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THERE IS A GLIMMER OF GOOD NEWS HERE. THE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE REMAINS AT FIVE AT THIS HOUR. GOV. SUNUNU: THE TEAM HAS BEEN LITERALLY GOING 24/7 OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS, AND WE CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH. AMY: STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST DR. BEN CHAN SAYS THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAB IS WORKING TO RAPIDLY INCREASE THE TESTING CAPACITY FOR COVID-19. SO IF YOU WANT TO BE TESTED NOW, CAN YOU? DR. CHAN: THERE ARE OTHER ROUTES ASIDE FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY THAT CAN DO THE TESTING. IT REQUIRES A PROVIDER ASSESSMENT AND ORDER FOR TESTING. AMY: THE RISK IN NEW HAMPSHIRE RIGHT NOW REMAINS LOW, BUT MORE CASES ARE LIKELY. A STRONG MESSAGE FROM HEALTH OFFICIALS ABOUT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. PEOPLE OVER 60 OR ANYONE WITH CURRENT HEALTH CONCERNS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM LARGE GROUP GATHERINGS, BUT OFFICIALS ALSO URGED THAT LIFE SHOULD GO ON MS. DALY: IN TERMS OF CANCELING EVENTS, CDC JUST CAME OUT WITH NEW GUIDELINES. IT IS A PHASED APPROACH BASED ON THE LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION, COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION THAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA. AMY: RIGHT NOW, NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS NO CASES OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION. OVER 200 PEOPLE ARE UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH MONITORING, INSTRUCTED TO SELF-QUARANTINE AT HOME. MS. DALY: WE CALL THEM, AND WE ASSESS THEM FOR SYMPTOMS AND CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE STILL ABIDING BY OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO STAY-AT-HOME. AMY: AND BETH DALY CONFIRMED THIS AFTERNOON THAT TWO OF THE 200 PEOPLE BEING MONITORED HAVE VIOLATED QUARANTINES TO

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New Hampshire officials are not recommending postponing or canceling public events as health workers ramp up testing for COVID-19.>> Download the FREE WMUR appIn a news conference Wednesday, health officials said five people in New Hampshire have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Two were people who had an identified travel risk for contracting the virus, and the other three had direct contact with someone who had COVID-19.>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: What you need to knowA person who works for a company in Bedford has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a memo sent to affected workers by the Farley White Management Company, which operates a group of offices. The company said the person is self-quarantining and was last at the office park on March 6. It’s not known if the patient is one of the five Granite Staters who tested positive for COVID-19 or if the person is from another state.Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state epidemiologist, said the state is working to rapidly increase its testing capacity. Ninety people have submitted samples for testing, and 74 tests have come back negative, with 11 still pending."The entire team with public health and HHS has literally been going 24/7 on this for the past two or three weeks, and we can't thank them enough," Gov. Chris Sununu said.Chan said there's no evidence of broader community transmission of the virus in New Hampshire."We want people to feel empowered to make decisions to protect their own health," Chan said. "We certainly do not want people to live in fear or panic or anxiety. So, we want to provide accurate and up-to-date information on a routine basis and make sure that people feel free to go about their daily activities and attend school and other important activities and not be in fear of their health."People with symptoms who are concerned about COVID-19 can talk to their doctors."There are other routes aside from the Public Health Laboratory that can do the testing," Chan said. "It requires a provider assessment and order for testing."Sununu said the state is not recommending that any public events be canceled or postponed at this time. Friday's Battle of the Badges hockey game to benefit Children's Hospital at Dartmouth will go on as scheduled, but it will be played without spectators."In terms of canceling events, the CDC just came out with new guidelines," said Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control. "It's a phased approach based on the level of community transmission that's in your area."Chan said most people with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms. Populations at higher risk of severe symptoms include people older than 65 and people with medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease or chronic lung disease.He said people should monitor travel advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who return to the state after traveling international should talk to their doctors to find out if they need to self-quarantine. Chan also advised discussing future travel plans with a doctor.The World Health Organization declared Wednesday that COVID-19 was a pandemic, with sustained outbreaks in multiple regions of the world. The head of the agency said he is deeply concerned about the spread and severity of the virus, as well as what he called "alarming levels of inaction."Tips for avoiding COVID-19 include frequent hand-washing and staying home if you're heeling sick. More than 200 people are under public health monitoring and instructed to self-quarantine at home."We call them and we assess them for symptoms and confirm they are still abiding by our instructions to stay at home," Daley said.Daly said that two of the people in quarantine or isolation have violated the order and were served with legal orders backed by law enforcement to stay home.Latest New Hampshire data:-- Number of positive COVID-19 tests: 5 (CDC has confirmed 2 of them)-- Number of pending COVID-19 tests: 11-- Number of negative COVID-19 tests: 74-- Number of people tested since mid-January: 90-- Number of people being monitored: 254 (approximate number)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