS has also announced three additional deaths related to COVID-19. We offer our sympathies to the family and friends.
· A male resident of Cheshire County, 60 years of age or older
· A male resident of Hillsborough County, 60 years of age or older
· A male resident of Merrimack County, 60 years of age or older
Current Situation in New Hampshire
|
County |
Cases |
|
Belknap |
21 |
|
Carroll |
27 |
|
Cheshire |
14 |
|
Coos |
1 |
|
Grafton |
43 |
|
Hillsborough - Other |
109 |
|
Hillsborough - Manchester |
133 |
|
Hillsborough - Nashua |
76 |
|
Merrimack |
63 |
|
Rockingham |
277 |
|
Strafford |
49 |
|
Sullivan |
6 |
|
Grand Total |
819 |
New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(data updated April 9, 2020, 9:00 AM)
|
NH Persons with COVID-191 |
819 |
|
Recovered |
234 (29%) |
|
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 |
21 (3%) |
|
Total Current COVID-19 Cases |
564 |
|
Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19 |
127 (16%) |
|
Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories2 |
9,139 |
|
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL |
4,669 |
|
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3 |
155 |
|
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) |
2,325 |
1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes 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.
3Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH PHL. Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.
NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive
For more information, please visit the DHHS COVID-19 webpage at https://www.nh.gov/covid19.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
DURHAM, N.H.—For most religions, coming together as a community to worship is at the core of their practice, but during this unique and unsettling time of mask-wearing and social distancing praying together can be a challenge as many churches remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Michele Dillon, a scholar of Catholicism and professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, finds that during one of the holiest periods on the Christian calendar, when more people typically attend mass and liturgical services, clergy and parishioners are learning to make the liturgy work as online events while continuing to follow COVID-19 guidelines.
“Faith can be an important source of both spiritual meaning and social support for a lot of people and during this stressful time many people may be looking for strength and comfort in prayer,” said Dillon. “Whether someone observes Easter, or Passover, or another religious holiday finding ways to allow people to participate virtually, like streaming services or offering online prayer sharing group activities over Zoom, can help them feel connected and strengthen the bonds of shared faith.”
Dillon can be reached directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (781) 915-7360.
Dillon points out that while services can be televised or streamlined online, what is missing virtually is the tactile nature of worship that comes from physical face-to-face devotion. With churches closed, Catholics, for example, also can’t receive Holy Communion (a wafer which is the spiritual embodiment of Christ’s presence). Even the long-standing tradition of a priest or volunteer bringing Holy Communion to those who are sick or homebound is not feasible in the current COVID-19 situation.
“Even though mass attendance has dropped off over the past decades for many American Catholics, several surveys have found that a majority of them still feel the need to be nourished by the sacraments and Holy Communion,” said Dillon. “The coronavirus presents challenges for many parishioners during this Holy Week, and even beyond, but most churches and synagogues are learning to adapt so that, though physically apart, believers can still come together to offer comfort and celebrate what traditionally is a joyful event of hope and salvation.”
Dillon specializes in religion and culture and has written extensively on Catholicism in the United States, and elsewhere, and has been especially interested in the institutional and cultural processes that enable Catholics who selectively disagree with aspects of Catholic teaching to remain loyal to Catholicism. She is the author of “Postsecular Catholicism: Relevance and Renewal,” "American Catholics in Transition” and "Catholic Identity: Balancing Reason, Faith, and Power.”
The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea, and space.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has developed two new resources to help children, youth, families and caregivers during the COVID-19 emergency.
The first is “Supporting Child and Family Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Emergency,” a new resource guide with practical tips on how we can all support children and families during COVID-19. The guide also provides a list of resources available to families statewide. The second resource is the Family Support Warm Line, a partnership between DHHS and Waypoint. The Family Support Warm Line is a no-cost, confidential phone support line focused on promoting family resiliency. Residents can call 800-640-6486 and speak with family support professionals and parent partners for help with managing family challenges, coping strategies, or emotional support during COVID-19.
“Our data has shown a decline in the number of calls made to DCYF from those community helpers who regularly see kids face to face, but this is continues to be a stressful time for families and our focus has to remain on prevention,” said DCYF Director Joseph Ribsam. “Having resources readily available and a place where parents and caregivers can turn if they need to talk to someone can make a difference for our families and guide them to the services they need to stay strong and healthy, before they reach a tipping point that leads to abuse or neglect.”
The efforts stem from Emergency Order #22, issued by Governor Chris Sununu on April 1, which authorizes emergency funding for critical child protection services to ensure that New Hampshire families continue to receive the right services at the right time during the COVID-19 emergency. In addition to the Family Support Warm Line, the funding will support domestic violence and substance use supports, expansion of the DCYF Strength to Succeed Program, and additional technology support for DCYF-involved families.
March data from the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) shows a decrease in referrals to DCYF’s Central Intake, compared to the same time period over the past two years. New child abuse and neglect referrals are down nearly 50% each week overall.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. To learn more about NH’s Child Abuse Prevention Month activities, visit the New Hampshire Children’s Trust website. To learn more about recognizing the signs of child abuse and neglect, visit Know and Tell, an education program offered through the Granite State Children’s Alliance, the Chapter Organization for the network of New Hampshire’s Child Advocacy Centers.
The Family Support Warm Line can be reached toll-free at 1-800-640-6486, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, call the DCYF Central Intake line at (603) 271-6562 or toll-free (in state) at (800) 894-5533.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has announced that more than 250 child care programs statewide have been designated as emergency providers through the newly established Emergency Child Care Program (ECCP), created to support the families of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, there are 262 emergency child care programs serving more than 5,500 children across the state.
“I applaud DHHS for quickly standing up emergency child care for New Hampshire families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Ensuring that we have child care centers open in every part of the state for families while parents provide essential services to Granite Staters is a critical part of our response to this unprecedented situation, and parents can rest assured that their children will be well cared for in the days and weeks ahead.”
Through the NH Child Care Collaborative, a partnership among DHHS, DOE, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF) and child care stakeholders, more than $5 million in funding has been committed to establish and ensure a robust and effective system of emergency child care for parents and employers providing essential services during COVID-19. Funding is already moving out to ECCPs across the state to support staff and operational costs.
“Child care programs are part of the foundation of strong and healthy families, and ensuring safe, quality, and accessible child care is vitally important as we continue to respond to COVID-19,” said DHHS Associate Commissioner Christine Tappan. “We are grateful for the funding that has allowed us to create a private-public partnership that will ensure families have the support they need during this public health emergency, and safeguard the stability of the child care system once the pandemic is over.”
"It's incredible to see so many early-childhood professionals coming together and rolling up their sleeves to support New Hampshire's essential and emergency workforce,” said Christina Lachance, Director of Early Childhood and Family Initiatives for NHCF. “These professionals take care of our children in good times, and now they are stepping up to help our state get through this unprecedented challenge."
The Emergency Child Care Program is working through New Hampshire’s referral partner, Child Care Aware NH (CCAofNH), to match emergency child care providers with the families who need them. CCofANH has conducted a statewide needs survey to identify what child care providers need for supplies, staff and funding, and has provided extensive COVID-19 resources to keep families informed of best health and safety practices. Individuals seeking emergency child care can view an interactive map created by Child Care Aware of America, which provides a snapshot of available child care programs in relation to New Hampshire hospitals and alternative health care facilities that have been set up across the state to manage a potential surge of COVID-19 cases.
In order to qualify as an Emergency Child Care Program, child care providers met criteria around proximity to hospitals and surge centers, number of slots available for the children of essential workers, hours of operation, and ability to serve vulnerable children. Child care programs will be eligible to apply for incentive payments, including funding to support pay differentials for staff, child care costs for child care professionals, and other operating costs that support an emergency child care system.
On March 26, Governor Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order #17, which included a list of designated business sectors that provide essential services and support to COVID-19 and the core missions of the State.
For more information about the Emergency Child Care Collaborative, please visit http://nh.childcareaware.org/. For questions about the program, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on COVID-19, please visit www.nh.gov/covid19.
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