State health officials announced Friday 257 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths related to the disease heading into the Fourth of July weekend. The largest increases in new cases were in Bernalillo, Doña Ana and McKinley counties, three counties that have seen more new cases each day this week. Five of the eight new deaths were in McKinley County. The state also announced 11 new cases at the federal Torrance County Detention Facility. In all, five counties had double-digit rises in new cases.
Friday’s number of new cases represent the highest single-day increase since June 5, when the state saw a record 331 new cases reported. As families prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July on Saturday, state officials sent out an emergency alert to residents’ smartphones Friday afternoon warning that the risk of virus transmission and spread is “extremely high” and urging residents to stay at home and to wear masks if they go out.
The state has now recorded 12,776 cases of COVID-19 and 511 related deaths since the pandemic began.
The most recent COVID-19 deaths are:
- A female in her 90s from Doña Ana County who was a resident of the Jim Wood Home in Hatch.
- A male in his 40s from McKinley County who was hospitalized.
- A male in his 50s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
- A female in her 80s from McKinley County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup.
- A male in his 80s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
- A second male in his 80s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
- A male in his 50s in Otero County who was hospitalized and was being held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility.
- A male in his 50s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
The state did not provide the qualifying condition any of the deceased had, only if one was present.
As of Friday, there are 130 individuals hospitalized COVID-19, an increase of three since Thursday. The number of hospitalizations could include those who tested positive for COVID-19 in other locations and are now hospitalized in New Mexico, but would not include New Mexicans who are hospitalized for COVID-19 out-of-state.
There are now 5,802 COVID-19 cases designated as recovered by the state Department of Health (DOH), an increase of 175 since Thursday.
Testing details
According to the state’s coronavirus information page, the state had processed 363,374 tests, an increase of 6,737 since Thursday. The state’s positivity rate is now at 3.8 percent, a slight increase from Thursday, and still below the 5 percent threshold cited by the World Health Organization for countries doing extensive testing.
The state provided a county breakdown of new cases reported Friday:
- 55 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 5 new cases in Chaves County
- 7 new cases in Cibola County
- 4 new cases in Curry County
- 40 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 8 new cases in Eddy County
- 1 new case in Grant County
- 5 new cases in Lea County
- 1 new case in Lincoln County
- 11 new cases in Luna County
- 42 new cases in McKinley County
- 7 new cases in Otero County
- 1 new case in Rio Arriba County
- 6 new cases in Roosevelt County
- 12 new cases in Sandoval County
- 23 new cases in San Juan County
- 7 new cases in Santa Fe County
- 3 new cases in Taos County
- 4 new cases in Valencia County
- 3 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility
- 1 new case among individuals held by federal agencies at the Otero County Processing Center
- 11 new cases among individuals held by federal agencies at the Torrance County Detention Facility
The state also reported the total number of cases, including Friday’s new results. One previously reported case in San Juan County was identified as an out-of-state resident and removed from that county’s total.
The county totals, include the newly reported cases, are:
- Bernalillo County: 2,331
- Catron County: 2
- Chaves County: 105
- Cibola County: 221
- Colfax County: 10
- Curry County: 186
- Doña Ana County: 1,039
- Eddy County: 92
- Grant County: 21
- Guadalupe County: 20
- Harding County: 1
- Hidalgo County: 54
- Lea County: 147
- Lincoln County: 13
- Los Alamos County: 8
- Luna County: 93
- McKinley County: 3,450
- Otero County: 51
- Quay County: 6
- Rio Arriba County: 106
- Roosevelt County: 68
- Sandoval County: 753
- San Juan County: 2,494
- San Miguel County: 22
- Santa Fe County: 253
- Sierra County: 13
- Socorro County: 60
- Taos County: 46
- Torrance County: 43
- Union County: 8
- Valencia County: 136
County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.
DOH provided 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: 275
- Otero County Processing Center: 149
- Torrance County Detention Facility: 43
DOH also reported the 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: 6
- Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1
- Otero County Prison Facility: 447
- Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1
DOH said that they had identified at least one case in 24 acute care or long-term care facilities among either staff or residents in the last 28 days.
