New Mexico Reports 590 New COVID-19 Cases

In what passes for good news around here, New Mexico health officials today reported 590 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 43,169. Though still high, today's numbers represent a decrease from the record-highs over the last week.

Doña Ana County again led with the most cases: 163, followed by Bernalillo County with 141 and Luna County with 95. Santa Fe County had 19 new cases.

The Public Education Department also announced 39 more cases—30 among staff members and nine students— from school districts in 12 counties.

The new numbers come as the state's gating criteria dashboard shows the state's daily case rate over a seven-day rolling average rise to 686, more than four times the target of 168. While the state continues to exceed its goal of running 5,000 tests per day and is currently running more than 9,000, the statewide test positivity rate rests at 8.4%, far above the 5% goal. The state also is not meeting its rate for maintaining an effective rate of spread below 1.05 or those for contact tracing.

The state environment department reported 1,372 rapid responses for the week ending Oct. 25, compared with 832 the week prior. Santa Fe County ranked fourth for rapid responses with 90 of them, although listings for daily rapid responses are not currently available on the environment department's website; a department spokeswoman tells SFR they are being migrated to a new format. However, only three Santa Fe County businesses appear on the state's new watchlist for having two or more rapid responses in a 14-day period: Chaparral Materials, Santa Fe Studios and Smith's Food & Drug Center at 2308 Cerrillos Road.

As of today, 307 people are hospitalized with COVID-19—18 more than yesterday and 102 more than one week ago today. According to a state news release, 76% of general beds and 69% of ICU beds across New Mexico hospitals are occupied with both COVID-19 and non-COVID patients.* The state also announced four additional deaths from Doña Ana, Lea, Roosevelt and Socorro counties; there have now been 980 fatalities.

New cases

• 141 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 1 new case in Catron County
• 15 new cases in Chaves County
• 2 new cases in Cibola County
• 7 new cases in Curry County
• 163 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 14 new cases in Eddy County
• 1 new case in Grant County
• 1 new case in Guadalupe County
• 7 new cases in Lea County
• 4 new cases in Lincoln County
• 95 new cases in Luna County
• 14 new cases in McKinley County
• 15 new cases in Otero County
• 5 new cases in Rio Arriba County
• 3 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 32 new cases in Sandoval County
• 24 new cases in San Juan County
• 19 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 5 new cases in Sierra County
• 3 new cases in Socorro County
• 1 new case in Taos County
• 17 new cases in Valencia County
• 1 new case among individuals held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility

New fatalities

• A male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 80s from Lea County who was a resident of Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hobbs
• A female in her 80s from Roosevelt County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 40s from Socorro County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions

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
• Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
• Artesia Healthcare and Rehabilitation
• Aspen Ridge Lodge in Los Alamos
• Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque
• Avamere at Fiesta Park in Albuquerque
• Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• BeeHive Homes Volcano Cliffs in Albuquerque
• Belen Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Belen
• Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation
• Brookdale Santa Fe
• Brookdale Valencia Albuquerque
• Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Curces
• Casa del Sol Center in Las Cruces
• Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
• Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
• Casa Real in Santa Fe
• Clovis Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
• Colfax Long Term Care Center in Colfax
• Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hobbs
• El Castillo in Santa Fe
• Fairwinds Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• Good Life Senior Living in Artesia
• Good Life Senior Living in Carlsbad
• Good Life Senior Living in Lovington
• Good Samaritan Manzano Del Sol Independent Senior Living in Albuquerque
• Good Samaritan Society Grants
• Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces
• Ladera Center in Albuquerque
• Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
• Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
• La Vida Llena Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Lotus Care Homes Galaxia in Albuquerque
• Life Care Center in Farmington
• LifeSpire Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• Kingston Residence of Santa Fe
• Mission Arch Center in Roswell
• MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care in Rio Rancho
• The Montebello on Academy in Albuquerque
• The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho
• New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
• North Ridge Care Center in Albuquerque
• Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) in Albuquerque
• Palmilla Senior Living in Albuquerque
• Princeton Place in Albuquerque
• Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup
• The Rehabilitation Center of Albuquerque
• Retirement Ranches in Clovis
• Retreat Healthcare in Rio Rancho
• The Rio Las Estancias in Albuquerque
• Rio Rancho Center
• Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
• Sandia Senior Suites in Albuquerque
• San Juan Center in Albuquerque
• Silver City Care Center in Silver City
• Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation in Los Alamos
• South Valley Care Center in Albuquerque
• St. Anthony Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
• Sunset Villa Care Center in Roswell
• Uptown Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• Village at Northrise in Las Cruces
• Village Retirement Community in Roswell
• Vista Hermosa in Santa Fe
• Welbrook Senior Living Las Cruces
• Westwind House Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Wheatfields Senior Living Community in Clovis
• White Sands Healthcare in Hobbs

Statewide cases

According to a state news release: Previously reported numbers included five cases (three in Bernalillo County, one in Hidalgo County,  and one in San Juan County) that have been identified as duplicates and two cases (one in Taos County and one in Valencia County) that were not lab confirmed. Previously reported numbers also included one case reported in Bernalillo County that has been determined to be among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility, and one case reported in Valencia County that has been determined to be among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County; these have also now been corrected. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

• Bernalillo County: 10,589
• Catron County: 10
• Chaves County: 2,016
• Cibola County: 565
• Colfax County: 44
• Curry County: 1,555
• De Baca County: 1
• Doña Ana County: 5,980
• Eddy County: 1,437
• Grant County: 187
• Guadalupe County: 42
• Harding County: 1
• Hidalgo County: 117
• Lea County: 2,088
• Lincoln County: 373
• Los Alamos County: 44
• Luna County: 959
• McKinley County: 4,627
• Mora County: 14
• Otero County: 509
• Quay County: 101
• Rio Arriba County: 493
• Roosevelt County: 452
• Sandoval County: 1,981
• San Juan County: 3,779
• San Miguel County: 171
• Santa Fe County: 1,692
• Sierra County: 109
• Socorro County: 231
• Taos County: 224
• Torrance County: 99
• Union County: 39
• Valencia County: 935

Cases among people being held by federal agencies

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 348
• Otero County Prison Facility: 388
• Otero County Processing Center: 187
• 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: 90
• Lea County Correctional Facility: 110
• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 5
• 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: 55
• 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.