November 17, 2020

2,112 new COVID-19 cases, 28 new deaths, both single-day records as hospitalizations continue to grow in NM

New Mexico health officials reported more new cases of COVID-19 and more deaths related to the disease in a single day than ever before. The 2,112 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day were the first time the state reported more than 2,000 cases in a single day—the previous record was 1,746 cases reported […]

Matthew Reichbach

New Mexico health officials reported more new cases of COVID-19 and more deaths related to the disease in a single day than ever before.

The 2,112 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day were the first time the state reported more than 2,000 cases in a single day—the previous record was 1,746 cases reported on Nov. 12. The report of 28 new deaths was five more than 23, the previous single-day high, from Nov. 5.

The large increase in cases largely included single-day highs in Bernalillo County (615), Doña Ana County (338), Santa Fe County (141) and Sandoval County (117).

The other counties with 50 or more newly reported cases were: Chaves County (109), Lea County (97), Valencia County (87), Eddy County (73) and Cibola County (58).

The single-day totals in Lea and Valencia were also single-day highs for those counties.

DOH also identified 13 cases among those held at facilities in New Mexico by federal agencies and 27 cases among inmates held by the state Department of Corrections.

DOH said that 754 people were hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19, an increase of 16 since Monday’s report.

DOH updated its methodology for COVID-19 hospitalizations and, beginning on Monday, uses data directly from hospitals instead of information from contact tracing. DOH said contact tracing has become more difficult and less reliable as the number of cases has surged, which caused the number of reported hospitalizations to be lower than reality.

Nearly all of those hospitalized are New Mexico residents, according to the latest hospitalization update from DOH.

DOH provided some information on each of the 28 newly reported deaths.

A male in his 10s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A third male in his 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized.
A second male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 90s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. The individual was a resident of Stardust Assisted Living in Albuquerque.
A male in his 90s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 30s from Chaves County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s from Chaves County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. The individual was a resident of Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell.
A male in his 80s from Curry County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 50s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized.
A female in her 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 70s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 70s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized.
A female in her 60s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 80s from Santa Fe County who was hospitalized.
A female in her 50s from Socorro County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 50s from Socorro County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 50s from Socorro County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 70s from Socorro County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 60s from Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 60s from Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 60s from Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s in Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. The individual was a New Mexico Corrections Department inmate at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County.

DOH does not disclose which underlying condition any of the deceased had, only if one was present before death.

The most common underlying condition for those who died with COVID-19 was cardiovascular disease, followed by diabetes and hypertension, according to the state’s latest mortality update. Some of those who died had multiple comorbidities.

DOH has now identified 67,559 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and reported 1,264 deaths related to the disease.

Of those confirmed cases, DOH said 26,338 were designated as recovered as of Tuesday.

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Rapid Response COVID-19 Watchlist reached 250 establishments as of Tuesday. This includes workplaces with two or more rapid responses for positive COVID-19 tests in the workplace in the previous 14 days.

Of those, 12 had four or more cases in the previous 14 days, which required a two-week closure.

Testing details

The state coronavirus page said the state has processed 1,398,339 tests as of Tuesday, an increase of 12,218 since Monday. The number of positive cases reported on Tuesday represent 17.29 percent of tests reported.

DOH also reported the newly reported cases by county.

615 new cases in Bernalillo County
2 new cases in Catron County
109 new cases in Chaves County
58 new cases in Cibola County
9 new cases in Colfax County
70 new cases in Curry County
1 new case in De Baca County
338 new cases in Doña Ana County
73 new cases in Eddy County
25 new cases in Grant County
3 new cases in Guadalupe County
97 new cases in Lea County
19 new cases in Lincoln County
6 new cases in Los Alamos County
37 new cases in Luna County
35 new cases in McKinley County
2 new cases in Mora County
42 new cases in Otero County
3 new cases in Quay County
49 new cases in Rio Arriba County
19 new cases in Roosevelt County
117 new cases in Sandoval County
40 new cases in San Juan County
3 new cases in San Miguel County
141 new cases in Santa Fe County
2 new cases in Sierra County
30 new cases in Socorro County
32 new cases in Taos County
14 new cases in Torrance County
3 new cases in Union County
87 new cases in Valencia County
1 new case among individuals being held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility
3 new cases among individuals being held by federal agencies at the Cibola County Correctional Center
10 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County
8 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility
1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County
1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility
4 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County
3 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County

DOH also identified the total number of cases by county, including those reported on Tuesday.

Six previously reported cases were identified as duplicates (two in Doña Ana County and one in each of Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola and Lea counties) and one previously reported case in Doña Ana County was identified as an out-of-state resident.

All of these have been corrected and removed from the totals.