UNITY — A fifth resident of the Sullivan County nursing home has died after testing positive for COVID-19 during an ongoing outbreak at the facility, according to the administrator.
A total of 128 people have tested positive during the outbreak at the Unity nursing home, including 82 residents and 46 workers, 30 of whom have recovered and returned to work, facility administrator Ted Purdy said in a Thursday email.
Nearby, an outbreak at the Sullivan County Department of Corrections included a total of 45 cases, including 33 inmates and 12 employees as of Thursday, County Manager Derek Ferland said in an email. Six employees and six inmates have recovered.
Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire state’s epidemiologist, announced nine new COVID-19 deaths statewide, including six related to long-term care facilities during a Thursday news conference. Chan said the state had recorded a total of 63 such deaths in the past week, an average of nine deaths per day.
New Hampshire has had a total of 1,085 such deaths during the pandemic, including 16 in Sullivan County and 14 in Grafton County.
Vermont, which has a population less than half that of New Hampshire, has had a total of 181 deaths, including seven deaths in Windsor County and two in Orange County.
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Three employees at Southern State Correctional Facility are among the nine new COVID-19 cases reported by the Vermont Department of Corrections on Thursday.
Four people incarcerated at Northwest State Correctional Facility, and one employee each at Northeast Correctional Complex and at St. Albans Probation and Parole, have tested positive, according to a news release.
In total, there are 14 positive employees and seven positive incarcerated people in Vermont’s correctional facilities.
Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield is on full lockdown in response to cases there, as are Northwest State Correctional Facility, Northeast Correctional Complex and Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility.
Vermont is the only state in the country without any COVID-19-related deaths among corrections workers or inmates, the release said.
LEBANON — The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center and the Bradford (Vt.) Public Library are offering support for people struggling to register for COVID-19 vaccines, including those 75 and older in Vermont and 65 and older and younger people with medical conditions in New Hampshire.
In a Thursday email, the Aging Resource Center advised people struggling to register for vaccination to email Tina Moses at Kristina.Moses@hitchcock.org with a phone number and good times to talk.
The Bradford Public Library also is offering support for Vermonters 75 and older who need support with the online COVID-19 vaccine appointment registration. Those in need of such support can call the library at 802-222-4536 or email request@bradfordvtlibrary.org.
Information about registering for COVID-19 vaccines for Granite Staters is online at vaccines.nh.gov and by phone at 211. Vermonters who qualify can register online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine or by calling 855-722-7878.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Tri-Valley Transit is providing transportation to COVID-19 vaccine appointments for people living in Orange County and northern Windsor County.
The organization, which has an office in Randolph, will be prioritizing these appointments but encourages people to call as soon as they can to schedule rides since capacity is limited. They can be reached at 802-728-3773.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
