NM Expects November COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out

New Mexico officials today previewed plans for a vaccine roll-out in the state as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified all 50 states to plan on administering as-yet-unknown vaccines to healthcare workers as early as this fall.

In a news briefing today, New Mexico Human Services Secretary David Scrase said the health department expects a vaccine will be available here for healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities in November, with free vaccines available to the public starting in January. The state has assembled a 60-person vaccine committee, he said, reviewing all aspects of a vaccine plan. Although it is not yet known which vaccines will be used, the CDC says they will either be licensed as vaccines or available under emergency use authorization by the Federal Drug Administration.

Scrase said he did not anticipate any challenges with supplies or distribution for the vaccine, provided people get their flu shots now "so our distribution system can handle COVID."

Scrase also noted a common question he hears regarding potential COVID-19 treatments and reviewed a chart describing what types of treatments are appropriate for specific illnesses.

Scrase's presentation coincides with the state Medical Advisory Team's guidance this week that it no longer recommends chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19. The state continues to have success with Remdesivir, Scrase said.

Children, Youth and Families Department Secretary Brian Blalock also reviewed data related to abuse reports along with food and housing stats, as well as and available behavioral health resources.

"There is a growing consensus and concern about a behavioral health care crisis that will be following closely on the heels of this pandemic," Blalock said, "both because of isolation and because of economic hardship and just because of the sheer cost of this pandemic through death and health crisis."

Overall, New Mexico heads toward Labor Day weekend meeting all eight of its gating criteria for state reopening.

Today, New Mexico health officials reported 154 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 25,612.

Doña Ana County led with the most new cases: 33, followed by Bernalillo and Chaves counties, each with 24 new cases and Lea County with 19. Santa Fe County had five new cases today.

The state also announced three more deaths in Bernalillo, Doña Ana and San Juan counties; there have now been 790 total fatalities.

As of today, 71 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.*

New cases

• 24 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 3 new cases in Catron County
• 24 new cases in Chaves County
• 1 new case in Colfax County
• 5 new cases in Curry County
• 33 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 13 new cases in Eddy County
• 1 new case in Grant County
• 19 new cases in Lea County
• 10 new cases in McKinley County
• 2 new cases in Otero County
• 1 new case in Rio Arriba County
• 3 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 1 new case in Sandoval County
• 5 new cases in San Juan County
• 1 new case in San Miguel County
• 5 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 1 new case in Socorro County
• 1 new case in Taos County
• 1 new case in Valencia County

New fatalities

• A female in her 80s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
• A male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 100s from San Juan County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of BeeHive Homes of Farmington

Congregate facilities

The Department of Health has identified at least one positive COVID-19 case in residents and/or staff in the past 28 days at the following facilities:

• Adobe Assisted Living in Las Cruces
• Advantage Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• Artesia Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Artesia
• Atria Vista del Rio in Albuquerque
• Avamere at Roswell in Roswell
• Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• BeeHive Homes of Hobbs
• Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Bloomfield
• Brookdale Santa Fe
• Camino Healthcare in Albuquerque
• Casa del Sol Center in Las Cruces
• Casa de Paz Senior Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
• Casa Real in Santa Fe
• Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hobbs
• Good Samaritan Society Grants
• Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces
• Good Samaritan Society – Manzano del Sol Village in Albuquerque
• Good Samaritan Society Socorro
• Harmony Residential Care in Rio Rancho
• Heartfelt Manor in Roswell
• Heritage Assisted Living in Las Cruces
• Ladera Center in Albuquerque
• Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
• Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
• Life Care Center of Farmington
• LifeSpire Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Lovington Healthcare in Lovington
• McKinley Care Center in Gallup
• Mescalero Care Center in Mescalero
• Mission Arch Center in Roswell
• The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho
• New Mexico State Veterans’ Home in Truth or Consequences
• North Ridge Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Albuquerque
• Pacifica Senior Living in Santa Fe
• Palmilla Senior Living in Albuquerque
• Princeton Place in Albuquerque
• Ravenna Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• The Rehab Center of Albuquerque in Albuquerque
• Retirement Ranches in Clovis
• The Rio at Las Estancias in Albuquerque
• Rio Rancho Center in Rio Rancho
• Saint Anthony Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
• Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces
• Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
• San Juan Center in Farmington
• Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Los Alamos
• Spanish Trails Rehabilitation Suites in Albuquerque
• Tender Heart Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Welbrook Senior Living Las Cruces
• West Ridge Village in Albuquerque
• Wheatfields Senior Living in Clovis

Statewide cases

According to a state news release, previously reported numbers included one case in Chaves County that has been identified as a duplicate and one case in Bernalillo County that was identified as an out-of-state resident. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

• Bernalillo County: 5,861
• Catron County: 8
• Chaves County: 754
• Cibola County: 398
• Colfax County: 20
• Curry County: 680
• Doña Ana County: 2,892
• Eddy County: 513
• Grant County: 84
• Guadalupe County: 32
• Harding County: 2
• Hidalgo County: 98
• Lea County: 1,151
• Lincoln County: 171
• Los Alamos County: 27
• Luna County: 316
• McKinley County: 4,223
• Mora County: 6
• Otero County: 224
• Quay County: 62
• Rio Arriba County: 359
• Roosevelt County: 204
• Sandoval County: 1,255
• San Juan County: 3,199
• San Miguel County: 83
• Santa Fe County: 828
• Sierra County: 38
• Socorro County: 78
• Taos County: 116
• Torrance County: 63
• Union County: 31
• Valencia County: 515

Cases among people being held by federal agencies

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 324
• Otero County Prison Facility: 281
• Otero County Processing Center: 159
• Torrance County Detention Facility: 44

Cases among people being held by the New Mexico Department of Corrections

• Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 29
• 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: 473
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1
• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 4

*Per the health department, hospitalization figures include people who were tested elsewhere but are hospitalized in New Mexico, but don't include people who were tested here but are hospitalized out of state.