Some COVID statistics for county called worrisome

LACONIA — COVID numbers are trending upward across the state, with the statewide statistic for one metric being the highest in Belknap County.

According to the state’s COVID website, the new case rate per 100,000 population is 106.0 in Belknap County, as of Friday, which means the rate of transmission in the county is substantial. By comparison that next highest number for that same metric is Nashua with a figure of 73.6.

Other statistical measures taken to track the status of the pandemic show lower numbers in Belknap County compared to others, however.

For instance, the seven-day positivity rate is higher in Merrimack, Hillsborough, and Rockingham counties.

As of Friday Belknap County’s positivity rate was 2.7 percent. The number of new cases across the county recorded in the past 14 days is 65, with 34 of them classified as active cases. There are nine active cases in Laconia alone.

The positivity rate across the state is 2.9 percent, which is slightly higher than in Belknap County.

“That’s a concern,” John Beland, the emergency preparedness and response director for the Partnership for Public Health said Friday. “We don’t want to see it rise.”

The average number of cases per day statewide for the past week is 82, according to the state. Compare that to five weeks ago, when the seven-day average was 16.

Beland said much of the increase appears due to the spread of the Delta variant of the COVID virus, which is more transmittable.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Delta variant accounts for more than 80 percent of newly diagnosed cases nationwide.

Beland is unsure why the new-case rate has increased. He said he keeps an especially close eye on the positivity rate “because that shows you how fast it is spreading.”

To him the best approach for keeping the positivity rate down is for more people to get vaccinated.

So far, 53.7 percent of New Hampshire residents have been vaccinated, with 58.4 percent having had at least one dose, according to the state.

Beland sees his main job as converting the non-vaccinated into the vaccinated.

The Winnipesaukee Public Health Partnership is reaching out to businesses in an effort to get more people vaccinated. While a series of advertisements in weekly newspapers elicited no responses, Beland said the partnership was able to gain some participation when it contacted businesses directly, including restaurants and hotels such as Hart’s, the Naswa, and the Margate.

“Every vaccine in someone’s arm moves the needle closer to that 70 percent that we need for herd immunity,” he said.

He said the partnership is looking to expand its annual seasonal flu shot clinics in area schools to include the COVID vaccine.

Currently anyone 12 years of age or older is eligible for the vaccine. The timing for when the vaccine will be available for younger students ​depends on the results of clinical trials. But based on the current pace of research, some say it may be possible to have a vaccine for children in grade school and preschool later this year.

“We are in preliminary discussions with school districts to see if they would be interested in having these pop-up clinics provide COVID vaccines to those students who are eligible,” he said.

Laconia Fire Chief Kirk Beattie, who is also the city’s emergency management director, said that he continues to monitor COVID statistics from the state. However, he said the department EMTs have not transported anyone to the hospital recently with COVID symptoms.

“If that were to happen, that would be a trigger point for us,” he said.

Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer said he is also keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

"We should all be very concerned about transmission rates. I certainly think that the community has done an awful lot to test, trace and to vaccinate. Clearly we’ve got some more work to do. It’s something we need to be very concerned about. We are in the midst of our travel and tourism season, and just a few weeks until kids get back to school."

Gilford School Superintendent Kirk Beitler said he too is concerned that the COVID statistics are “inching up.”

He said he expects the School Board will discuss possible approaches when it meets on Monday.

But the superintendent noted that the Gilford School District has been offering a variety of summer programs — both inside and outdoors — and there have been no positive cases reported to him, he said. Masks have been optional at all programs.

Both Beattie and Beland said they are mindful that many people are experiencing COVID fatigue and just want to see daily routines return to normal.

But Beland believes this is no time for people to let down their guard.

“We’re holding our breath as we start going back inside,” he said.