New Hampshire has suffered its first COVID-19 casualty, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said  during a press conference held by Gov. Chris Sununu in Concord Monday afternoon.

Chan said 101 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus in New Hampshire as of Monday, an increase of 23 over Sunday’s number.

The majority of these cases are travel-related, international and domestic, but a growing number of cases are not, and appear to have been contracted in the state, Chan said. “The numbers will increase in the coming weeks.”

Chan also said a COVID-19 victim died over the weekend, the first New Hampshire death from the virus, which can lead to serious complications, hospitalization and death. The person was a Hillsborough Country man, who was over the age of 60 and who had numerous underlying medical conditions that led to complications.

Chan urged people who are over the age of 60 and or who have multiple other medical conditions to stay at home for the next month, with a month’s worth of needed medications and groceries.

“These individuals, in particular, need to stay at home and observe social distancing,” Chan said.

He said 2,400 residents have been tested for COVID-19 with a further 870 people whose test results are pending.

“We have certainly ramped up testing for COVID-19 in our state,” Chan said. “We will continue to release daily updates.”

He added everyone should avoid any domestic or international travel.

“The United States is now the third-highest country in terms of COVID-19. So it’s no longer international travel,” Chan said. “This is particularly important for people over 60 and people with chronic medical conditions.”

Sununu opened the press release saying he does not plan to proclaim a shelter-in-place order as other states have. He did ban gatherings of 10 people or more and urged people to continue to self-isolate, as many are already doing, he said, as well as practice social distancing.

In states like Connecticut for instance, he said, there is a shelter-in-place order, but people are still allowed to go outside for exercise and fresh air and go buy necessities, he said, which is what New Hampshire residents are already doing. “Here in New Hampshire, we value individual and community responsibility. And in these unprecedented times the people of New Hampshire truly have a great, great responsibility,” Sununu said. “We must be accountable to each other and it’s imperative that everybody stay safe. But people must make smart decisions and stay at home and keep using smart social distancing as much as possible. Many people are already doing this, but it is a message that we truly can not repeat enough. Of course, we’re not telling people they can’t go outside and enjoy the outdoors, go on walks and hikes, while practicing common sense social distancing. You can continue to do so but please practice smart decision making and don’t do anything that would put you or your neighbors at risk.”