Posted on by Bonnie

COVID-19 Update October 19

COVID-19 Update October 19

  • Total: 364 confirmed cases in Salem
  • 1 out of every 81 Salem residents have been infected
  • Salem Today: 1 new case, 24 active cases 

Community Transmission (per NH Department of Health and Human Services)

The overall level of community transmission is defined using three metrics.  A community is then assigned an overall level based on the highest-level determination for any specific metric.  

  • NH Community Transmission Metrics:
    • New Cases per 100k over 14 days: 
      • Scale: Minimal: <50; Moderate: 50 – 100; Substantial: >100. 
      • Today: 1053 cases; Daily average: 77.6 (Moderate)
    • New hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days:
      • Scale: Minimal: <10; Moderate: 10 – 20; Substantial: >20, 
      • Today: Total hospitalizations: 15 total; Daily average: 1.1
    • Average PCR Test Positivity Rate over 7 days:
      • Scale: Minimal: <5%; Moderate: 5% – 10%; Substantial: >10%
      • Today: Tests over last 7 days: 427 Total. PCR Tests over last 7 days: 40,398 Daily average: 1.1%
  • Today’s Level of Transmission: Moderate
  • Rockingham County Transmission:
    • New Cases per 100k over 14 days: 80.5
    • New hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days: 1.0
    • Average PCR Test Positivity Rate over 7 days: 1.3
    • Rockingham County Transmission: Moderate
  • Other NH Locations
    • Manchester: Substantial. (135.2 new case average; 4.5 hospitalizations; 2.6% positivity.)
    • Nashua: Substantial (150.0 new case average; 1.1 hospitalizations; 2.4% positivity.)
    • Merrimack: Substantial (104.5 new case average; 2.0 hospitalizations; 1.6% positivity)
    • Hillsborough County excluding Manchester and Nashua (93.4 new case average); and Belknap County (54.1): Moderate
    • All other counties: Minimal

• • • • • • TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT • • • • • •

  • Another Salem resident has been diagnosed with COVID-19. For the past two weeks, we’ve had a new case all but one day.
  • 4,175 people are being monitored by NH DHHS. The last time we had that many was May 25.
  • NH now has over 1,000 active cases, for the first time since last spring. NH DHHS reports 1,020 active cases. The last time we had this many, was June 13.
  • The positivity rate, when spread across the state, is 1.1%. It is as high as 2.6% in our biggest cities. Because we don’t know how many tests were done in Salem over the last week — or ever — we cannot figure out our own positivity rate. It is probably not as high as Manchester, but it is probably higher than the state’s average.
  • Communities:
    • Notable changes in active cases from yesterday to today:
      • There are now 49 communities with 5 or more active cases. There are now too many to try to track them all.
      • There are 11 communities with more than 20 active cases. Between them they have 541 total cases, accounting for 53% of all active cases. (Shown: # of active cases and change from yesterday). 
        • Bedford: 64 (+0). Concord: 36 (+7). Derry: 32 (+3). Hudson: 6 (+1). Londonderry: 25 (+0). Manchester: 121 (+8). Merrimack: 25 (+2). Nashua: 112 (+4).  Portsmouth: 30 (+5). Salem: 24 (+1). Warner: 46 (+0). 
    • Some of the communities with significant changes in cumulative cases: Manchester (+8). Concord (+7). Nashua (+4). Derry (+3). Windham (+3)
  • For the sixth day in a row, a NH resident has died from COVID-19. 
  • There is a new program for NH Businesses that lost funds due to COVID-19. Details can be found here.

• • • • • • DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • New positive cases by my math (Total of today’s cases minus yesterday’s total): 52
  • New positive cases per DHHS: 57
    • 41 PCR tests
    • 16 Antigen tests
  • Children under 18 in new cases: 4
  • Total positive cases in NH: 9,746
  • Percentage of today’s tests that are positive per DHHS: 1.1%
  • Total PCR tests results reported today (Positive results plus negative results: 1,442
  • The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 2,422
  • New negative results reported today: 1,390
  • Total negative cases in NH: 305,060

• • • • • • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY • • • • • •

  • Total cases in Rockingham County: 2,382 yesterday
  • New cases in Rockingham County: 14
  • Rockingham County: New cases per 100K residents: 4.5
  • Rockingham County 1-week average per 100K residents: 6.4
  • Rockingham County Positivity Rate: 1.3%
  • Percent of all cases from Rockingham County: 24.4%
  • Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 77%

• • • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • •

  • Active cases in NH: 1,030
  • Active cases in Rockingham County: 238 yesterday.
  • Percent of NH’s active cases that are in Rockingham County: 23.3% yesterday. 

• • • • • • OTHER TEST RESULTS • • • • • • 

  • New antibody tests: 9
  • Total antibody tests (No break downs of positive vs. negative): 31,773
  • The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 33

• • • • • • CHANGES BY AGES • • • • • • (Over two days)

  • 0-9: +6 (3% of all cases. 5% of new cases
  • 10-19: +17 (8% of all; 14% today) 
  • 20-29: +22 (17% of all; 18% today) 
  • 30-39: +22 (14% of all; +18% today)
  • 40-49: +17 (13% of all; 14% today)
  • 50-59: +21 (15% of all; 17% today)
  • 60-69: +11 (12% of all; 9% today)
  • 70-79: +3 (7% of all; 2% today) 
  • 80+: +4 (11% of all; 3% today)
  • Unknown: -2 (0% of all; -2% today)

• • • • • • CHANGES IN SCHOOLS  • • • • • • 

  • The school dashboard still shows that a student at North Salem Elementary School is infected. (See screenshot below the calendar.) I am questioning the accuracy of this.

• • • • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Announced today: 2
  • Total Recovered: 8,258
  • Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 84.7%

• • • • • • HOSPITALIZATIONS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • New: 0
  • Current: 16
  • Total Hospitalized: 761
  • Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 7.81%

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Lives lost today: 1
  • Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 1
  • Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
  • Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 468
  • NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 4.8%
  • Lives lost in Rockingham today: 0

These are not simply numbers. We must not forget that these are all someone’s husband or wife, mother or father, sister or brother, son or daughter, friend or neighbor.

I hope you are all doing well. Me? I’m feeling a little blue right now. If you are struggling, for whatever reason, know you aren’t alone.

If you are feeling blue because of housing payments, there is still some funds left from the CARES Act. Trouble paying for fuel? Southern NH Services can help. In addition to housing relief and fuel assistance, they have a number of other programs, too. Contact the Salem Resource Center at 603-893-9172. https://www.snhs.org

If you are a struggling business owner, know that there is a new program for NH Businesses that lost funds due to COVID-19. Details about Main Street Relief Fund 2.0 can be found here. You have to apply by Oct 30, at 4:00. If you received funds from the original Main Street Relief Fund or the GAP fund, you may still be eligible.

If you have met me in person pre-COVID-19, the odds are high that you were offered a “Bonnie Hug.” My motto for years has been, “I’m making the world kind again, one hug at a time.” If you you just feel down, please accept a virtual hug.

If you need more than that — if you are struggling with feelings of isolation or depression — seek help. You might start with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Health, which can be found here. They can be called on their 24-hour hotline at 1-800-950-6264.

Another option is Center for Life Management’s Emergency Services, which can be reached 24/7 by calling (603) 434-1577, Option 1. CLM provides essential mental health services to their clients of all ages and to the community at large. Read more here.

If you, or someone you care about, is near the limit, call the #SuicideAwareness number at 1-800-273-8255.

You don’t need to deal with whatever makes you blue by yourself. Reach out to someone. Stay safe, and always, be kind.

~Bonnie

As far as I have been able to determine, North Salem Elementary and Woodbury Middle School have not had an infection, despite what the School Dashboard says. Also, Salem High School has only had one case, not two. I don’t know anything about GSAA.

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Useful links

Sources used to create these reports:

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