December 28, 2020

DOH: 700 new COVID-19 cases, 36 additional deaths; hospitalizations increase again

The state Department of Health reported 700 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The department also reported 36 additional deaths related to the disease and another increase in hospitalizations. It was the third straight day that the state reported fewer than 1,000 new cases, though deaths continue to be at a higher level than any […]

Matthew Reichbach

The state Department of Health reported 700 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The department also reported 36 additional deaths related to the disease and another increase in hospitalizations.

It was the third straight day that the state reported fewer than 1,000 new cases, though deaths continue to be at a higher level than any time before December.

Bernalillo County had the most newly reported cases on Monday, with 230. Only one other county, San Juan County with 106, had 100 or more ases. The next-highest was 52 in Santa Fe County.

On Monday, the department reported 788 individuals were hospitalized for COVID-19, an increase of 30 people since Sunday. This could include those from other states who are hospitalized in New Mexico, but would not include New Mexicans who are hospitalized out of state.

DOH provided some information on each of the 36 newly reported deaths.

A female in her 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized.
A second female in her 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second female in her 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized.
A female in her 90s from Bernalillo County who was a resident of the Woodmark at Uptown facility in Albuquerque.
A male in his 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque.
A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions.
A female in her 80s from Chaves County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Mission Arch Center in Roswell.
A male in his 40s from Chaves County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 80s from Colfax County who was a resident of the Raton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raton.
A male in his 50s from Colfax County who was a resident of the Raton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raton.
A male in his 90s from Colfax County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Raton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raton.
A male in his 60s from Eddy County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A second male in his 60s from Eddy County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 70s from Eddy County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 70s from Lea County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 90s from Luna County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming.
A second male in his 90s from Luna County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming.
A female in her 30s 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 40s from Otero County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 50s from Otero County who was hospitalized.
A female in her 90s from Sandoval County who was a resident of the Retreat Gardens facility in Rio Rancho.
A male in his 70s from Sandoval County who was a resident of the Retreat Gardens facility in Rio Rancho.
A female in her 80s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 70s from San Miguel County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 90s from Santa Fe County who was a resident of the Sierra Vista Retirement Community in Santa Fe.
A male in his 50s from Santa Fe County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 70s from Torrance County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A female in her 70s from Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 40s from Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
A male in his 50s from Valencia County who was hospitalized.
A male in his 30s in Guadalupe County who had underlying conditions and was an inmate at the Guadalupe County Correctional Facility.

DOH also said that two previously reported deaths in Chaves County were reported twice; a woman in her 30s (reported the second time on Dec. 28) and a woman in her 70s who was a resident of Mission Arch Care Center (reported a second time on Dec. 27). These have been corrected and removed from the state’s totals.

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 hypertension, followed by diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the most recently available mortality update. Some of those who died had multiple comorbidities.

DOH has now found 138,659 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and reported 2,380 deaths related to the disease.

Of the confirmed cases, 61,899 were designated as recovered by the department as of Monday, an increase of 1,371 since Sunday.

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Rapid Response COVID-19 Watchlist had 93 establishments as of Monday, twelve fewer than were listed on Sunday. These workplaces had two or more COVID-19 rapid responses in the last 14 days.

Gating criteria

The number of cases on a seven-day rolling average continued to drop in the latest update, though the lag is significant over the holidays, reaching 1,149 as of Dec. 16 by date of collection. Some labs take longer to conduct and report cases.

The state conducted an average of 13,919 tests per day on a seven-day rolling average as of Dec. 27.

The test positivity rate remains well below the late November peak, at 11.6 percent on a seven-day rolling average as of Dec. 27, but is still more than twice as much as the state’s goal of 5 percent or below.

Testing details

The state coronavirus information page says the state has processed 1,939,081 tests as of Monday, 6,342 more than reported on Sunday.

DOH provided the number of newly reported cases on Monday, by county.

230 new cases in Bernalillo County
22 new cases in Chaves County
9 new cases in Cibola County
1 new case in Colfax County
8 new cases in Curry County
50 new cases in Doña Ana County
7 new cases in Eddy County
12 new cases in Grant County
45 new cases in Lea County
2 new cases in Lincoln County
3 new cases in Los Alamos County
6 new cases in Luna County
47 new cases in McKinley County
2 new cases in Mora County
8 new cases in Otero County
15 new cases in Rio Arriba County
6 new cases in Roosevelt County
46 new cases in Sandoval County
106 new cases in San Juan County
4 new cases in San Miguel County
52 new cases in Santa Fe County
1 new case in Sierra County
4 new cases in Socorro County
1 new case in Torrance County
13 new cases in Valencia County

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

Eight previously reported cases were identified by DOH as duplicates (three in Bernalillo County, one in Doña Ana County, one in Chaves County and one in Colfax County)and one previously reported case in Doña Ana County was not lab confirmed. These have been removed.