With COVID-19 hospitalizations decreasing across the state, hospital leaders from Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, Presbyterian Medical, University of New Mexico Health and Lovelace say that visitation capacity will be expanding at their institutions.
As of today, 247 people are hospitalized across the state with COVID-19.* At Christus, hospitalizations have lowered and the facility has no patients on ventilators at this time, according to Christus Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Gonzales.
Speaking during a news conference earlier today, Gonzales said Christus has allowed visitors throughout the pandemic, but with very strict guidelines, and decreased visitation hours during the height of cases, he said. Those hours will now be expanded back to 9 am to 3 pm. Allowing some visitation, he said, has provided some relief to hospital staff and caregivers, a sentiment echoed by other doctors on the call.
As of today, Presbyterian is now allowing visitors to all adult inpatient units, emergency departments and outpatient surgeries and expanding from one to two visitors for pediatrics, as well as labor and delivery. Lovelace is now allowing one visitor per patient into its ICUs, after declining numbers have allowed it to "roll back" some of its COVID-unit.
"That's been another positive step we've taken this week," Lovelace Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vesta Sandoval said, noting that lack of visitation had taken a toll on patients, families and caregivers.
"The thing our caregivers have talked about the most [is] having to make that connection without the family being able to be present was just an overwhelming feeling of responsibility," she said.
Noting decreasing numbers of patients coupled with a continued decline in COVID-19 cases statewide, hospital officials expressed cautious optimism about New Mexico's pandemic trajectory. They also all reinforced the need to remain vigilant.
"We know compared to sky high numbers in December and January we are doing much better," UNM Hospital Chief Quality and Safety Officer Dr. Rohini McKee said, "but if you look at the numbers, our numbers are still higher than they were in the spring and the summer." Noting that UNM is still above capacity in its intensive and progressive care units, she added: "Please wear your mask."
Presbyterian Healthcare Services Medical Director Dr. Denise Gonzales echoed the thought, characterizing masks as the "linchpin" in continuing to keep cases down. "Influenza rates this year are at an all time low," Gonzales said, "And why is that? Because people are wearing masks and social distancing. These are mitigating factors that will help with any respiratory virus."
The medical personnel also reiterated the importance of registering for and receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, while acknowledging that demand still outstrips supply. Christus has administered more than 12,000 doses, Gonzales said, and "are eager to continue to continue this process" as more doses become available.
Last week, Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said New Mexico was on track to receive 72,510 doses this week. As of today, the health department reports 501,436 doses have been administered. That figure currently exceeds the number of doses the state has received—465,175. This happens, the dashboard notes, because "in some cases, providers have been able to use six doses of Pfizer—not five—from each vial.
New Mexico health officials today reported 237 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 183,023. The health department has designated 134,105 of those cases as recovered.
Bernalillo County had 79 cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 48 and Sandoval County with 15. Santa Fe County had eight new cases today.
The state also announced 11 additional deaths, including a woman in her 80s from Santa Fe County. There have now been 3,635 fatalities statewide.
New cases
- 79 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 1 new case in Catron County
- 3 new cases in Chaves County
- 2 new cases in Cibola County
- 1 new case in Colfax County
- 5 new cases in Curry County
- 48 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 7 new cases in Eddy County
- 1 new case in Grant County
- 1 new case in Hidalgo County
- 8 new cases in Lea County
- 1 new case in Lincoln County
- 1 new case in Los Alamos County
- 4 new cases in Luna County
- 4 new cases in McKinley County
- 10 new cases in Otero County
- 2 new cases in Rio Arriba County
- 1 new case in Roosevelt County
- 15 new cases in Sandoval County
- 11 new cases in San Juan County
- 1 new case in San Miguel County
- 8 new cases in Santa Fe County
- 3 new cases in Taos County
- 1 new case in Torrance County
- 1 new case in Union County
- 14 new cases in Valencia County
- 4 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility
New fatalities
- A male in his 70s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A second male in his 70s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from Doña Ana County who was hospitalized, had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Good Samaritan Society facility in Las Cruces
- A female in her 90s from Doña Ana County
- A female in her 60s from Eddy County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 70s from Eddy County who had underlying conditions
- A female in her 50s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 70s from Rio Arriba County who was hospitalized
- A male in his 60s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 70s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A female in her 80s from Santa Fe County
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
- Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces
- Care Free Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Carefirst Assisted Living Willow Wood House in Albuquerque
- Casa Arena Blanca Nursing Center in Alamogordo
- Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
- Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
- Clovis Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
- Colfax Long-Term Care Center in Springer
- 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 in Carlsbad
- Good Samaritan Society – Betty Dare in Alamogordo
- Good Samaritan Society Socorro
- Ladera Center in Albuquerque
- Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
- 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
- The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
- North Ridge Assisted Living in Albuquerque
- Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) 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
- 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
- Welbrook Senior Living in Las Cruces
- Wheatfields Senior Living Community in Clovis
Statewide cases
According to a health department news release, previously reported numbers included two cases that have been identified as duplicates (one in Cibola County and one in Doña Ana County) and one case in Otero County that was not lab confirmed—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: 51,913
- Catron County: 83
- Chaves County: 8,569
- Cibola County: 2,717
- Colfax County: 693
- Curry County: 4,886
- De Baca County: 131
- Doña Ana County: 22,455
- Eddy County: 6,302
- Grant County: 1,456
- Guadalupe County: 348
- Harding County: 8
- Hidalgo County: 345
- Lea County: 7,996
- Lincoln County: 1,516
- Los Alamos County: 474
- Luna County: 3,073
- McKinley County: 11,981
- Mora County: 154
- Otero County: 3,214
- Quay County: 416
- Rio Arriba County: 3,376
- Roosevelt County: 1,830
- Sandoval County: 10,765
- San Juan County: 13,463
- San Miguel County: 1,215
- Santa Fe County: 9,521
- Sierra County: 685
- Socorro County: 1,211
- Taos County: 1,499
- Torrance County: 630
- Union County: 223
- Valencia County: 6,096
Cases among people being held by federal agencies
- Cibola County Correctional Center: 443
- 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: 287
- Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 251
- Lea County Correctional Facility: 464
- 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.
