CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Dartmouth-Hitchcock is again putting strict limits on visitors to its hospitals and outpatient clinics in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Effective Friday, visitors will be banned under most circumstances. Limited exceptions will be made for pediatric patients, women giving birth, patients at the end of life and those in a few other circumstances.
The return to more restrictive policies applies to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon as well as the health system’s outpatient clinics and facilities. Officials said their decision was based on the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in both New Hampshire and Vermont.
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COURT RESTRICTIONS
The New Hampshire court system is suspending in-person hearings for a few days after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Courts have resumed limited in-person proceedings in recent months, but such hearings won’t be scheduled Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Dec. 28-31 and Jan. 4-7. Officials said the goal is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread from holiday gatherings.
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THE NUMBERS
More than 11,000 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began in New Hampshire. The state announced 209 new cases Friday. Two new deaths were announced, bringing the total to 488.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire has risen over the past two weeks from 81 new cases per day on Oct. 22 to 148 new cases per day on Nov. 5.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
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