'If you're out in public, CDC now recommends you wear a cloth mask

A new structure sits outside Frisbie Memorial Hospital emergency room. Hospital officials were not immediately available to discuss its use. (Rochester Voice photo)

CONCORD - State DHHS officials today announced that everyone should be wearing a cloth face mask when out in public.

The sentiment was echoed by Presidential COVID-19 Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci on a Sunday morning talk show. Fauchi told "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan that he always wears a mask when he's in an environment in which he has no control over social distancing like a grocery store.

The government is urging the use of the cloth masks as surgical masks and N95 respirators are in short supply and should be reserved for healthcare workers or other medical first responders, as recommended by CDC guidance.

Meanwhile, the state health officials announced two more COVID-19 deaths on Saturday along with 81 new positive test results, the largest New Hampshire increase for the disease thus far. The state total is 621.

Several of the new cases are still under investigation, and future updates will include additional information from those case investigations, health officials confirmed.

Of those with complete information, all are adults with 55 percent being female and 46 percent being male. The new cases reside in Rockingham (26), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (6), Merrimack (4), Strafford (4), Belknap (3), Grafton (3), Cheshire (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (23) and Nashua (7).

Six new COVID-19-related hospitalizations were reported; thus far, 86 (13%) of the 621 positive cases have been hospitalized. Twenty-two of the new cases have no identified risk factors, meaning community-based transmission continues to increase in the state and has been identified in all counties with cases.

The two new fatalities include two male residents of Hillsborough County who were over 60 years old. The report does not indicate they had underlying health conditions.

Locally, the number of cases confirmed in Dover is 10-19, while Rochester, Farmington, Milton and Somersworth are at 1-4 cases apiece. Barrington is listed as having 5-9. The total of tested positive cases in Strafford County is now 43.

Other NH coronavirus numbers

NH Persons with COVID-19 621

Recovered 146 (27%)

Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 9 (1%)

Total Current COVID-19 Cases 466

Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19 86 (13%)

Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) 2,000