255 new COVID-19 cases in NM including uptick in McKinley County

The state Department of Health announced Thursday 255 additional COVID-19 cases which includes a new uptick in cases in McKinley County.

McKinley County, which has grappled with one of the highest numbers of cases of COVID-19 in the state, had eight cases Wednesday and low double digit numbers Monday and Tuesday but the county had 35 additional cases Thursday. Only Bernalillo County, with 63 new cases, had a higher total, but Bernalillo County has a population that is nearly 10 times larger.

The newly confirmed cases represented 3.6 percent of the 7,026 tests processed since Wednesday. Human Services Department Secretary Dr. David Scrase said in a press conference Thursday that the state aimed to keep that number below 5 percent, while Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham hoped it could drop below 3 percent. The state has processed 551,637 tests total, according to the state’s coronavirus information website.

The state Department of Health reported three additional related deaths, bringing the mortality total to 635. Two of the deaths from McKinley County: a male in his 70s who was hospitalized and a female in her 70s. Both had underlying conditions, according to DOH. Also, a female in her 80s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions died.

Other counties that reported double digit numbers are: Doña Ana and San Juan both with 22; Chaves with 17; Lea and Santa Fe both with 15; Sandoval with 14 and Cibola with 12.

There are 156 who are hospitalized, a decrease of two from Tuesday, with 33 on ventilators. The total number of cases is 20,388. DOH has designated 8,015 COVID-19 cases as recovered, an increase of 198 over Tuesday.

Testing details

The new cases broken down by county are:

• 63 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 17 new cases in Chaves County
• 12 new cases in Cibola County
• 6 new cases in Curry County
• 22 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 3 new cases in Eddy County
• 1 new case in Grant County
• 15 new cases in Lea County
• 3 new cases in Lincoln County
• 1 new case in Los Alamos County
• 1 new case in Luna County
• 35 new cases in McKinley County
• 2 new cases in Otero County
• 7 new cases in Rio Arriba County
• 3 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 14 new cases in Sandoval County
• 22 new cases in San Juan County
• 1 new case in San Miguel County
• 15 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 2 new cases in Socorro County
• 2 new cases in Taos County
• 1 new case in Union County
• 4 new cases in Valencia County
• 2 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility
• 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility

DOH reports that three cases previously identified as duplicates (two in Bernalillo County and one in Curry County) have corrected. The total number of cases broken down by county are:

• Bernalillo County: 4,688
• Catron County: 4
• Chaves County: 317
• Cibola County: 318
• Colfax County: 13
• Curry County: 431
• Doña Ana County: 2,139
• Eddy County: 239
• Grant County: 66
• Guadalupe County: 31
• Harding County: 1
• Hidalgo County: 85
• Lea County: 596
• Lincoln County: 91
• Los Alamos County: 18
• Luna County: 220
• McKinley County: 3,977
• Mora County: 6
• Otero County: 178
• Quay County: 31
• Rio Arriba County: 292
• Roosevelt County: 134
• Sandoval County: 1,063
• San Juan County: 2,986
• San Miguel County: 41
• Santa Fe County: 550
• Sierra County: 28
• Socorro County: 73
• Taos County: 91
• Torrance County: 59
• Union County: 25
• Valencia County: 346

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

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 266
• Otero County Prison Facility: 278
• Otero County Processing Center: 159
• 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: 25
• Lea County Correctional Facility: 4
• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 1
• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1
• Otero County Prison Facility: 470
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1
• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 3

DOH also reported that they have found at least one positive case in at least 41 acute care or long-term care facilities in the last 28 days, a decrease of two cases.

The article was published at 255 new COVID-19 cases in NM including uptick in McKinley County.