FILE - This 2020 electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Rocky Mountain Laboratories shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in a lab. On Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, the top U.S. public health agency said that coronavirus can spread greater distances through the air than 6 feet, particularly in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces. But agency officials continued to say such spread is uncommon, and current social distancing guidelines still make sense. (NIAID-RML via AP)

CONCORD – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update on the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

On Friday, DHHS announced 209 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a daily PCR test positivity rate of 1.6%. Today’s results include 145 people who tested positive by PCR test and 64 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 1,630 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire.

Several cases are still under investigation. Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates. Of those with complete information, there are twenty-five individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 47% being female and 53% being male. The new cases reside in Rockingham (56), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (26), Strafford (24), Merrimack (21), Grafton (12), Carroll (7), Cheshire (7), Sullivan (6), Belknap (5), and Coos (3) counties, and in the cities of Nashua (18) and Manchester (12). The county of residence is being determined for twelve new cases.

Two new hospitalized cases were reported. There are currently 48 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. This census may include out of state residents hospitalized in NH and/or individuals readmitted to the hospital, therefore increases in the daily hospital census may not always equal the number of new hospitalizations reported in a given day. One of the new cases had no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to occur in the State and has been identified in all counties. Of those with complete risk information, most of the cases are either associated with an outbreak setting or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

DHHS has also announced two additional deaths related to COVID-19. We offer our sympathies to the family and friends.

1 female resident of Merrimack County, 60 years of age and older

1 male resident of Merrimack County, 60 years of age and older

In New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 12,012 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed with 790 (7%) of those having been hospitalized.