artdirector@sfreporter.com
COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials yesterday reported a sharp drop in new COVID-19 cases: 1,809, a nearly 66% decrease from the last single day of reporting on Jan. 28. The new cases bring the statewide total so far to 481,852; DOH has designated 344,917 of those cases as recovered. The statewide test positivity rate also dropped from 28.5% to 26.8% (the target is 7.5%).
Bernalillo County had 442 cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 209 and San Juan County with 184. Santa Fe County had 93 new cases, 44 in the 87507 ZIP code, which ranked ninth in the state among ZIP codes with the most new cases.
All New Mexico counties remain “red” for high rates of transmission, according to the health department’s most recent county transmission report, which calculates daily case and test positivity rates over a two-week period ending Jan. 31. In the case of Santa Fe County, it had a case rate per 100,000 population of 169.5 (anything over 14.29 is considered high transmission) and a test positivity rate of 22.39%.
According to the state’s most recent vaccination report released yesterday, over the four-week period between Jan. 3 and Jan. 31, 55.5% of COVID-19 cases were among those not fully vaccinated, as were 77.4% of hospitalizations and 92.8% of deaths.
The state also reported 19 additional deaths; there have now been 6,473 fatalities statewide. As of yesterday, 584 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, six fewer than the day prior and an 18% drop from hospitalizations last Thursday.
Currently, 91.4% percent of adults 18 years and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 77.3% have completed their primary series. Among the same demographic, 41.9% have had a booster shot. In the 12-17-year-old age group, 70.2% of people have had at least one dose and 59.6% have completed their primary series. Among children ages 5-11, 35.8% have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 24.6% have completed their primary series. In Santa Fe County, 99% of people 18 and older have had at least one dose and 86.6% have completed their primary series.Health Secretary Dr. David Scrase will provide a weekly COVID-19 update at 1 pm today, which will once again stream live on the health department’s Facebook page, and with Spanish translation on Gov. Michelle Lujan’s YouTube page.
The health department yesterday announced it is opening up COVID-19 drive-up testing sites across the site to offer free PCR tests starting today and continuing six days a week until Feb. 21. In Santa Fe County, the testing site will be at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds. Registration is required here.
New Mexicans can register for a COVID-19 vaccine here, schedule a COVID-19 vaccine booster here and view a public calendar for vaccine availability here. Parents can add dependents to their vaccine profiles here. You can read the updated guidelines for quarantine and isolation here.
You can order free at-home COVID-19 tests here and access the DOH testing directory here.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
US Sen. Ben Ray Luján suffers stroke, full recovery expected
US Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, had a stroke, underwent surgery and is currently recovering at University of New Mexico hospital. According to a news release from his office yesterday, Luján, 49, began experiencing dizziness and fatigue last Thursday and checked himself into Christus St. Vincent Regional Hospital. He was then transferred to UNM Hospital where he was found to have suffered a stroke in the cerebellum, affecting his balance. As part of his treatment plan, he then had decompressive surgery to ease swelling. “He is currently being cared for at UNM Hospital, resting comfortably, and expected to make a full recovery,” Luján’s Chief of Staff Carlos Sanchez said in a statement. Luján’s offices remain open and constituent services will continue without any disruption of service, he noted. “The senator and his family would like to thank the wonderful doctors and staff at both UNM Hospital and Christus St. Vincent Regional Hospital for their excellent care during this time. Sen. Luján looks forward to getting back to work for the people of New Mexico. At this time, he and his family would appreciate their privacy, and ask for your continued prayers and well wishes.” The news prompted get-well wishes from fellow US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, among others, with the governor tweeting: “Ben Ray is a tough norteño and I know he’ll be back on the Senate floor fighting for New Mexico families in no time—all of New Mexico is wishing him a speedy and full recovery.” A spokesperson from Luján’s office was unable to tell SFR when Luján might be able to return to work; his absence, as the Wall Street Journal reports, potentially could impact on President Joe Biden’s nominations for various positions, including the US Supreme Court.
Republicans crowd into governor, congressional races
Yesterday’s filing deadlines offered an early look at how the June 7 primary election is shaping up, as candidates filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s Office required for those seeking to run on the major party tickets (the Democrat, Republican and Libertarian parties have major party status in the state right now). Five Republicans plan to challenge incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, including Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block; state Rep. Rebecca Dow; former mayor for the village of Cuba, Ethel Maharg; former KRQE weather broadcaster Mark Ronchetti; and financial adviser Greg Zanetti. Business owner Karen Bedonie and retired teacher Tim Walsh had both previously announced they planned to run in the Republican primary, but instead switched affiliations to Libertarian. In the 3rd Congressional District, Alexis Martinez Johnson announced she also will seek the nomination again; she ran against incumbent Teresa Leger Fernández in 2020 and lost with 41% of the vote. Jerald Steve McFall, a farmer from Angel Fire, plans to run in the GOP primary for the district as well. New Mexico’s other two congressional districts also drew competition. Two Democrats plan to face off to challenge Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell in the 2nd District; Four Republicans hope to unseat Democrat US Rep. Melanie Stansbury in the 1st. All three congressional districts recently were reconfigured by the Legislature in a special redistricting session.The Secretary of State will certify the names to the chairs of each political party on Feb. 8; Feb. 11 is the deadline for challenges to the nominating petitions filed yesterday.
PED launches homework hotline, waives licensing fees
The state Public Education Department yesterday announced a new quarantine response hotline to offer students missing school due to the COVID-19 pandemic tech support and homework assistance. The hotline, 800-805-1192, is available to quarantined and self-isolating K-12 students in districts and charter schools participating in ENGAGE New Mexico—which includes Santa Fe Public Schools. Eligible students can call the hotline between 7 am and 8 pm Monday through Friday to connect with an academic success coach provided by the Graduation Alliance. “As the pandemic evolves, we have to pivot again and again to embrace new strategies,” PED Secretary-Designate Kurt Steinhaus said in a statement. “A year ago, that meant remote learning. In the current Omicron surge, we have a lot of students missing class because they’re required to isolate or quarantine. Last year’s remote-learning options aren’t always available, so offering this homework hotline is another pivot to meet student needs.” PED also announced yesterday it is waiving all educator licensing fees and background check fees through the end of March in response to an ongoing educator workforce shortage: “By waiving the fee to get one of these licenses, we hope to send a message loud and clear that we want you and need you,” Steinhaus said.
Listen up
If you missed critic Lawrence Weschler’s talk last November in conjunction with the opening of artist Helen Pashgian’s exhibit at SITE Santa Fe (here’s SFR’s review from last fall), you’ll have another chance today at noon, when Weschler delivers one of SITE’s #lunchtime talks via Facebook or YouTube to discuss how Southern California in the ‘60s and ‘70s helped to spawn the Light and Space movement in which Helen Pashgian played a crucial role (for a preview, here’s Weschler’s story on the show in the New York Times).
One for the books
Fans of road trips and books will appreciate Book Riot’s bookish cross-country road trip series, particularly yesterday’s fourth installment, which offers a literary journey from San Diego, California to Savannah, Georgia, with a stop in the southern part of New Mexico. Here, the story recommends visiting Deming’s Readers’ Cove Used Books & Gallery, described as “quaint bookish stop” where one will find approximately 50,000 used and rare books. From there, the story suggests several stops in Las Cruces, including the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, an institution with a cool history: It started as collection of 500 books kept by the Women’s Improvement Association at various members’ homes before one member, Alice Branigan, bequeathed her estate money in the 1930s to start a public library. After the library, one can stop by COAS Books, where one will purportedly find 500,000 books in stock (we hate driving, but this sounds worth the trip); Zia Comics; and Casa Camino Real Bookstore & Art Gallery, which is owned by author Denise Chávez.
On the fly
On the face of it, the City of Santa Fe’s Airport Advisory Board might not sound like the most thrilling type of public service but, keep in mind, the Santa Fe Regional Airport has a $21.5 million expansion coming its way (which will include a café to replace the vending machines). All this to say, the City of Santa Fe is looking for new members for the airport’s advisory board, a seven-member citizen board that informs and makes recommendations to the City Council on the development of the airport. The board is currently seeking letters of interest from members of the public for three at-large vacancies on the board. To apply, applicants should have knowledge and interest in the airport and should be city residents or live in the county within 10 miles of the city limits. The board meets at 4 pm on the second Thursday of every month. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and a resume by Feb. 18 to Bobbi Huseman at bjhuseman@santafenm.gov.
Snow daze
As forecast, it snowed overnight and the National Weather Service says chances for precipitation today are high (90%), with blowing snow after 8 am, a high temperature near 29 degrees and a southeast wind of 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Santa Fe Public Schools and all City of Santa Fe offices, libraries, recreation Centers and the Municipal Court are closed today due to snowy and icy road conditions. We could see 1 to 2 inches today and possibly another 1 to 3 tonight. New Mexico remains under a winter weather warning until noon Thursday. The City of Santa Fe said yesterday its snow removal crews are scheduled for 24-hour activity throughout the storm. The city has a three-tier priority process—main arteries, commercial routes, streets— for snow removal; roads not included in the three tiers only get attention after the others are cleared. Here’s the snow removal service area map.
Thanks for reading! Happy Groundhog day! (RIP, Milltown Mel). If you need a scientific analysis of groundhogs’ soothsayer abilities, you’re in luck. As for The Word, she plans to watch one of her favorite movies, Groundhog Day, for the millionth time.
