May 18, 2020

State now at more than 6,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 270 deaths

The state has now confirmed over 6,000 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. This came after the state announced 165 new confirmed cases of the disease among New Mexico residents and five additional deaths related to the disease. The Department of Health announced Monday it has now confirmed 6,096 cases of COVID-19 […]

Matthew Reichbach

The state has now confirmed over 6,000 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

This came after the state announced 165 new confirmed cases of the disease among New Mexico residents and five additional deaths related to the disease.

The Department of Health announced Monday it has now confirmed 6,096 cases of COVID-19 and 270 people have died COVID-19-related deaths.

Of those, 67 were in McKinley County, which continues to have one of the highest concentrations of positive cases in the country. The state also announced that nearly two dozen inmates held by the state Department of Corrections at the Otero County Prison Facility have now tested positive. This is in addition to those held by the federal agencies who have tested positive at the same facility.

Two of the five additional deaths were from residents in McKinley County. The state provides some details on each COVID-19-related death among residents.

A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions and was a resident of the La Vida Llena facility in Albuquerque.
A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions.
A male in his 60s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s from McKinley County.
A female in her 30s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

The stated said that there are now 213 individuals hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19, an increase of two over Sunday’s announcement. This number could include residents of other states who tested positive for COVID-19, but would not include those who tested positive in New Mexico and are now hospitalized in other states.

The state said that 1,796 of those who tested positive are now considered recovered, an increase of 41 from Sunday’s announcement.

Test details

The state has now announced results of 137,620 tests, an increase of 4,367 over Sunday’s announcement. The tests are processed by the state labs and other partners.

The majority of cases continue to come from McKinley and San Juan counties; the two combined for 101 of the 165 additional positive cases.

The state also found an additional 24 cases among inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility; 21 from those held by the New Mexico Corrections Department and three among those held by federal agencies.

The state provides a breakdown of cases by county, breaking out cases by those held by federal agencies in detention centers and prisons.

10 new cases in Bernalillo County
1 new case in Chaves County
1 new case in Cibola County
15 new cases in Doña Ana County
1 new case in Hidalgo County
2 new cases in Lea County
67 new cases in McKinley County
2 new cases in Rio Arriba County
1 new case in Roosevelt County
2 new cases in Sandoval County
34 new cases in San Juan County
2 new cases in Santa Fe County
1 new case in Taos County
2 new cases in Valencia County
3 new cases among individuals held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility
21 new cases among individuals held by the New Mexico Corrections Department at the Otero County Prison Facility

The state also provides a breakdown of total cases by county and in federal detention facilities.

The state said that four cases previously reported in results were later found to be residents of other states—one previously reported as from Bernalillo County, one from McKinley County and two from San Juan County. The state also said one each in Bernalillo and San Juan counties was determined to be duplicates, while one case in Santa Fe County was determined to be a false positive.

DOH corrected these errors in the Monday announcement.

Bernalillo County: 1,218
Catron County: 2
Chaves County: 31
Cibola County: 103
Colfax County: 5
Curry County: 41
Doña Ana County: 309
Eddy County: 17
Grant County: 16
Guadalupe County: 19
Harding County: 1
Hidalgo County: 1
Lea County: 18
Lincoln County: 3
Los Alamos County: 6
Luna County: 8
McKinley County: 1,953
Otero County: 8
Quay County: 5
Rio Arriba County: 33
Roosevelt County: 27
Sandoval County: 495
San Juan County: 1,376
San Miguel County: 10
Santa Fe County: 124
Sierra County: 1
Socorro County: 49
Taos County: 23
Torrance County: 18
Union County: 3
Valencia County: 68

And among those held by federal agencies:

Cibola County Correctional Center: 2
Otero County Prison Facility: 38
Otero County Processing Center: 43
Torrance County Detention Facility: 1

Additionally, the 21 of those held at the Otero County Prison Facility by the state Corrections Department have tested positive for the disease.

Under the current state public health order, all residents must wear cloth masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The state said medical-grade masks should be saved for first responders and medical personnel. Many non-essential businesses can now operate at 25 percent capacity or with curbside service, though restaurants may not serve dine-in customers.

The state will allow any worker to get tested for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms.

The state advises individuals who are experiencing symptoms of a COVID-19 infection—fever, cough, or shortness of breath—to call their health care provider or the NMDOH COVID-19 hotline immediately (1-855-600-3453). Those with non-health-related questions or concerns can also call 833-551-0518 or visit https://newmexico.gov.