An update to the state's COVID-19 status today might be best described as "better but not great." All 33 of New Mexico's counties emerged in the "red" category—the worst one—of the state's new red-to-green COVID-19 framework today.
The criteria includes a daily per-capita case rate of eight or less per 100,000 and a test positivity rate of 5% or less. Counties meeting one criteria can move to "yellow," which expands various restrictions, such as capacity limits for businesses and ability to have indoor dining. Counties must meet both criteria to move to green, which has even more expanded opportunities.
The state will be updating the map indicating counties' status every other Wednesday. The next update is scheduled for Dec. 30.
San Miguel County, previously the only county meeting yellow criteria, saw its test positivity rate rise above 5% to 6.6%.
While all counties remain at the highest levels of restrictions, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham today did modify the public health order to allow for slightly increased capacity inside essential retail spaces, such as grocery stores, to minimize people standing outside on lines in the cold. Previously, essential retail spaces could operate with either a limit on maximum occupancy or a specific number of customers, whichever was the small number. The new order eliminates the latter provision and sets occupancy at: 50% of maximum occupancy at the green level; 33% maximum occupancy at the yellow level; 25% maximum occupancy at the red level.
Additionally, 25 counties, including Santa Fe County, made progress over the last two weeks in both categories. Santa Fe County improved in both metrics and now has a test positivity rate of 10.10% and a daily per-capita case rate of 59 per 100,000. Previously, the numbers were 15.5% and 90 per 100,000 residents.
Meanwhile, the state continued distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. According to Matt Nerzig, deputy director of communications and media strategy for the governor's office, today is the third and final day for distributing the 17,550 doses the state will receive, with Presbyterian Medical receiving 3,900 doses and University of New Mexico Hospital receiving 2,925.
In addition, Acoma Pueblo, which received 150 doses, and Laguna Pueblo, which received 200, both vaccinated community members today and will do so again on Friday. Picuris Pueblo, which received 50 doses, plans to vaccinate on Dec. 22.
Acoma, Laguna and Picuris all opted to receive their vaccine doses from the state rather than Indian Health Services. Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo tells SFR his pueblo chose to work with the state following IHS' decision last month to end much of the health care service provided at Acoma-Canoncito-Laguna Service Unit. Vallo says he was concerned about the facility having the staff to accept and store the vaccine, as well as administer it, given the huge staff cuts.
"At the time we made these decisions we we had very limited information from [IHS] about their vaccine plan and so it was very clear to us that the state would be our best option," Vallo says. "We've had a very good working relationship with the New Mexico Department of Health and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office throughout the term of the pandemic, and we have established very close lines of collaboration and partnership on many fronts and so we felt it was in the best interest of our pueblo to accept [the vaccine] from them."
Acoma has been locked down since April and had reduced its cases to zero in September, but saw another surge in October and November, Vallo says. All told, the pueblo—which has 5,000 enrolled members and 3,200 on the reservation—has had 400 cases and 16 deaths from COVID-19. Currently, it has 79 active cases on the reservation with an additional known 55 cases of tribal members who live off the reservation, Vallo says.
The tribal government also prioritized front-line workers, he said, including law enforcement, EMS, health and human services, and security personnel who guard the pueblo's roadblock. "We have to consider their health and well being," he says, noting that the pueblo has "also given some consideration to our elders," who have either received the vaccine already or will on Friday.
Vallo, whose term as governor ends at the end of the month, said he breathed "a sigh of relief" when the vaccine arrived, but that more work remains to be done with testing and mitigation.
"Just like anyone else throughout the world, we are responding as best as we can and I believe our tribal council and the community as a collective have done all that we can to respond to this pandemic," he says. "There is a continued commitment on the part of the tribal government to ensure our tribal community members, whether they live here on the reservation or not…are safe and that we are offering some level of support to all of them during this difficult time."
He plans to receive the vaccine once he is out of office, and continue working to ensure his community receives information and education about the vaccine itself. "I'm really grateful," Vallo says, "and I pray for the best outcomes of the vaccine and that it will help to change our current situation across the world."
Arturo Delgado, director of marketing, communications and public relations at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center tells SFR the hospital vaccinated 120 people on Monday, 114 on Tuesday, 470 today and was scheduled to vaccinate the first round of EMS personnel early this evening.
New Mexico health officials today reported 1,816 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 124,357. Of those, the health department has designated 49,609 as recovered.
Bernalillo County had 569 new cases, followed by San Juan County with 151 and McKinley County with 109. Santa Fe County had 94 new cases today.
The state also announced 43 additional deaths, the second highest single day for fatalities, including two from Santa Fe County, both residents of the Sierra Vista Retirement Community facility: a female in her 80s with underlying conditions and a man in his 80s with underlying conditions. There have now been 55 deaths in Santa Fe County and 2,049 statewide.
As of today, 838 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.*
New cases
- 569 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 1 new case in Catron County
- 86 new cases in Chaves County
- 14 new cases in Cibola County
- 15 new cases in Colfax County
- 20 new cases in Curry County
- 2 new cases in De Baca County
- 94 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 68 new cases in Eddy County
- 27 new cases in Grant County
- 4 new cases in Guadalupe County
- 4 new cases in Hidalgo County
- 101 new cases in Lea County
- 7 new cases in Lincoln County
- 3 new cases in Los Alamos County
- 13 new cases in Luna County
- 109 new cases in McKinley County
- 1 new case in Mora County
- 18 new cases in Otero County
- 2 new cases in Quay County
- 50 new cases in Rio Arriba County
- 58 new cases in Roosevelt County
- 105 new cases in Sandoval County
- 151 new cases in San Juan County
- 22 new cases in San Miguel County
- 94 new cases in Santa Fe County
- 9 new cases in Sierra County
- 15 new cases in Socorro County
- 14 new cases in Taos County
- 3 new cases in Torrance County
- 3 new cases in Union County
- 98 new cases in Valencia County
- 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County
- 12 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Guadalupe County Correctional Facility
- 15 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility
- 2 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County
- 6 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County
New fatalities
- A male in his 50s 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 female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who was a resident of the Atria Vista del Rio facility in Albuquerque
- A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized, had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Odelia Healthcare facility in Albuquerque
- A male in his 60s from Chaves County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 70s from Chaves County who was a resident of the Mission Arch Center in Roswell
- A female in her 80s from Chaves County who was hospitalized
- A male in his 80s from Chaves County who was hospitalized and was a resident of the Mission Arch Center in Roswell
- A female in her 70s from Cibola County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from Colfax County who was a resident of the Raton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
- A male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
- A second male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A third male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A fourth male in his 60s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second female in her 80s from Doña Ana County
- A female in her 70s from Grant who had underlying conditions
- A male in his 80s from Lea County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 40s from Lincoln County who was hospitalized
- A female in her 40s from McKinley County who had underlying conditions
- A male in his 60s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from McKinley County who was hospitalized
- A female in her 70s from Quay County who was hospitalized
- A male in his 60s from Rio Arriba County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 90s from Rio Arriba County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Sierra Vista Retirement Community facility in Santa Fe
- A male in his 50s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second male in his 50s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second male in his 70s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 100s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized, had underlying conditions and was a patient at the Odelia Healthcare facility in Albuquerque
- A male in his 60s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second male in his 70s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from Santa Fe County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Sierra Vista Retirement Community facility in Santa Fe
- A male in his 80s from Santa Fe County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Sierra Vista Retirement Community facility in Santa Fe
- A male in his 70s from Sierra County who was hospitalized
- A male in his 80s from Sierra County
- A male in his 90s from Sierra County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
- A female in her 100s from Sierra County who was a resident of the New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
- A male in his 50s from Socorro County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from Taos 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
- Advantage Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
- Albuquerque Grand Senior Living
- Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
- The Aldea House – Heaven Sent LLC in Albuquerque
- The Arbors of Del Rey in Las Cruces
- Artesia Healthcare and Rehabilitation
- The Aristocrat Assisted Living Community in Alamogordo
- The Aristocrat Assisted Living Community in Las Cruces
- Aspen Care Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- 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 Deming
- BeeHive Homes Farmington
- BeeHive Homes Gallup
- BeeHive Homes Roswell
- BeeHive Homes Portales
- BeeHive Homes San Pedro in Albuquerque
- BeeHive Homes Volcano Cliffs in Albuquerque
- Belen Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Belen
- Blue Horizon Boutique Assisted Living & Memory Care in Las Cruces
- Brookdale Santa Fe
- Brookdale Valencia Albuquerque
- Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces
- Camino Retirement Homes in Albuquerque
- Care Free Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Casa Arena Blanca Nursing Center in Alamogordo
- Casa del Sol Center in Las Cruces
- Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
- Casa Palo Duro in Albuquerque
- Casa de Palomas in Albuquerque
- Casa de Paz in Rio Rancho
- Casa de Rosa in Albuquerque
- Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
- Casa Mis Abuelos in Albuquerque
- Casa Real in Santa Fe
- Casa Sandia in Albuquerque
- Cedar Ridge Inn in Farmington
- Cielos Abiertos Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Clayton Nursing and Rehabilitation
- Colfax Long Term Care Center in Springer
- Cuesta Manor in Albuquerque
- Desert Peaks Assisted Living in Las Cruces
- Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hobbs
- El Castillo in Santa Fe
- Elite Senior Care Kathryn House in Albuquerque
- Fairwinds Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
- Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara
- Golden Hands Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Good Life Senior Living in Lovington
- Good Life Senior Living in Artesia
- Good Life Senior Living in Carlsbad
- Good Life Senior Living in Hobbs
- Good Life Memory Care Los Lunas
- Good Samaritan Society – Manzano del Sol Village in Albuquerque
- Good Samaritan Society Grants
- Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces
- Good Samaritan Society Socorro
- Haciendas of Grace Village in Las Cruces
- Hannett House in Albuquerque
- Haven Care – Birch House in Albuquerque
- Haven Care – Cottonwood House in Albuquerque
- Haven Care – Fir House in Albuquerque
- Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales
- Hilldale House in Albuquerque
- Ladera Center in Albuquerque
- Laguna Rainbow Care Center in Casa Blanca
- Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
- Landmark at Desert Gardens in Hobbs
- Landsun Unit of Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
- La Posada Assisted Living in Las Cruces
- Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
- La Vida Llena Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- The Legacy at Santa Fe
- Life Spire Assisted Living Rio Rancho
- Life Spire Assisted Living Albuquerque
- Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup
- Life Care Center in Farmington
- Lovington Healthcare in Lovington
- Kingston Residence of Santa Fe
- Mariah House in Albuquerque
- Mescalero Care Center in Mescalero
- Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming
- Mission Arch Center in Roswell
- The Montebello on Academy in Albuquerque
- The Montecito in Santa Fe
- MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Albuquerque
- MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Rio Rancho
- Mountain View Manor in Albuquerque
- The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho
- The New Beginnings Senior Living in Albuquerque
- New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
- North Ridge Care Center in Albuquerque
- Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) in Albuquerque
- Pacifica Senior Living in Santa Fe
- Palmilla Senior Living in Albuquerque
- Princeton Place in Albuquerque
- Pueblo of Isleta Assisted Living & Memory Care Facility
- Raton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raton
- Ravenna Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- The Rehabilitation Center of Albuquerque
- Retreat Healthcare in Rio Rancho
- The Rio at Las Estancias in Albuquerque
- Rio Rancho Center
- Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
- Sandia View Cottonwood Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Sandia View Spain Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Seniorcare, LLC – Wyoming House in Albuquerque
- Senior Living Systems in Los Lunas
- Shady Pines Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Sierra Healthcare Center in Truth or Consequences
- Sierra Vista Retirement Community in Santa Fe
- Silver City Care Center in Silver City
- Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
- Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation in Los Alamos
- Spanish Trails Rehabilitation Suites in Albuquerque
- St. Anthony’s Healthcare in Clovis
- Sundance Home in Gallup
- Sunny Day Assisted Living in Gallup
- Sunshine Assisted Living in Tucumcari
- The Suites at Rio Vista in Rio Rancho
- Sunset Villa Care Center in Roswell
- Taos Living Center
- Taos Retirement Village
- Tender Heart Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Tercer Cielo Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Uptown Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
- Vida Encantada Nursing and Rehabilitation in Las Vegas
- The Village at Northrise in Las Cruces
- Village Retirement Community in Roswell
- Vista Hermosa in Santa Fe
- Vista Sandia Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- The Watermark at Cherry Hills in Albuquerque
- Welbrook Senior Living Las Cruces
- West Ridge Village in Albuquerque
- Westwind House Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Wheatfields Senior Living Community in Clovis
- White Sands Healthcare in Hobbs
- Willow Wood Assisted Living in Albuquerque
Statewide cases
According to a state news release, previously reported numbers included 15 cases that have been identified as duplicates (four in Bernalillo County, two in Chaves County, two in Doña Ana County, one in Lincoln County, two in Luna County, one in Santa Fe County, two in Valencia County, one among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County) and one case in Bernalillo County that was not lab confirmed. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.
- Bernalillo County: 35,608
- Catron County: 53
- Chaves County: 6,019
- Cibola County: 1,949
- Colfax County: 422
- Curry County: 3,680
- De Baca County: 76
- Doña Ana County: 15,689
- Eddy County: 3,829
- Grant County: 682
- Guadalupe County: 224
- Harding County: 7
- Hidalgo County: 215
- Lea County: 5,791
- Lincoln County: 947
- Los Alamos County: 219
- Luna County: 2,185
- McKinley County: 8,650
- Mora County: 73
- Otero County: 1,914
- Quay County: 314
- Rio Arriba County: 1,866
- Roosevelt County: 1,272
- Sandoval County: 6,935
- San Juan County: 8,265
- San Miguel County: 650
- Santa Fe County: 6,556
- Sierra County: 473
- Socorro County: 812
- Taos County: 1,019
- Torrance County: 412
- Union County: 175
- Valencia County: 4,248
Cases among people being held by federal agencies
- Cibola County Correctional Center: 417
- Otero County Prison Facility: 430
- Otero County Processing Center: 194
- 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: 250
- Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 217
- Lea County Correctional Facility: 206
- Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 155
- Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 96
- Otero County Prison Facility: 472
- Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 141
- Roswell Correctional Center: 225
- Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 182
- Springer Correctional Center in Colfax County: 92
- 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.
