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Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (7/9/20 edition)

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This morning recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free email every weekday. Sign up here. See all of our COVID-19 coverage here. The state of New Mexico reported 290 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and eight additional deaths related to the disease. While the largest number came out of Bernalillo County, counties in southern and eastern New Mexico also showed continued growth. See more details here.The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico again said the governor needs to do more to expand release of inmates from state prisons to lessen the impact of COVID-19.

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290 COVID-19 new cases NM, including 99 in Bernalillo County

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The number of new cases announced on Wednesday by state health officials was close to 300, as cases in the state continue to grow at a new high level of sustained growth. The state Department of Health announced 290 additional COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and eight additional deaths related to the disease. The new number of cases represented the seventh consecutive day of 200 or more cases. Before the start of the current streak on July 2, the state had recorded 200 or more cases on only nine individual days. Just over one-third, or 99, of the cases came from residents of Bernalillo County, which is the state’s most populous county.

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Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (7/8/20 edition)

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This morning recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free email every weekday. Sign up here. See all of our COVID-19 coverage here. New Mexico health officials announced 221 additional COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths as the state’s streak of days with more than 200 new confirmed cases reached six. See more details here.Universities in New Mexico responded to a new rule from ICE that would bar international students from getting visas to attend universities or colleges if they have online-only courses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See the story here.Col.

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State again finds 200+ new COVID-19 cases, Bernalillo County with most new cases

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The streak of days with more than 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reached six, as the New Mexico Department of Health announced 221 additional COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths related to the disease. The percentage of tests that came back positive on Tuesday was 4.42 percent. The positivity rate of tests has increased in recent weeks after reaching as low as 2.5 percent in the seven-day average in June, according to Johns Hopkins University. The state now has found 13,727 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and identified 519 deaths related to the disease. Once again, the county with the most newly confirmed cases among residents was Bernalillo County, the state’s most populous.

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Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (7/7/20 edition)

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This morning recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free email every weekday. Sign up here. See all of our COVID-19 coverage here. The streak of more than 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued on Monday, reaching five days. Plus, the percentage of positive tests is increasing. Read more here.The uptick in cases is not due to increased testing, the state Department of Health told KOB-TV.Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez sent a letter to San Juan County leaders last week calling for an investigation into how the county jail is run and what is being done to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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NM again reports 250+ COVID-19 cases, with new record-high in Doña Ana County

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The New Mexico Department of Health announced 253 additional cases of COVID-19, the fifth-straight day with over 200 cases and the third day out of four with more than 250 cases. Before Friday, the state had only recorded one day with more than 250 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19. Monday’s numbers reflected the largest one-day total of cases in Doña Ana County, with 85. Bernalillo County followed with 60. 

The previous highest number of cases from Doña Ana County, which includes the state’s second-most populous city, was 56 on July 4. 

In addition to the 253 confirmed cases, the state also announced two additional deaths. The percentage of total tests per positive tests on Monday was 4.88 percent.

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Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (7/6/20 edition)

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This morning recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free email every weekday. Sign up here. See all of our COVID-19 coverage here. Cases of COVID-19 continued to grow over the weekend, with 257 on Friday, 291 on Saturday and 203 on Sunday.The Albuquerque Journal reported that the state Office of the Medical Investigator is looking into the 2,300 unexpected deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, a 20 percent increase in those types of deaths.Among those is suicides, and New Mexico’s suicide rate is the highest in the country.KUNM-FM spoke with Santa Fe Reporter and New Mexico In Depth journalist Jeff Proctor about the outbreak among prisoners in Otero County.The mayor of Grants led an Independence Day parade on Saturday, despite the governor urging him not to, KOB-TV reported. Cibola County has the third-highest rate of COVID-19 per capita in the state.Critics say that the ban on visitors to group homes for developmentally disabled people is unfair, the Albuquerque Journal reported.Out-of-state visitors flocked to Elephant Butte this weekend, KRQE-TV reported.Alexis Johnson, the Republican candidate in the 3rd Congressional District, received a citation for not wearing a mask while on Santa Fe Plaza. The mayor of Clovis is urging people to wear masks, The Eastern New Mexico News reported.The state wants to buy more sewing machines so inmates, earning between 40 cents and $1.50 per hour, can make more masks, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.Department of Health Secretary Kathyleen Kunkel announced on Friday that she would retire, though the statement said she would remain in the position through the “current wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic.“Every single day of this public health crisis has been a physically and mentally exhausting ordeal – not just for the Department of Health, not just for the thousands of health care professionals putting their lives and livelihoods on the line to protect New Mexicans, but for all of us as the people of this state,” Kunkel said. “I am incredibly proud of the work done by the Department of Health and indeed the entire state of New Mexico in addressing this virus, in mitigating its spread and in doing everything we can to keep New Mexicans safe and healthy.

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Nearly 300 new cases of COVID-19 in NM, as state processes record number of tests

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On Saturday, the state Department of Health announced that 291 people tested positive for COVID-19, once again setting the standard for the second-most confirmed cases in a single day in New Mexico. The number came as the state reached a new single-day high in COVID-19 tests. Additionally, the state announced two additional deaths related to the disease. 

Of the tests that were part of Saturday’s announcement, the positivity rate was 3.26 percent, similar to those in recent days, but still up from the record lows earlier this month. 

As of Saturday, the state has now recorded 13,063 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 513 deaths related to the disease. Of the state’s confirmed cases, 1,446—or 11.1 percent—have come in the last seven days. Saturday’s numbers included 79 cases in Bernalillo County, 56 in Doña Ana County, 34 in McKinley County, 25 in Lea County, 21 in San Juan County, ten in Cibola County and 10 in Eddy County. 

Cases have dramatically spiked in Bernalillo County, as well as areas bordering Texas, which includes Doña Ana, Eddy and Lea counties.

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Bernalillo County reaches new record of COVID-19 cases; state hits second-highest daily number

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The New Mexico Department of Health announced nearly 250 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, including nearly 100 in Bernalillo County and more than 40 in Doña Ana County. The state also announced three additional deaths related to the disease. The news came a day after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state would not ease restrictions and said that those who do not wear masks would be subject to $100 fines. The state now has found 12,520 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and identified 503 deaths related to the disease. The 248 new cases was the second highest single-day number, following only June 5, when the state announced 331 confirmed cases, which included large increases in the Otero County Prison Facility.

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If COVID-19 situation doesn’t improve, NM may bring back restrictions

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Not only is the state not going to expand its reopening, but if the COVID-19 situation in the state does not improve, the state could be looking at reimposing restrictions like other states throughout the country, including two that neighbor New Mexico. That was the message during Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s weekly press conference on COVID-19 in the state. 

“If we do not stabilize, we will move backward,” she said. Related: NM hits 500 total COVID-19 deaths

She announced two big changes to a public health order, which will run through July 15: All travelers from other states will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days and those not wearing masks in public will be subject to fines. Lujan Grisham said she wished she didn’t have to enforce the mask mandate through fines, but that there was not enough adherence to the state’s mask requirement. Businesses will also have a responsibility, she said. 

“Businesses, you must require customers to wear face coverings,” Lujan Grisham said.