COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials yesterday reported 590 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 43,169. Doña Ana County again led with the most cases: 163, followed by Bernalillo County with 141 and Luna County with 95. Santa Fe County had 19 new cases.
The new numbers come as the state's gating criteria dashboard shows the daily case rate over a seven-day rolling average rise to 686, more than four times the target of 168. While the state continues to exceed its goal of running 5,000 tests per day and is currently running more than 9,000, the statewide test positivity rate rests at 8.4%, far above the 5% goal. The state also is not meeting its rate of spread goals or those for contact tracing.
The state also announced four additional deaths from Doña Ana, Lea, Roosevelt and Socorro counties; there have now been 980 fatalities. As of yesterday, 307 people were hospitalized with COVID-19—18 more than the day prior and 102 more than one week ago. According to a state news release, 76% of general beds and 69% of ICU beds across New Mexico hospitals are occupied with both COVID-19 and non-COVID patients.
You can read all of SFR's COVID-19 coverage here. If you've had experiences with testing or the virus, we would like to hear from you.
State Supreme Court strikes down GOP suit
With nearly half of New Mexico voters already casting their ballots in advance of the Nov. 3 general election, the state Supreme Court yesterday swiftly denied a petition by the state Republican Party filed against Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, which alleged that Republican poll watchers were being denied oversight for absentee ballot verification. The Secretary of State's Office commended the decision, with spokesman Alex Curtas saying in a written statement to SFR, "It's unfortunate that the Republican Party of New Mexico is filing a lawsuit on this issue one week before the 2020 General Election when the procedures that are being followed have been in statute for a long period of time, or were passed in the Special Session this summer, followed by an extensive public rule making process." State Republicans filed a second lawsuit in the 1st Judicial District Court yesterday alleging ballot drop box violations in Taos and Guadalupe counties. As previously noted, hundreds of election-related lawsuits have been filed across the country leading up to the general election.
Agreement struck over Mexican Spotted Owl
Federal agencies and environmental organization WildEarth Guardians yesterday announced an agreement over forest protection and the endangered Mexican Spotted Owl, which resolves an injunction against timber operations in national forests that has been in place for more than a year. That injunction stemmed from a lawsuit WildEarth Guardians filed in 2013. Among other stipulations, the US Forest Service will conduct annual Mexican spotted owl population trend-monitoring through 2025. "This agreement provides a framework for the Forest Service to better protect national forests and Mexican spotted owls," WildEarth Guardians Executive Director John Horning said in a statement. "By agreeing to rigorously monitor species and track habitats, this management framework could be a national model for the Forest Service to protect and recover threatened and endangered species."
State grapples with COVID-19 vaccine planning
Department of Health officials updated lawmakers yesterday on the state's plan for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available, with one lawmaker describing such distribution as a "logistical nightmare." All US states were required to file their vaccine plans with the Centers for Disease Control on Oct. 16. Like most states' plans, New Mexico's has many gaps, given that no vaccine has yet been approved. Other challenges, according to a presentation delivered during yesterday's interim legislative Health and Human Services Committee meeting, include "fading public confidence," as the percentage of people in the US who said they would get vaccinated against COVID-19 decreased from 69% to 58% since August. The state's draft plan indicates that with limited supplies of the vaccine, it would initially be made available to those "most likely to come into contact with and care for COVID-19 patients" and "those at greatest risk of serious illness or death from the disease."
Listen up
The most recent episode of Growing Forward, "Cannabis Education," provides a primer on cannabis-related topics, including: how to obtain a medical marijuana card; how the plant can help alleviate pain and discomfort; as well as how much cannabis dispensary employees should know about medical conditions and advising patients on the proper strains and doses to take. Growing Forward, hosted by New Mexico Political Report journalist Andy Lyman and PBS correspondent Megan Kamerick, also has a fun soundtrack.
SPREAD returns
SITE Santa Fe's popular SPREAD event returns, version 7.0, providing a chance to generate funding for New Mexico artists. SPREAD began in 2011 as a recurring dinner event at which participating artists presented their proposals and, in some cases, went home with money (the prior six events raised more than $40,000 in direct funds for artists, according to SITE). The 2021 event will be virtual, but the premise remains the same: New Mexico artists working in any discipline can apply to be a SPREAD finalist by Dec. 4. A jury of curators and artists will select six finalists, who will be announced in late January 2021. Online voting will begin in March 2021 and a virtual SPREAD event at which the winner will be announced will take place in April. Apply and learn more here.
Santa Fe does Halloween
Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber and city councilors will take a break from wrestling with budgetary and policy matters to judge costumes and Halloween pumpkins. The contest categories for costumes are either scariest or most creative for: babies (2 years and younger); youth; adult; family or group; home or office. The pumpkin carving categories are also scariest and most creative. Send a picture of your costume and/or your carved pumpkin by Nov. 1 to MaskUpSantaFe@santafenm.gov. Include your name, telephone number and contact email with your submission. Winners will be announced by Nov. 6 and receive recognition online and some fun prizes provided by the Recreation Department.
The big chill
The snow was fun while it lasted, but at some point yesterday the winter weather warning morphed into an advisory and the snow began to melt. Today's forecast calls for a 20% chance of snow before 9 am and that's all folks. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 39 degrees and north wind 5 to 15 mph. Daytime temps start warming up tomorrow and heading back to the low to mid-50s by the weekend.
Thanks for reading! The Word spent the brief snow storm pondering fire pits, wearable blankets and other supposed must-haves for a socially distant social life this winter.
