New Mexico will receive 72,510 vaccine doses next week, a close to 7% increase over the week prior, Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said today during a joint news conference with Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase.
The state has also increased by 22% from two weeks ago the number of doses it is administering each day, and also doubled the number of second doses given.
As of today, more than 450,000 doses have been administered, 99% of the amount received. Still, supply lags significantly lags behind demand, although the state anticipates doses of a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, which has submitted its application for emergency approval to the Food and Drug Administration. Collins said she anticipates doses of that vaccine would be targeted to more remote areas of the state.
"Because of what we know at this point about Johnson & Johnson and how you can transport it, you don't have as many restrictions, the shelf life is good, it's one shot, we're looking at trying to get that out to remote areas," Collins said.
She also noted that the health department will be increasing its focus on providing vaccines to populations hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state recently added ethnic demographic breakdowns to its vaccination dashboard, which shows the lowest rates of vaccines among Hispanic and Black populations. While Native Americans, with the highest levels of cases and mortality, have some of the higher rates of vaccination, the data currently is based on registrants self-reporting, and the state does not have a complete picture of how that data might or might not overlap with vaccination efforts by the federal Indian Health Services.
"Basically we're working to address equity in the state and we need to keep looking at the numbers and evaluating what are the factors that are influencing vaccine uptake, vaccine access," Collins said. "As we begin to move forward with our vaccine equity plan, we'll be able to address these concerns and get more New Mexicans vaccinated across all races and ethnicities."
The vaccine equity plan, which Collins mentioned during last week's news conference, involves evaluating New Mexico communities within the context of the social vulnerability index criteria to "target" how vaccines are distributed and ensure they are reaching the most vulnerable communities.
While demand outweighs supply for vaccines, their impact on COVID-19 cases continues to increase, Scrase said, having previously accounted for 10% and then 12% decrease in cases. Moreover, the state is vaccinating each day more people than are testing positive for COVID-19. "That's obviously a winning formula," said, "and obviously our chance to get ahead."
Nonetheless, Scrase reiterated the growing concern that new COVID-19 variants are likely to be more contagious, among other issues. "One of the things that makes us all nervous [is] that some of the variants…seem like they might be resistant to treatment and they may be resistant to the vaccine itself," he said. "That would be a big problem for us. For now, though, the more people we can get vaccinated, the better."
For now, cases continue to drop, and the state is meeting all of its gating criteria, except daily cases on a seven-day average, which is targeted at 168 and currently rests at 369. Thus, with more counties opening up under the state's red to green framework, Scrase said he hopes that continued masking and other mitigation efforts will curtail the increase in cases that has occurred during previous re-openings, and also ran through recent CDC guidance on wearing properly fitting masks and doubling up on masks when appropriate.
New Mexico health officials today reported 281 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 181,332. The health department has designated 125,064 of those cases as recovered.
Bernalillo County had 120 new cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 49 and San Juan County with 22. Santa Fe County had 10 new cases today.
The state also announced 12 additional deaths; there have now been 3,562 fatalities statewide.
As of today, 280 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.*
New cases
- 120 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 3 new cases in Chaves County
- 3 new cases in Cibola County
- 1 new case in Colfax County
- 3 new cases in Curry County
- 49 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 4 new cases in Eddy County
- 4 new cases in Grant County
- 1 new case in Guadalupe County
- 3 new cases in Lea County
- 1 new case in Lincoln County
- 7 new cases in McKinley County
- 8 new cases in Otero County
- 1 new case in Quay County
- 7 new cases in Rio Arriba County
- 21 new cases in Sandoval County
- 22 new cases in San Juan County
- 1 new case in San Miguel County
- 10 new cases in Santa Fe County
- 3 new cases in Socorro County
- 1 new case in Taos County
- 2 new cases in Torrance County
- 4 new cases in Valencia County
- 1 new case among individuals held by federal agencies at the Cibola County Correctional Center
- 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility
New fatalities
- A male in his 50s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Tender Heart Assisted Living facility in Albuquerque
- A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from Eddy County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from McKinley County who was hospitalized
- A male in his 80s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 60s from Otero County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 70s from Sandoval County who had underlying conditions
- A male in his 80s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A male in his 30s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 40s from Valencia County who was hospitalized
- A male in his 50s from Lea 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
- Advanced Health Care in Albuquerque
- 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 Rio Rancho
- Aztec Healthcare in Aztec
- BeeHive Homes Edgewood
- BeeHive Homes Gallup
- BeeHive Homes Taylor Ranch in Albuquerque
- Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bloomfield
- The Bridge of Farmington in Farmington
- Brookdale Santa Fe
- 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 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
- El Castillo in Santa Fe
- 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 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
- La Posada Assisted Living in Las Cruces
- 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
- Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming
- Mission Arch Center in Roswell
- MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care of Albuquerque
- MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Santa Fe
- 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
- Santa Clara Assisted Living in Santa Clara
- 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
- Spanish Trails Rehabilitation Suites in Albuquerque
- St. Anthony Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
- Sugar Hollow Assisted Living Center in Albuquerque
- The Suites at Rio Vista in Rio Rancho
- Tercer Cielo 2 in Albuquerque
- Village Retirement Community in Roswell
- Vida Encantada Nursing & Rehabilitation in Las Vegas
- Vista Sandia Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Westwind House Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Wheatfields Senior Living Community in Clovis
- White Sands Healthcare in Hobbs
Statewide cases
According to a health department news release, previously reported numbers included nine cases that have been identified as duplicates (four in Bernalillo County, one in Eddy County, one in Grant County, one in McKinley County, one in Rio Arriba County and one in San Juan County)—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: 51,431
- Catron County: 82
- Chaves County: 8,524
- Cibola County: 2,696
- Colfax County: 690
- Curry County: 4,853
- De Baca County: 131
- Doña Ana County: 22,134
- Eddy County: 6,243
- Grant County: 1,438
- Guadalupe County: 341
- Harding County: 8
- Hidalgo County: 340
- Lea County: 7,967
- Lincoln County: 1,497
- Los Alamos County: 468
- Luna County: 3,046
- McKinley County: 11,893
- Mora County: 151
- Otero County: 3,119
- Quay County: 414
- Rio Arriba County: 3,361
- Roosevelt County: 1,822
- Sandoval County: 10,667
- San Juan County: 13,378
- San Miguel County: 1,197
- Santa Fe County: 9,456
- Sierra County: 679
- Socorro County: 1,199
- Taos County: 1,490
- Torrance County: 626
- Union County: 213
- Valencia County: 6,036
Cases among people being held by federal agencies
- Cibola County Correctional Center: 440
- Otero County Federal Prison Facility: 443
- 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: 286
- Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 251
- Lea County Correctional Facility: 431
- Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 166
- Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 123
- Otero County Prison Facility: 472
- Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 215
- Roswell Correctional Center: 229
- Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 217
- 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.
