By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square

The Small Business Administration approved New Hampshire’s application for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Businesses can apply for up to $2 million to help them recover from losses due to the COVID-19 emergency.

“We have been, and will continue to be, working closely with the federal government and other entities that can offer support to ensure that there are resources available for businesses impacted by the changes in the market as a result of the coronavirus,” said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

Forty-four New Hampshire residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan, an increase of five. So far 1,400 tests have been administered and 800 are pending.

While the state hasn’t released any information on who has recovered, Chan said most people diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have only required home isolation and two have required hospitalization and are in stable condition. Two are being released from home isolation because their symptoms have resolved.

“We don’t believe based on those numbers that this is a virus that has been circulating in our community for example, for weeks,” Chan said. “If that was the case we would be seeing much higher numbers with testing, knowing how easily this is spread person to person in our community.”

It’s also difficult to determine how many people will test positive in the future, but social distancing and other measures are helping “flatten the curve,” Chan said.

The testing limitations are not due to a shortage of tests but a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), Chan said.

“Many health care systems are running short of the normal supplies of PPE that they have,” Chan said. “There are special nose swabs that are required to collect the specimen. We are hearing [about] national shortages of those.”