By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – The state is warning people who may have been on a Concord Coach Lines bus on four days in March between New Hampshire and Boston to take precautions due to potential community exposure because someone on the buses tested positive for COVID-19.
The state Department of Health and Human Services Department said in a release issued Tuesday night: “Any individuals who rode on one of the Concord Coach Line buses (below) may have been potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus and should stay at home and monitor their health for fever or respiratory illness. Any person who was on those buses and has developed symptoms should stay away from other people, and immediately contact their healthcare provider.”
“DHHS also issued guidance regarding potential community exposure of the coronavirus after DHHS determined that a person with COVID-19 was on the following Concord Coach Lines buses:”
· 3/11/20: 3:15 AM bus from Concord, NH – Boston Express Londonderry – South Station – Boston Logan Airport
· 3/13/20: 5:40 PM bus from Boston Logan Airport – South Station – Concord, NH – Tilton – Plymouth – Lincoln – Littleton
· 3/14/20: 5:00 AM bus from Concord, NH – Boston Express Londonderry – Boston Express Salem – South Station – Boston Logan Airport
· 3/16/20: 1:40 PM bus from Boston Logan Airport – South Station – Concord, NH
No further information was available from the state Tuesday night.
Guidance for self-quarantine is available at: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/residents/documents/self-quarantine-covid.pdf
The department’s daily update was released two hours later than in the past and said the new number of positive tests in the state increased overnight by seven to a total of 108. The state on Monday announced the first death from COVID-19 in Hillsborough County.
According to DHHS:
The new cases as of Tuesday are 6 adult males and 1 adult female. The new cases reside in Rockingham (4), Grafton (1), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (1), and Strafford (1) counties. Three of the cases have no identified risk factors.
The remaining new cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Community-based transmission has been identified in the majority of the counties in the State. Six new cases are isolated at home. One of the new cases is currently hospitalized; thus far, 13 patients out of the 108 positive cases (12%) have been hospitalized.
Current Situation in New Hampshire
New
Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(updated March 24, 2020, 9:00 AM)
NH Persons with COVID-191 | 108 |
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 | 1 (<1%) |
Hospitalizations | 13 (13%) |
Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories2 | 2,356 |
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL | 2,530 |
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3 | 804 |
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) | 750 |
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.