July 21, 2020

NM reports over new 300 cases of COVID-19, ten additional deaths

A microbiologist in Pennsylvania conducted a test for COVID-19 in March, 2020. Flickr/cc

The New Mexico Department of Health announced on Tuesday 307 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 and ten additional deaths.

It was the fourth day New Mexico has reported 300 or more confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the third of which came in the last week. 

While Bernalillo County had the most cases in the state, growth also continued in Doña Ana County (49 new cases), Rio Arriba County (47 new cases) and Lea County (32 new cases). Curry County and Chaves County also were among the nine counties with double-digit numbers of new cases announced Tuesday.

The 307 positive tests were 6.1 percent of the 5,034 tests announced processed on Monday.

With the new cases, the state now has 17,517 total confirmed cases and 588 deaths related to COVID-19.

Among the newly reported deaths, four came from residents of McKinley County, the county which has had the highest number of cases per capita so far. The other six deaths each were in different counties.

  • A female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A female in her 90s from Cibola County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A female in her 60s from Grant County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A male in his 70s from Lea County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A female in her 50s from Lincoln County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A female in her 40s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A male in his 60s from McKinley County who was hospitalized.
  • A male in his 70s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A female in her 90s 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.

DOH did not disclose which underlying condition the deceased had, only if one was present.

The number of those hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19 remained at 154, identical to Monday’s announcement. The number could include out-of-state residents who are now hospitalized in New Mexico, but would not include New Mexicans who are hospitalized for COVID-19 out-of-state.

DOH said that 6,870 of those who had confirmed cases of COVID-19 are now designated as recovered, an increase of 56 over Monday’s announcement.

Test details

The DOH coronavirus information website said that, as of Tuesday, the state has processed 481,531 tests, an increase of 5,034 tests over Monday’s announcement.

The 47 new COVID-19 cases in Rio Arriba County were the most in a single day. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Monday that cases of the disease are rising in the zip code of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. According to the paper, as of Monday, 121 cases were in that zip code; as of Tuesday, the number increased by 46 to 167, representing all but one of the newly reported cases in Rio Arriba County.

The 32 new cases in Lea County represented the second-highest one-day number, following only Sunday’s total of 35.

Luna County had its fourth day of 10 or more cases Monday, when the DOH reported 10 cases.

Here are the full totals of newly reported cases, by county.

  • 60 new cases in Bernalillo County
  • 11 new cases in Chaves County
  • 4 new cases in Cibola County
  • 11 new cases in Curry County
  • 49 new cases in Doña Ana County
  • 9 new cases in Eddy County
  • 2 new cases in Grant County
  • 2 new cases in Guadalupe County
  • 2 new cases in Hidalgo County
  • 32 new case in Lea County
  • 3 new cases in Lincoln County
  • 2 new cases in Los Alamos County
  • 10 new cases in Luna County
  • 16 new cases in McKinley County
  • 7 new cases in Otero County
  • 2 new cases in Quay County
  • 47 new cases in Rio Arriba County
  • 9 new cases in Sandoval County
  • 19 new cases in San Juan County
  • 6 new cases in Santa Fe County
  • 4 new cases in Valencia County

DOH also announced the number of total confirmed cases by county, including Tuesday’s totals. 

The department said that four previously reported cases (two in Santa Fe County, one in each of Bernalillo and Rio Arriba counties) were identified as duplicates and one previously reported case in Santa Fe County was identified as an out-of-state resident. These have been removed from the totals.

  • Bernalillo County: 3,920
  • Catron County: 4
  • Chaves County: 223
  • Cibola County: 271
  • Colfax County: 11
  • Curry County: 327
  • Doña Ana County: 1,786
  • Eddy County: 196
  • Grant County: 55
  • Guadalupe County: 26
  • Harding County: 1
  • Hidalgo County: 80
  • Lea County: 411
  • Lincoln County: 41
  • Los Alamos County: 16
  • Luna County: 165
  • McKinley County: 3,783
  • Mora County: 3
  • Otero County: 113
  • Quay County: 26
  • Rio Arriba County: 251
  • Roosevelt County: 92
  • Sandoval County: 942
  • San Juan County: 2,861
  • San Miguel County: 34
  • Santa Fe County: 436
  • Sierra County: 21
  • Socorro County: 67
  • Taos County: 71
  • Torrance County: 51
  • Union County: 14
  • Valencia County: 264

DOH reported the following numbers of COVID-19 cases among individuals held by federal agencies at the following facilities:

  • Cibola County Correctional Center: 2
  • Otero County Prison Facility: 276
  • Otero County Processing Center: 149
  • Torrance County Detention Facility: 43

DOH reported the following numbers of COVID-19 cases among individuals held by the New Mexico Corrections Department at the following facilities:

  • Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 22
  • Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1
  • Otero County Prison Facility: 461
  • Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1

DOH said they have found at least one case in 41 long-term care and care facilities in the last 28 days, an increase of one over Monday’s announcement.

Author