New Mexico Reports 670 New COVID-19 Cases and 29 More Deaths

The top three ways New Mexico can speed up the vaccination process, according to Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase: "Get more vaccine, get more vaccine and after that get some more vaccine."

Scrase's remarks came during a COVID-19 update today with him and Health Secretary-designate Dr. Tracie Collins.

Witticisms notwithstanding, both officials acknowledged the need for more doses while touting New Mexico's success, thus far, in administrating those it has received.

The state is vaccinating approximately 9,000 people each day—and received approximately 56,000 doses this week—and expects to increase that number next week by when it receives an anticipated 6% increase in doses.

"So that's more good news for getting more vaccines to New Mexico and shots in arms," Collins said.

As of today, the state has administered nearly 292,000 doses, more than 92% of what it has received, giving the state the fourth highest vaccine administration rate in the US.

At the current rate, however, New Mexico will take several months to move through the current groups of eligible people, which include the frontline health care workers from Phase 1A and two groups from Phase 1B: people 75 and older and those 16 and older with underlying conditions.

"Because we have limited supply, we have to prioritize groups with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality and really looking at equity," Collins said.

All together, those groups constitute approximately 900,000 people, with nearly 600,000 in the co-morbidities group. According to Health Department Communications Director Matt Bieber, the state has vaccinated 28% of people in the 75+ group; he said he would provide additional breakdowns for other groups in the coming days (SFR has a public records request filed for this information as well). Collins also said the health department is considering creating some special vaccination events for people 75 and older.

The state's vaccination registration site, Collins said, randomizes who it chooses for vaccination appointments within the currently prioritized groups, "to make sure we are reaching these groups and it's equitable and there's no favoritism."

As for COVID-19's trajectory, Scrase confirmed the state " is seeing improvement in almost every aspect of the pandemic" with cases, deaths and hospitalizations all declining, as SFR reported yesterday.

Scrase also said he anticipates more counties moving from red to yellow in the state's red-to-green framework when the health department assesses county-by-county cases and test positivity rates on Feb. 10. At the statewide level, all but two gating criteria are being met. New Mexico's daily cases on a seven-day average are still more than three times the target of 168; for test positivity, New Mexico is at 6.1%, very close to the desired 5.0%.

"I feel like we're seeing every possible sign that things are getting better," Scrase said. "I'm not going to say we're out of the woods because we still need to get an awful lot of people vaccinated."

New Mexico health officials today reported 670 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 175,652. Of those, the health department has designated 107,645 cases as recovered.

Bernalillo County had 161 new cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 95 and McKinley County with 51. Santa Fe County had 29 new cases today.

The state also announced 29 additional deaths—scaling higher than fatalities have so far this week—including two women in Santa Fe County, one in her 80s who had underlying conditions and one in her 90s who was a resident of the Pacifica Senior Living facility. There have been a total of 3,338 deaths statewide so far.

As of today, 476 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.*

New cases

• 161 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 37 new cases in Chaves County
• 6 new cases in Cibola County
• 7 new cases in Colfax County
• 7 new cases in Curry County
• 95 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 46 new cases in Eddy County
• 8 new cases in Grant County
• 3 new cases in Guadalupe County
• 2 new cases in Hidalgo County
• 19 new cases in Lea County
• 7 new cases in Lincoln County
• 3 new cases in Los Alamos County
• 12 new cases in Luna County
• 51 new cases in McKinley County
• 1 new case in Mora County
• 20 new cases in Otero County
• 10 new cases in Rio Arriba County
• 5 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 40 new cases in Sandoval County
• 47 new cases in San Juan County
• 4 new cases in San Miguel County
• 29 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 17 new cases in Socorro County
• 6 new cases in Torrance County
• 26 new cases in Valencia County
• 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County

New fatalities

• A male in his 40s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A male in his 60s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A second male in his 60s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions
• A female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A second female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) facility in Albuquerque
• A female in her 80s from Bernalillo County who was a resident of the Casa Palo Duro facility in Albuquerque
• A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A second male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 80s from Colfax County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Colfax Long-Term Care Center in Springer
• A second female in her 80s from Colfax County who was a resident of the Colfax Long-Term Care Center in Springer
• A male in his 80s from Colfax County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Colfax Long-Term Care Center in Springer
• A male in his 50s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 80s from Doña Ana County
• A female in her 70s from Grant County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 60s from Lea County who had underlying conditions
• A male in his 70s from Lincoln County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 70s from Luna County
• A male in his 80s from Luna County who was hospitalized
• A female in her 50s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 50s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A male in his 60s from San Juan County who was a resident of the Cedar Ridge Inn facility in Farmington
• A female in her 70s from San Juan County who had underlying conditions
• A female in her 80s from San Juan County who was a resident of the Aztec Healthcare facility in Aztec
• A female in her 80s from Santa Fe County who had underlying conditions
• A female in her 90s from Santa Fe County who was a resident of the Pacifica Senior Living facility in Santa Fe
• A female in her 80s from Taos County who was hospitalized and was a resident of the Taos Living Center in Taos
• A female in her 80s from Valencia 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:

• Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
• The Aldea House – Heaven Sent LLC in Albuquerque
• The Aristocrat Assisted Living Center in Las Cruces
• Artesia Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Artesia
• Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque
• Avamere at Fiesta Park in Albuquerque
• Avamere at Rio Rancho
• Avamere at Roswell
• Aztec Healthcare in Aztec
• Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• BeeHive Homes Clovis
• BeeHive Homes Gallup
• BeeHive Homes Santa Fe
• Belen Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Belen
• Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bloomfield
• The Bridge of Farmington in Farmington
• Brookdale Santa Fe
• Brookdale Valencia in Albuquerque
• Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces
• Care Free Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Carefirst Assisted Living Willow Wood House in Albuquerque
• Casa Bella Residential Care in Las Cruces
• Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
• Casa de Shalom in Rio Rancho
• Casa del Sol 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 Springer
• Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hobbs
• El Castillo in Santa Fe
• Elmcroft of Quintessence in Albuquerque
• Fairwinds Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara
• Genesis San Juan Center in Farmington
• Genesis Silver City Care Center in Silver City
• Golden Hands Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Good Life Senior Living and Memory Care in Los Lunas
• Good Life Senior Living in Carlsbad
• Good Life Senior Living in Lovington
• Good Samaritan Society – Manzano del Sol Village in Albuquerque
• Good Samaritan Society – Betty Dare in Alamogordo
• Good Samaritan Society Socorro
• Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales
• Ladera Center in Albuquerque
• Laguna Rainbow Care Center in Casa Blanca
• Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
• Landmark at Desert Gardens in Hobbs
• Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
• La Vida Llena Healthcare in Albuquerque
• The Legacy at Santa Fe
• Life Spire Assisted Living North Albuquerque Acres in Albuquerque
• Lovington Healthcare in Lovington
• McKinley Center in Gallup
• The Meadows Home at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas
• Mescalero Care Center in Mescalero
• Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming
• Mission Arch Center in Roswell
• The Montecito in Santa Fe
• MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Santa Fe
• Muros de Salvación in Albuquerque
• The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
• North Ridge Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) in Albuquerque
• Pacifica Senior Living in Santa Fe
• Palmilla Senior Living in Albuquerque
• Princeton Place in Albuquerque
• Ravenna Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Retirement Ranches in Clovis
• Retreat Healthcare in Rio Rancho
• The Rio at Las Estancias in Albuquerque
• Rio Rancho Center
• Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
• Sandia Senior Suites Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Sandia View Bosque Trails Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Senior Living Systems in Los Lunas
• Sierra Health Care Center in Truth or Consequences
• Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Los Alamos
• South Valley Care Center in Albuquerque
• Spanish Trails Rehabilitation Suites in Albuquerque
• St. Anthony Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
• Sugar Hollow Assisted Living Center in Albuquerque
• Tercer Cielo 2 in Albuquerque
• Village Retirement Community in Roswell
• Vida Encantada Nursing & Rehabilitation in Las Vegas
• Vista Sandia Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• The Watermark at Cherry Hills in Albuquerque
• Westwind House Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Wheatfields Senior Living Community in Clovis
• White Sands Healthcare in Hobbs

Statewide cases

County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

• Bernalillo County: 49,691
• Catron County: 71
• Chaves County: 8,279
• Cibola County: 2,601
• Colfax County: 671
• Curry County: 4,760
• De Baca County: 128
• Doña Ana County: 21,270
• Eddy County: 6,052
• Grant County: 1,304
• Guadalupe County: 338
• Harding County: 8
• Hidalgo County: 325
• Lea County: 7,865
• Lincoln County: 1,454
• Los Alamos County: 452
• Luna County: 2,959
• McKinley County: 11,638
• Mora County: 149
• Otero County: 2,924
• Quay County: 400
• Rio Arriba County: 3,236
• Roosevelt County: 1,777
• Sandoval County: 10,255
• San Juan County: 13,072
• San Miguel County: 1,139
• Santa Fe County: 9,226
• Sierra County: 672
• Socorro County: 1,149
• Taos County: 1,454
• Torrance County: 603
• Union County: 212
• Valencia County: 5,861

Cases among people being held by federal agencies

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 425
• Otero County Federal Prison Facility: 440
• Otero County Processing Center: 197
• Torrance County Detention Facility: 47

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

• Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 285
• Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 251
• Lea County Correctional Facility: 373
• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 166
• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 117
• Otero County Prison Facility: 472
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 215
• Roswell Correctional Center: 228
• Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 216
• Springer Correctional Center in Colfax County: 151
• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 74

*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.