August 19, 2020

Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (8/19/20 edition)

U.S. Army

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See all of our COVID-19 coverage here.

  • The drop in cases continued on Tuesday; the state reported just 79 new cases, the fewest reported in a single-day since June 9. However, the state announced five additional deaths related to the disease. Read more details here.
  • The state hasn’t quite hit its targets on gating criteria because those targets are set using the date that specimens are collected, not the dates that they are reported—and the reports can lag by several days, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
  • One thing that marks distance learning more difficult in New Mexico is that nearly a quarter of K-12 students in the state don’t have internet access at home, the Albuquerque Journal reported after an interim legislative hearing Tuesday.
  • KRQE-TV reported on the challenges for distance learning for Albuquerque Public Schools students.
  • Navajo Nation health officials announced 17 new COVID-19 cases and four new deaths related to the disease on Tuesday.
  • As the level of new cases has dropped dramatically from its peak, Navajo Nation employees returned to work, with COVID-safe practices, the Navajo Times reported.
  • Public Education Department Secretary Ryan Stewart is touring school districts around the state, KOB-TV reported.
  • Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces will no longer have drive-thru testing in its parking lot, though other resting sites in Las Cruces remain, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
  • The Daily Lobo reported that 35 people “with ties to UNM’s main Albuquerque campus have tested positive for COVID-19.”
  • The University of New Mexico will have an online dashboard to let the public know about COVID-19 on the campus, KRQE-TV reported; this comes as the University of North Carolina and the University of Notre Dame moved to online courses after cases spiked when students headed back to campus.
  • New Mexico Highlands University is also planning on its fall semester, with most classes online, the Las Vegas Optic reported.
  • The San Juan County Commission may raise its gross receipts tax by one-eighth of one percent because of the economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Farmington Daily Times reported.
  • Chile roasting is a key part of the end of summer in New Mexico. At Saint Therese Little Flower Catholic Church, they have a drive-thru setup for those looking to get their annual supply of chile, KOB-TV reported.

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