COVID by the Numbers—November 7 Edition

Here is what has happened since my last report, at the end of October.

On November 7, there were 9 new cases confirmed in Cheshire County, more than on any other day so far.  There were no new cases on the 1^st, but in the last 6 days, there have been 35 new cases confirmed in the county. The number of currently active confirmed cases in Cheshire County have increased from 31 to 50.  Currently, the active cases are in  Rindge (16) Keene(12) Jaffrey(5) and the following towns with 1-4 each—Westmoreland, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Winchester, Swanzey, Harrisville, and Dublin.  The 7 day average of cases per 100,000, 3.2 as of October 29, was 5.6 as of November 5.

Statewide, the number of new cases per day topped 200 in each of the last 3 days.  Statewide hospitalizations, which were at 42 at the end of November, dipped to 38 on the 1^st of November, but rose to 49 on Nov. 7^th.  And 6 more of our citizens have died this week.

None of this is good news.  Cheshire County, which still has the lowest average rate of daily confirmed infections, went from having an average 0.6 infections a day just a month ago to 5.6 a day now.  Coos County, which had the lowest rates all through the spring, now has an average of 36.2 cases per day per 100,000. The numbers of actual cases are not that large, of course, because Coos County does not have 100,000 people in it, but if their rates can go up this shockingly, so can ours.  All signals are that there is ever more community spread, some of it from people who are asymptomatic and who have no way to know they have the disease.

One thing I have noticed recently is that people, masked and unmasked, are far less careful than they were to keep the six foot distance.  It is difficult, because most of us want to engage with other people, but measure it out, and try to observe that distance with all people not of your household.

Wear your mask, even when distancing.

Keep your distance, even when wearing your mask.

Wash your hands.

And keep well.

~Representative Lucy Weber

lwmcv@comcast.net

603 499 0282

~Lucy