COVID-19 Update 18 April 2021

COVID-19 Update 18 April 2021

  • Total: 2,814 confirmed cases in Salem
  • Salem today: new cases
  • 78 active cases 
  • 1 out of every 11 Salem residents has been infected
  • Salem’s new cases per 100K for 14 days: 459
  • Salem’s Positivity Rate for the past 2 weeks: 7.5%

The full update can be found by following this link: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/covid-19-update-18-april-2021/

On Sunday, April 18, 2021, DHHS announced 308 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a current PCR test positivity rate of 2.8%. Today’s results include 230 people who tested positive by PCR test and 78 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 3,140 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Of the results reported today: 

  • 4/17: 308 new cases 

Several cases are still under investigation. Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates. 

• • • • • • TODAY’S SUMMARY • • • • • •

  • Salem added 3 new cases in the past two days, bringing our total to 2,814 Salem residents who have had confirmed case of COVID-19.
  • Salem’s active cases decreased by 2 since yesterday to 78. Salem had 72 active cases one week ago.
  • Salem’s new cases per 100K residents is 459. Yesterday, it was 470. One week ago, it was 439.
  • Salem’s positivity rate for PCR & antigen results in the past week is 7.5%, a “moderate” level of community transmission. Yesterday it was 8.2%. One week ago, it was 7.2%. 
  • Today the new cases “by math” (yesterday vs. today’s cumulative total of positive cases as reported by DHHS) were 307. NH reported 417 people have “recovered” since yesterday’s update. After allowing for those who lost their lives today because of COVID-19, NH’s number of active cases went down by 114 to 3,140 since yesterday. That’s 244 fewer active cases than we had a week ago.
  • NH has had 427.4 new cases per 100K residents in the past 14 days. Yesterday, it was 434.4. One week ago, it was 437.6
  • NH’s positivity rate for PCR & antigen results in the past week is 4.8%. Yesterday it was 5.0%. One week ago, it was 5.4%.
  • NH’s positivity rate for PCR results returned today is 2.8%, which is “moderate” community transmission. Yesterday it was 2.0%. A week ago, it was 9.8%.
  • DHHS is reporting a total of 1,279 people who have been hospitalized as of today because of COVID-19.  This is an increase of 1 since yesterday’s update, and an increase of 14 since last week. There were no new hospitalization today from Rockingham County; our county’s total hospitalizations is 289.
  • The number of patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 is 133 which is 6 more than yesterday, and 15 more than a week ago. 
  • The cumulative total of ICU admissions remains unchanged since yesterday, leaving the total at 383. We have seen an increase of 4 ICU admissions in the past seven days. 
  • Today NH DHHS reported that there were 4 lives lost for the period covered by this report, bringing the total to 1,270 people who have died in NH due to COVID-19. We have lost 13 people in NH due to COVID-19 in the past week. Today’s numbers include 2 people who died from Rockingham County, bringing the total to 240 lives lost in our county.  
  • We had a few days in early October when we had more kids under 18 diagnosed than we had residents of Rockingham County diagnosed. Today we had more kids than all of our entire county.

• • • • • • Communities • • • • • •

DHHS reports that the new cases reside in the following counties: 
Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (48), Rockingham (46), Merrimack (39), Strafford (34), Belknap (15), Coos (14), Grafton (14), Sullivan (9), Cheshire (8), and Carroll (4) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (39) and Nashua (25). The county of residence is being determined for thirteen new cases. 

This is one of the few times when Rockingham County has not been at the top of this list.

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

  • New positive cases by my math (Total of today’s cases minus previous total): 307
  • New positive cases per DHHS: 308
  • Percentage of today’s PCR tests that are positive per DHHS: 2.8%
  • Total people who have tested positive: 91,586
  • New negative results reported: 957
  • Total Negative Results: 591,985
  • • • • • • • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY • • • •, • •
  • Total cases in Rockingham County: 22,677
  • New cases in Rockingham County: 46
  • Rockingham County Positivity Rate: 6.5%

• • • • • • CHANGES BY AGES • • • • • •  

  • 59 children under 18 are included in today’s new cases.
  • 19.2% of new cases announced by DHHS today are kids under 18 years old.

(Totals, showing changes since yesterday.)

  • 0-9: 5% of Total cases: 4762 (+31); Hospitalizations: 8; Deaths: 0
  • 10-19: 12% of Total cases: 11050 (+48); Hospitalizations: 8; Deaths: 0
  • 20-29: 20% of Total cases: 18333 (+63); Hospitalizations: 30; Deaths: 1
  • 30-39: 15% of Total cases: 13372 (+49); Hospitalizations: 55; Deaths: 5
  • 40-49: 13% of Total cases: 12067 (+48); Hospitalizations: 91; Deaths: 11
  • 50-59: 16% of Total cases: 14275 (+29); Hospitalizations: 158; Deaths: 27
  • 60-69: 10% of Total cases: 9240 (+24); Hospitalizations: 307 (+1); Deaths: 114 (+1)
  • 70-79: 5% of Total cases: 4584 (+8); Hospitalizations: 326; Deaths: 295 (+2)
  • 80+: 4% of Total cases: 3822 (+7); Hospitalizations: 296; Deaths: 817 (+1)
  • Unknown: 0% of Total cases: 81 (+0); Hospitalizations: 0; Deaths: 0

• • • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • •                          

  • Active cases in NH: 3,140
  • Active cases in Rockingham County: 703

• • • • • • RECOVERED • • • • • •

  • Recovered today: 417
  • Total recovered: 87,176
  • Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 95.2% 

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

  • Currently hospitalized: 133
  • New people hospitalized from NH: 1
  • Total hospitalized patients: 1,279
  • Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 1.40%
  • Total admitted to ICU: 383
  • New hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 0
  • Total hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 289

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Lives lost today: 4
  • Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 4
  • Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
  • Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 1,270
  • NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 1.39%
  • Lives lost in Rockingham County today: 2
  • Total lives lost in Rockingham County: 240

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.


Hello, Salem!

This evening in my travels I came across this article, New COVID Variants Have Changed the Game, and Vaccines Will Not Be Enough, written by members of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission Taskforce on Public Health. These experts are urging prompt vaccine rollouts as well as continued public health measures, including face masks and physical distancing, and ventilation of indoor spaces. “Reducing community transmission is vital.”

I wish we knew more. What we do know is that the more cases we have, the more opportunity this virus has of mutating even more. With new cases and hospitalizations increasing in NH most days, and with the B.1.1.7 variant becoming the prevalent strain in the United States, it seems like an illogical time to be lifting mask mandates and easing restrictions. So we need to do what we can do.

Do what you can to stay safe, and always, be kind.

~Bonnie



On April 15, Governor Sununu announced that he was lifting mask mandates as of 4/16, and then the lifting of “Safer at Home” in early May. Here’s where we were on April 15:









Useful links

Sources used to create these reports:

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