NM Health Officials Report 316 New COVID-19 Cases

New Mexico health officials today reported 316 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 30,947.

Cases in Bernalillo County surged with 138 new ones today (the county had 51 new cases yesterday). The second highest number was in Doña Ana County, which had 37, followed by Eddy County with 23. Santa Fe County had 10 new cases today.

The Public Education Department reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 at schools —12 among staff and two students—in Bernalillo, Curry, Doña Ana, Lea, McKinley, and Otero counties. Since Aug. 17, when the education department began collecting numbers, 341 total cases have been reported in 128 schools. Of those, 174 have been staff members and 67 have been students.

A weekly modeling report published today says daily case counts—currently at 193 over a seven-day rolling average—continue to increase in the state's southwest and metro regions. The state's gating criteria calls for 168 or fewer cases daily on a seven-day rolling average.

The modeling report indicates the effective rate of transmission—though still above the targeted gating criteria of 1.05, has begun to decrease in all the state's regions, although most are still in the "red," aka in need of further mitigation.

There were no additional deaths today, leaving the total number of fatalities at 894. According to the modeling report, deaths continue to decline after a spike during the week of Sept. 14-20.

As of today, 110 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, 13 more than yesterday and 21 more than last Friday.* Indeed, hospitalizations, after plateauing, have started to rise.

The environment department's weekly rapid-response assessment reports 419 rapid-responses for the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4. That's 171 more than the week prior. Santa Fe County accounted for 37 of those rapid responses—deployed to businesses and other organizations when an employee tests positive for COVID-19. That placed Santa Fe County in third place for rapid responses, following Bernalillo and Doña Ana counties in first and second place, respectively. Santa Fe was in sixth place the week prior. The environment department reports rapid responses over the last week at Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Del Charro, the Teahouse, Piccolino, the County Clerk's Office, the Santa Fe Fire Department, Target, El Parasol and McDonald's, to name a few.

New cases

• 138 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 12 new cases in Chaves County
• 11 new cases in Curry County
• 37 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 23 new cases in Eddy County
• 1 new case in Grant County
• 19 new cases in Lea County
• 1 new case in Lincoln County
• 1 new case in Los Alamos County
• 2 new cases in Luna County
• 11 new cases in McKinley County
• 1 new case in Otero County
• 4 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 5 new cases in Sandoval County
• 19 new cases in San Juan County
• 1 new case in San Miguel County
• 10 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 1 new case in Socorro County
• 3 new cases in Torrance County
• 14 new cases in Valencia County
• 2 new cases among individuals being held by federal agencies at the Otero County Processing Center

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:

• Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
• Aristocrat Assisted Living in Las Cruces
• Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque
• Avamere at Rio Rancho
• Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• Belen Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Belen
• Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation
• Brookdale Santa Fe
• Casa Arena Blanca Nursing Center in Alamogordo
• Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
• Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
• Clovis Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
• Colfax Long Term Care Center in Springer
• Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hobbs
• Good Life Senior Living in Lovington
• Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces
• Heartfelt Manor in Roswell
• Laguna Rainbow Care in Casa Blanca
• Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
• Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
• Lotus Care Homes in Albuquerque
• Lovington Healthcare in Lovington
• Mission Arch Center in Roswell
• MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care in Rio Rancho
• Princeton Place in Albuquerque
• Ramah Adult Care in Ramah
• Raton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Raton
• The Rehab Center of Albuquerque in Albuquerque
• Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup
• Retirement Ranches in Clovis
• Sandia Senior Suites in Albuquerque
• San Juan Center in Albuquerque
• Silver City Care Center in Silver City
• Sunset Villa Nursing Home in Roswell
• Tercer Cielo in Albuquerque
• Village at Northrise in Las Cruces
• Village Retirement Community in Roswell
• The Watermark at Cherry Hills in Albuquerque
• Welbrook Senior Living Las Cruces

Statewide cases

According to a statewide news release, previously reported numbers included one case in Doña Ana County that has been identified as a duplicate and one case that was previously listed in Doña Ana County that has been determined to be among individuals being held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility—these have now been corrected. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

• Bernalillo County: 7,065
• Catron County: 9
• Chaves County: 1,368
• Cibola County: 446
• Colfax County: 39
• Curry County: 930
• De Baca County: 1
• Doña Ana County: 3,713
• Eddy County: 934
• Grant County: 132
• Guadalupe County: 34
• Harding County: 1
• Hidalgo County: 102
• Lea County: 1,543
• Lincoln County: 226
• Los Alamos County: 36
• Luna County: 451
• McKinley County: 4,367
• Mora County: 7
• Otero County: 281
• Quay County: 77
• Rio Arriba County: 404
• Roosevelt County: 310
• Sandoval County: 1,425
• San Juan County: 3,411
• San Miguel County: 105
• Santa Fe County: 1,093
• Sierra County: 50
• Socorro County: 118
• Taos County: 148
• Torrance County: 83
• Union County: 31
• Valencia County: 620

Cases among people being held by federal agencies

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 324
• Otero County Prison Facility: 287
• Otero County Processing Center: 165
• 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: 35
• Lea County Correctional Facility: 51
• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 2
• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1
• Otero County Prison Facility: 472
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1
• Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana 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.