New Mexico health officials today reported 819 new COVID-19 cases—147 more than yesterday—and, for the third day in a row, a new record high.
The new cases bring the statewide total number of cases so far to 35,770; the health department has designated 19,613 of those cases as recovered.
Bernalillo County led with 178 new cases, followed closely by Doña Ana County with 146. Lea County had the third most new cases with 54. The state also reported 52 new cases among inmates: 31 in federal custody at the Otero County Prison Facility; 20 in state custody at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County; and one state prisoner at the Lea County Correctional Facility.
Santa Fe County had 39 new cases today and has now had a total of 1,312 cases, 742 of which have been designated as recovered by the health department.
The new numbers come as revised and extended public health and executive orders go into effect today, creating a 10 pm required closing time for restaurants and bars serving alcohol; re-instating across-the-board quarantines for people arriving from high-risk states; lowering capacity at lodging facilities; and reducing mass gathering limits from 10 to 5. The state's amended emergency public health order will be in effect until Nov. 13, although the governor and state health officials say they will tighten and amend them prior to then if warranted, according to a news release.
Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart held a news conference earlier today to discuss the statewide spike in cases, noting that most districts' plans, for now, will not be impacted. Specifically, schools that have already opened in hybrid mode can remain open and schools in counties previously meeting the statewide criteria for re-opening in hybrid mode that had already announced their plans may proceed in doing so at their discretion.
"We know how important is is to stay open and not immediately close," Stewart said. However, he added, the education department, in consultation with the health department and the governor's office, is in the process of determining thresholds under which schools would have to close again.
"We are at the point where, if we don't take all the actions that we can, if we don't take all the measures to stop the spread of the virus, we do run the risk of getting to the point—where spread rates get to the point—we'd have to close down schools and go back into the remote learning model," Stewart said.
Since schools began re-entry on Sept. 8, there have been 244 COVID-19 cases spread across 148 schools. Of those, 154 were staff members and 90 were students. Today, the education department reported 20 new cases in the last 24 hours at schools from nine counties: 13 staff members and seven students.
The state also announced six additional deaths today, including a female teenager from Eddy County. Bernalillo, Chaves, Roosevelt, San Juan and Socorro counties also had deaths reported today; there have now been 928 fatalities.
As of today, 168 people are hospitalized with COVID-19—18 more than yesterday.*
New cases
- 178 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 26 new cases in Chaves County
- 9 new cases in Cibola County
- 76 new cases in Curry County
- 146 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 36 new cases in Eddy County
- 3 new cases in Grant County
- 54 new cases in Lea County
- 16 new cases in Lincoln County
- 30 new cases in Luna County
- 5 new cases in McKinley County
- 1 new case in Mora County
- 23 new cases in Otero County
- 4 new cases in Rio Arriba County
- 8 new cases in Roosevelt County
- 42 new cases in Sandoval County
- 29 new cases in San Juan County
- 4 new cases in San Miguel County
- 39 new cases in Santa Fe County
- 6 new cases in Sierra County
- 7 new cases in Socorro County
- 1 new case in Taos County
- 1 new case in Union County
- 23 new cases in Valencia County
- 31 new cases among individuals being held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility
- 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility
- 20 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County
New fatalities
- A female in her 80s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized, had underlying conditions and was a resident of Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
- A female in her 90s from Chaves County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of Heartfelt Manor Assisted Living in Roswell
- A female in her teens from Eddy County
- A female in her 70s from Roosevelt 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 male in his 60s from Socorro 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:
- Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center
- Artesia Healthcare and Rehabilitation
- Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque
- Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
- BeeHive Homes Volcano Cliffs in Albuquerque
- Belen Meadows Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Belen
- Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation
- Brookdale Santa Fe
- Brookdale Valencia Albuquerque
- Casa Arena Blanca Nursing Center in Alamogordo
- Casa del Sol Center in Las Cruces
- 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
- Desert Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hobbs
- El Castillo in Santa Fe
- Good Life Senior Living in Artesia
- Good Life Senior Living in Carlsbad
- Good Life Senior Living in Lovington
- Good Samaritan Society – Manzano Del Sol in Albuquerque
- Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces
- Laguna Rainbow Care in Casa Blanca
- Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
- Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
- LifeSpire Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
- Lotus Care Homes in Albuquerque
- Kingston Residence of Santa Fe
- Mission Arch Center in Roswell
- MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care in Rio Rancho
- The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho
- New Mexico State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences
- Ramah Adult Care in Ramah
- Retirement Ranches in Clovis
- Retreat Healthcare in Rio Rancho
- Rio Rancho Center
- Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
- Sandia Senior Suites in Albuquerque
- San Juan Center in Albuquerque
- Silver City Care Center in Silver City
- South Valley Care Center in Albuquerque
- Tercer Cielo in Albuquerque
- Village at Northrise in Las Cruces
- Village Retirement Community in Roswell
- Welbrook Senior Living Las Cruces
Statewide cases
According to a state news release, previously reported numbers included seven cases that have been identified as duplicates (two in Bernalillo County, three in Chaves County, one in Doña Ana County and one in Santa Fe County)—these now have been corrected. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.
- Bernalillo County: 8,605
- Catron County: 9
- Chaves County: 1,687
- Cibola County: 487
- Colfax County: 41
- Curry County: 1,231
- De Baca County: 1
- Doña Ana County: 4,500
- Eddy County: 1,125
- Grant County: 159
- Guadalupe County: 37
- Harding County: 1
- Hidalgo County: 111
- Lea County: 1,767
- Lincoln County: 283
- Los Alamos County: 37
- Luna County: 558
- McKinley County: 4,454
- Mora County: 13
- Otero County: 342
- Quay County: 86
- Rio Arriba County: 432
- Roosevelt County: 373
- Sandoval County: 1,664
- San Juan County: 3,565
- San Miguel County: 132
- Santa Fe County: 1,312
- Sierra County: 73
- Socorro County: 155
- Taos County: 165
- Torrance County: 91
- Union County: 38
- Valencia County: 725
Cases among people being held by federal agencies
- Cibola County Correctional Center: 329
- Otero County Prison Facility: 333
- Otero County Processing Center: 181
- Torrance County Detention Facility: 44
Cases among people being held by the New Mexico Department of Corrections
- Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 40
- Lea County Correctional Facility: 76
- Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 5
- Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1
- Otero County Prison Facility: 472
- Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1
- Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 25
- 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.
