NM Reports First Case of Omicron Variant

The state health department today reported the first known case of the Omicron variant in New Mexico.

According to a DOH news release, the case was identified on Sunday, Dec. 12: a female adult in Bernalillo County who reported recent domestic travel to a state with reported cases of Omicron. The individual was seen in a local emergency room and discharged stable to home. DOH is currently conducting a thorough case investigation.

Thus far, the Omicron variant, which has been designated as a Variant of Concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been confirmed in at least 30 states and the District of Columbia, as well as more than 60 countries. The COVID-19 variant appears to be spreading faster than the currently-dominant Delta variant.

The variant arrives as New Mexico has been grappling with high case loads impacting hospital capacity across the state. State health officials today reported 2,561 new COVID-19 cases for the three-day period of Dec. 11-Dec. 13, bringing the statewide total so far to 332,238; DOH has designated 283,030 of those cases as recovered.

Bernalillo County had 878 new cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 268 and San Juan County with 170. Santa Fe County had 138 new cases. The seven-day statewide test positivity rate decreased from 11.5% to 10.6%, still above but declining closer to the 7.5% target.

The state also announced 12 recent deaths, including one from Santa Fe County: a female in her 50s who had underlying conditions. Santa Fe County has now had 188 deaths; there have been 5,484 fatalities statewide.

As of today, 610 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, a decline of 81 since Friday.*

Currently, 87.3% of New Mexicans 18 years and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 75.1% are fully vaccinated. As the state surpassed 75% for full vaccination, Deputy Health Secretary Dr. Laura Parajón issued a statement thanking those who have been vaccinated. “This is a massive milestone for our state,” she said.

Among those 18 and older, 29% have had a booster shot. In the 12-17-year-old age group, 65.5% of people have had at least one dose and 56.5% are fully inoculated. Among children ages 5-11, 22.2% have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 10.1%. In Santa Fe County, 99% of people 18 and older have had at least one dose and 85% are fully vaccinated.

New cases

• 878 new cases in Bernalillo County

• 1 new case in Catron County

• 110 new cases in Chaves County

• 23 new cases in Cibola County

• 5 new cases in Colfax County

• 59 new cases in Curry County

• 3 new cases in De Baca County

• 268 new cases in Doña Ana County

• 69 new cases in Eddy County

• 31 new cases in Grant County

• 1 new case in Guadalupe County

• 2 new cases in Harding County

• 7 new cases in Hidalgo County

• 56 new cases in Lea County

• 14 new cases in Lincoln County

• 8 new cases in Los Alamos County

• 23 new cases in Luna County

• 46 new cases in McKinley County

• 9 new cases in Mora County

• 51 new cases in Otero County

• 20 new cases in Quay County

• 62 new cases in Rio Arriba County

• 28 new cases in Roosevelt County

• 191 new cases in Sandoval County

• 170 new cases in San Juan County

• 35 new cases in San Miguel County

• 138 new cases in Santa Fe County

• 9 new cases in Sierra County

• 29 new cases in Socorro County

• 36 new cases in Taos County

• 17 new cases in Torrance County

• 6 new cases in Union County

• 128 new cases in Valencia County

• 8 new cases among individuals held by federal agencies at the Otero County Processing Center

• 4 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County

• 16 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility

New fatalities

• A female in her 40s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized

• A male in his 90s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions

• A male in his 30s from Doña Ana County who had underlying conditions

• A male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who had underlying conditions

• A male in his 50s from Grant County who had underlying conditions

• A male in his 60s from Quay County who was hospitalized

• A male in his 30s from Roosevelt County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions

• A male in his 60s from San Juan County. The individual had underlying conditions.

• A male in his 70s from San Juan County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

• A female in her 50s from Santa Fe County. The individual had underlying conditions.

• A female in her 60s from Torrance County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

• A female in her 90s from Valencia County. The individual 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:

• Advanced Health Care in Albuquerque

• Aspen Ridge Lodge Retirement in Los Alamos

• Artesia Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Artesia

• Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque

• Autumn Blessings Assisted Living in Logan

• Avamere at Fiesta Park in Albuquerque

• Avamere in Rio Rancho

• Aztec Healthcare in Aztec

• BeeHive Homes Alamogordo

• BeeHive Homes in Clovis

• BeeHive Homes in Roswell

• Bloomfield Nursing and Rehab Center in Bloomfield

• Blue Horizon Assisted Living In Las Cruces

• The Bridge of Farmington in Farmington

• Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces

• Casa Arena Blanca Nursing Center in Alamogordo

• Casa de Carino in Albuquerque

• Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell

• Casa Real Genesis in Santa Fe

• Casa Sandia in Albuquerque

• Cedar Ridge Inn in Farmington

• Fairwinds Assisted Living in Rio Rancho

• Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara

• Genesis Healthcare Uptown in Albuquerque

• Genesis McKinley Care Center in Gallup

• Genesis San Juan Center in Farmington

• Genesis Silver City Care Center in Silver City

• Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces

• Good Samaritan Society – Manzano del Sol Village in Albuquerque

• Haciendas at Grace Village in Las Cruces

• Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad

• Las Cruces Post Acute and Rehabilitation Center of Cascadia (Welbrook Senior Living) in Las Cruces

• Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque

• Life Care Farmington

• Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup

• The Meadows Home at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas

• Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming

• Miners Colfax Medical Center in Raton

• Mission Arch Center in Roswell

• The Neighborhood Health Care in Rio Rancho

• New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences

• Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) in Albuquerque

• Palmilla Senior Living in Albuquerque

• Princeton Place in Albuquerque

• The Rehabilitation Center of Albuquerque

• The Retreat Healthcare in Rio Rancho

• The Rio Las Estancias in Albuquerque

• Sandia Ridge Genesis in Albuquerque

• Sandia View Cottonwood Assisted Living in Albuquerque

• Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque

• Sombrillo Nursing Home in Los Alamos

• South Valley Care Center in Albuquerque

• Sugar Hollow Assisted Living Community in Albuquerque

• The Suites at Rio Vista in Rio Rancho

• Sunshine Assisted Living in Tucumcari

• Taos Living Center in Taos

• Vida Encantada Nursing & Rehabilitation in Las Vegas

• Village at Northrise - Desert Willow in Las Cruces

• The Watermark at Cherry Hills in Albuquerque

• The Woodmark at Uptown in Albuquerque

• 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: 92,839

• Catron County: 273

• Chaves County: 14,532

• Cibola County: 4,276

• Colfax County: 1,651

• Curry County: 8,338

• De Baca County: 373

• Doña Ana County: 38,780

• Eddy County: 12,133

• Grant County: 3,958

• Guadalupe County: 680

• Harding County: 54

• Hidalgo County: 657

• Lea County: 14,326

• Lincoln County: 3,557

• Los Alamos County: 975

• Luna County: 4,750

• McKinley County: 17,194

• Mora County: 442

• Otero County: 8,787

• Quay County: 1,482

• Rio Arriba County: 6,031

• Roosevelt County: 3,288

• Sandoval County: 19,983

• San Juan County: 27,652

• San Miguel County: 3,220

• Santa Fe County: 15,767

• Sierra County: 1,418

• Socorro County: 2,364

• Taos County: 3,105

• Torrance County: 1,783

• Union County: 474

• Valencia County: 11,767

Cases among people being held by federal agencies

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 455

• Otero County Federal Prison Facility: 573

• Otero County Processing Center: 637

• Torrance County Detention Facility: 356

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

• Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 374

• Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 258

• Lea County Correctional Facility: 765

• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 214

• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 131

• Otero County Prison Facility: 542

• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 233

• Roswell Correctional Center: 230

• Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 238

• Springer Correctional Center in Colfax County: 244

• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 79

*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.