COVID-19 Update December 12
- Total: 1,004 confirmed cases in Salem
- Salem’s Positivity Rate for the past 2 weeks: 11.8%
- 1 out of 30 Salem residents have been infected
- Salem today: 35 new cases since yesterday; 203 active cases
From today’s Press Release from NH DHHS: “PCR test positivity rate of 4.6%. Today’s results include 505 people who tested positive by PCR test and 286 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 6,598 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Of the results reported today:
- 12/7: 4 new cases today, for an updated total of 808 cases
- 12/8: 165 new cases today, for an updated total of 951 cases
- 12/9: 107 new cases today, for an updated total of 518 cases
- 12/10: 128 new cases today, for an updated total of 777 cases
- 12/11: 387 new cases
Test results for previous days are still being processed and the total number of new positives for those days are not yet complete. Updated case counts for prior days will be reflected on the COVID-19 interactive dashboard.”
• • • • • • Community Transmission • • • • • •
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 Metrics are: New Cases per 100k over 14 days: Scale: Minimal: <50; Moderate: 50 – 100; Substantial: >100. New Hospitalizations per 100k over 14 days: Scale: Minimal: <10; Moderate: 10 – 20; Substantial: >20. Average PCR Test Positivity Rate over 7 days: Scale: Minimal: <5%; Moderate: 5% – 10%; Substantial: >10%
- Average of New Cases per 100K people over 14 days:
- New Hampshire: 685.5
- Rockingham County: 829.9
- All 10 counties and our two biggest cities are all at the substantial level ranging from 208.6 (Sullivan County) to 1,245.5 (Manchester).
- Salem: 1,034
- Highest average: Tilton: 2421 (Veterans Home)
- Average of New Hospitalization per 100K people over 14 days:
- New Hampshire: 0.5
- Rockingham County: 0.5
- Belknap County: 3.4
- Average Positivity Rate over 7 days:
- New Hampshire: 8.5%
- Rockingham County: 10.9%
- Manchester: 10.7%
- Salem: 11.8%
- Nashua: 10.6%
- Belknap: 8.7%
- Grafton County: 2.8%
- Highest rate: Hill: 17.0%
- 30 communities have a positivity rate of more than 10%.
- 110 communities have a positivity rate of more than 5%.
- 121 communities have a positivity rate of more than 2%.
- 32 communities have a positivity rate higher than Salem.
• • • • • • TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT • • • • • •
- Salem continues to be one of the communities with the largest number of new cases. Today, as we often are, we have more new cases than all of the other NH communities except Manchester and Nashua.
- Today, Salem added another 35 new cases, which is the most we’ve added in a single day. We now have had over 1,000 Salem residents who have been confirmed to have COVID-19.
- Over 10,000 tests have been done on Salem Residents. (Unclear if this is persons or if it includes those who have had repeat tests.)
- Even though 1,000 people were identified as “recovered,” the number of current cases actually went up in Salem. We are now at 203 active cases.
- The daily positivity rate has been decreasing this week, from a high of 7.0% last Sunday to 4.6% today.
- Over 30,000 people have been diagnosed in NH. That number has gone up by almost 11,000 … since Thanksgiving. Almost 1/3 of all NH cases have come in 16 days.
- 93 kids under 18 were diagnosed today, bringing the total to 673 for the past week.
- Over 23,000 people have “recovered.”
- The number of fatalities is confusing today. NH DHHS has reported 10 deaths, but the dashboard shows at least 12 more than yesterday. 600 people have died from COVID in NH.
• • • • • • Communities • • • • • •
- NH DHHS says that the new cases reside in Rockingham (234), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (130), Merrimack (74), Strafford (44), Cheshire (43), Belknap (36), Grafton (19), Carrol (18), Coos (10), and Sullivan (10) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (79) and Nashua (59). The county of residence is being determined for thirty-five new cases.
- Active cases:
- Communities with more than 50 active cases, showing changes in active cases since yesterday:
- Other communities with an increase or decrease by five or more people:
- An additional 1000 people were reported as “recovered” today; these are reflected in today’s changes.
- Atkinson now has less than 50 active cases, and has been removed from this list.
- Manchester is back under 800 active cases.
- Concord has gone back to less than 300 active cases.
- Londonderry has dropped back down to less than 200 active cases. Yesterday they had one more active case than Salem.
- There are 25 NH communities with more than 50 active cases. Between them, these communities have 4,088 active cases, accounting for 62% of all active cases.
- Manchester, Nashua, and Concord are the only communities with more active cases than Salem.
- Communities with more than 50 active cases, showing changes in active cases since yesterday: Manchester: 872 (-54). Nashua: 511 (-29). Concord: 298 (-27). Salem: 203 (+3). Londonderry: 194 (-7). Derry: 183 (+0). Hudson: 155 (-2). Merrimack: 150 (+10). Dover: 132 (-13). Bedford: 124 (-13). Windham: 121 (-3). Hampton: 119 (-1). Milford: 118 (+7). Goffstown: 107 (-1). Hooksett: 106 (-16). Keene: 106 (+9). Rochester: 90 (-5). Portsmouth: 89 (+1). Laconia: 76 (-2). Pelham: 68 (+0). Plaistow: 55 (-10). Litchfield: 55 (-3). Tilton: 53 (-10). Seabrook: 52 (-5). Exeter: 51 (-2).
- Other communities with an increase or decrease by five or more people: Atkinson: 57 (-10). Brentwood: 9 (+5). Hampstead: 38 (+5). Hanover: 49 (+-12). Hollis: 20 (+10). Northwood: 13 (+5). Pembroke: 40 (-5). Plymouth: 34 (-7). Raymond: 35 (-8). Sandown: 34 (+5).
- Cumulative Cases
- 39 communities have 5 or more new cases from yesterday
- There are now 95 communities that have had 50 or more cases.
- Three communities — Ossipee, Pittsfield and Sanbornton — now have more than 50 cumulative cases.
- Newton has now had more than 100 cases.
- Goffstown has now had more than 600 total confirmed cases.
- Salem and Derry each now have 900 or more.
- Only Manchester, Nashua, and Derry have had more total cases than Salem.
- The ten communities with the highest number of cumulative cases, showing changes from yesterday: Manchester: 5138 (+78). Nashua: 2796 (+58). Derry: 1013 (+24). Salem: 1,004 (+35). Concord: 975 (+22). Bedford: 844 (+10). Londonderry: 741 (+25). Hudson: 679 (+15). Merrimack: 607 (+24). Goffstown: 605 (+8).
- Other communities with 5 or more new cases, showing changes from yesterday: Allenstown: 122 (+6). Barrington: 127 (+6). Belmont: 144 (+10). Berlin: 98 (+6). Brentwood: 78 (+6). Claremont: 77 (+6). Danville: 85 (+6). Dover: 562 (+12). Exeter: 242 (+7). Hampstead: 195 (+9). Hampton: 436 (+12). Hollis: 120 (+12). Hooksett: 467 (+8). Keene: 332 (+20). Kingston: 110 (+5). Laconia: 268 (+6). Lebanon: 96 (+5). Litchfield: 212 (+7). Milford: 373 (+14). Newmarket: 120 (+5). Newton: 100 (+5). Northwood: 64 (+6). Pelham: 371 (+7). Pembroke: 175 (+6). Pittsfield: 50 (+5). Portsmouth: 479 (+15). Rochester: 476 (+9). Rye: 85 (+5). Sandown: 166 (+7). Somersworth: 183 (+5). Swanzey: 81 (+6). Weare: 185 (+5). Windham: 456 (+21).
• • • • • • DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN NH • • • • • •
- New positive cases by my math (Total of today’s cases minus previous total): 784
- New positive cases per DHHS: 791
- 505 PCR tests
- 286 Antigen tests
- Children under 18 in new cases: 93
- Total positive cases in NH: 30,244
- Percentage of today’s tests that are positive per DHHS: 4.6%
- Total PCR test results reported today (Positive results plus negative results): 3,194
- The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 2,983
- New negative results reported today: 2,410
- Total negative cases in NH: 431,385
• • • • • • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY • • • • • •
- Total cases in Rockingham County: 7,455
- New cases in Rockingham County: 234
- Rockingham County: New cases per 100K residents: 75.5
- Rockingham County 1-week average per 100K residents: 74.8
- Rockingham County Positivity Rate: 10.9%%
- Percent of all cases from Rockingham County: 24.6%
- Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 67%
• • • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • •
- Active cases in NH: 6,598
- Active cases in Rockingham County: 1,671
- Percent of NH’s active cases that are in Rockingham County: 25.3%
• • • • • • OTHER TEST RESULTS • • • • • •
- New antibody tests: 86
- Total antibody tests (No break downs of positive vs. negative): 33,897
- The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 53
• • • • • • CHANGES BY AGES • • • • • •
(Shown: Total infections, percentage of all infections, and increase since yesterday.)
- 0-9: 1190 = 4% (+38).
- 10-19: 2945 = 10% (+73).
- 20-29: 5894 = 19% (+135).
- 30-39: 4506 = 15% (+129).
- 40-49: 4028 = 13% (+115).
- 50-59: 4803 = 16% (+140).
- 60-69: 3289 = 11% (+77).
- 70-79: 1720 = 6% (+47).
- 80+: 1836 = 6% (+24).
- Unknown: 33 = 0% (+6).
• • • • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • •
- Announced today: 1,000
- Total Recovered: 23,046
- Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 76.2%
• • • • • • HOSPITALIZATIONS IN NH • • • • • •
- New people hospitalized from NH: 1
- Currently hospitalized: 247
- Total hospitalized patients: 857
- Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 2.83%
- Total admitted to ICU: 287
- New hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 0
- Total hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 207
• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • •
- Lives lost today: 10
- Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 10
- Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
- Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 600
- NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 1.98%
- Lives lost in Rockingham County today: 4
- Total lives lost in Rockingham County: 119
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.
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
–John D. Rockefeller
Hello, Salem!
This quote hits close to home these days. Sometimes it makes sense to give up things now, so we can be with those we love at a later date. My brain recognizes this, but my heart is struggling. Brain wins. Barely. Christmas will be in July for my family.
Please do what you need to do to protect yourself, your family and your friends. In every way, stay safe, and always, be kind.
~Bonnie


This video was posted almost two months ago. Things have changed in that time. On October 2, US deaths were 1,035,451, according to the video. (My records say 1,033,174 per WorldOmeter.) WorldOMeter now says the global death rate is 1,446,889, an increase of 413,715 in less than two months. Just please remember that there is a lot more between COVID->Death vs. COVID->Recovery. More and more, long-haulers are making the news, as are other consequences of COVID-19.

From the beginning of the pandemic, it took 43 days before NH reached it’s first 1,000 confirmed diagnoses. It took 31 days to go from 10,000 to 18,000. In another 5 days, we added another 2,000.





This screenshot comes from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6942e2.htm?s_cid=mm6942e2_w
This report is explained here:
https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2020/10/20/cdc-from-january-to-october-us-had-299k-more-deaths-than-in-previous-years/

Useful links
- Rent or mortgage assistance because of COVID-19, help can be found here.
- Salem Resource Center of Southern NH Services: Housing relief and fuel assistance. 603-893-9172. https://www.snhs.org
- Legal issues because of COVID: https://nhlegalaid.org/legal-issues-during-covid-19-crisis.
- Food pantries: https://www.foodpantries.org/ci/nh-salem and http://www.wecarecharity.org/projects
- Unemployment resources: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/unemployed/
- COVID-19 testing: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/covid-19-testing/
- Complications of COVID-19: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/covid-19-consequences/
- COVID-19 is not the flu. Here are the numbers: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/covid-pneumonia-flu/
- The Science Behind Masks: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/science-behind-masks/
- Resources for Salem residents: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/covid-19-cases-in-salem/
- Safer at Home guidance documents on the State’s website.
- Other COVID resources from NH DHHS on the State’s website.
- Other COVID resources: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/covid-19-resources/
- Massachusetts Travel Order: https://www.bonnie4salem.us/massachusetts-travel-order/
- Mental health resources
- NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Health. 24-hour hotline: 1-800-950-6264. https://www.nami.org/Home
- Center for Life Management (603) 434-1577, Option 1. https://www.centerforlifemanagement.org/
- #SuicideAwareness: 1-800-273-8255.
Sources used to create these reports:
- https://www.nh.gov/covid19/
- https://www.boston.com/news/health/2020/03/09/updating-stats-numbers-covid-19-massachusetts
- https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/05/20/latest-massachusetts-town-city-covid-19-numbers
- https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/salemtownrockinghamcountynewhampshire/PST045219
- https://www.politico.com/interactives/2020/coronavirus-testing-by-state-chart-of-new-cases/
- https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus