Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (5/12/20 edition)

This daily recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free daily email. Sign up here. See all of our COVID-19 coverage here. The state of New Mexico now has found over 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. Monday’s announcement included an additional 207 positive tests and eight additional COVID-19-related deaths. […]

Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (5/12/20 edition)

This daily recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free daily email. Sign up here.

See all of our COVID-19 coverage here.

  • The state of New Mexico now has found over 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. Monday’s announcement included an additional 207 positive tests and eight additional COVID-19-related deaths. See more details here.
    • The Las Cruces Sun-News noted 24 more cases in Dona Ana County, the day after 21 cases were announced, the two highest single-day amounts in the county; most are in zip codes that border Texas.
    • The Farmington Daily Times noted that San Juan County crossed 1,000 cases , just the third county to do so; San Juan County now has the second-highest amount of confirmed cases, only behind McKinley County.
  • The Navajo Nation reported 82 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation and two additional deaths related to the disease. Tests have now found 3,204 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and reported 102 total deaths as of Monday
    • The total number of cases in New Mexico for the Navajo Nation is now 1,330.
  • The Santa Fe New Mexican looked at what’s next for Gallup after a ten-day lockdown; first up, the city council consider an ordinance to require facial coverings for everyone in public.
  • The Navajo Times covered the dispute between the executive and legislative branches of the Navajo Nation government on the $600 million in funding from a federal COVID-19 relief bill for the Nation.
  • While CNN examined how many states are falling short when it comes to testing this weekend, they found that New Mexico remains near the front of the pack when it comes to testing per capita.
  • All workers in New Mexico are now eligible for COVID-19 testing, whether or not they are showing symptoms, the state Department of Health announced Monday. Drive-up testing will be available at Lovelace Hospital in downtown Albuquerque from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
  • Eight people with confirmed COVID-19 cases are housed at the Santa Fe midtown campus, The New Mexican reported.
  • The Albuquerque Journal wrote about how tourism has stopped in New Mexico (and many other places).
  • Campaigns are still spending money as primaries are just a few weeks away, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
  • Hospitals in New Mexico will receive another $66 million from an increase in the Medicaid rate during the pandemic, the state Human Services Department announced on Monday. The rates will increase 12.4 percent to 50 percent, and is aimed at preparing the hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
    “The significant increase in ICU payments reflects the level of concern that the Human Services Department has for our state’s most scarce resource during the pandemic,” noted Secretary Scrase.  “As part of the Medical Advisory Team’s crisis planning, hospital ICU capacity across the state will double.  This will dramatically increase hospital costs in many categories, including medical and nursing staff, ventilators and other critical care devices, and personal protective equipment.
  • Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces will resume some elective surgeries and physician visits. A state public health order banned most elective surgeries in an attempt to preserve stockpiles of personal protective equipment for areas dealing with COVID-19.
  • The City of Albuquerque is preparing for some sort of summer programs for children, the mayor and officials announced on Monday.
  • The Albuquerque Journal wrote about a woman who helped spearhead a movement to get 3D-printed masks to the Navajo Nation.
  • Sandia National Labs raised $245,00 for tribes and pueblos, the federal facility announced.
  • Four F-16s from Holloman Air Force Base will fly over cities in southern New Mexico to honor those battling COVID-19, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. Similar flyovers have happened in other parts of the country. 
  • The Santa Fe Opera canceled its 2020 season, it announced on Monday.
  • The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival also canceled its 2020 event.

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