State announces 3 more deaths related to COVID-19 in Lea County

Lea County had three new reported deaths on Friday due to COVID-19, according to the N.M. Department of Health, and 55 new cases.

The department reports the two deaths were:

• A male in his 60s from Lea County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 70s from Lea County. The individual had underlying conditions.
• A female in her 80s from Lea County. The individual was hospitalized and was a resident of the Lovington Healthcare facility in Lovington.

With those three deaths, Lea County has had a cumulative total of 97 deaths related to COVID-19.

Lea County has had 43,224 tests conducted and the state says of the 7,144 cumulative positive cases, 3,415 are fully recovered.

Of those 7,144 positive tests, 4,459 were for the 88240 or Hobbs zip code, 1,564 were for the 88260 or Lovington zip code, 548 cases were for the 88242 or north Hobbs zip code, 192 cases for 88231 or the Eunice zip code, 67 cases for the 88267 or Tatum zip code, 114 cases for the 88252 or Jal zip code, one case for the 88261 or north Lovington area zip code and 17 case for the 88265 or the Monument area zip code.

With 7,144 cases, Lea County has had the second most cases of any county in southeastern New Mexico, behind Chaves County which has 7,415 cases in the county Northwest of Lea County. In nearby Eddy County now has 5,015 cases. To the north of Lea County, Roosevelt County has 1,599 cases and Curry has 4,293.

As of Thursday, Jan. 7, Gaines County had a cumulative total of 1,279 cases, with 50 of those active cases, 1,209 recovered, and 20 deaths, according to the South Plains Public Health District. Yoakum County had a cumulative total of 789 cases, with 17 of those active cases, 764 recovered, and eight deaths.

On Friday, Lea County Correctional Facility has the cumulative total of 249 cases at the private prison north of Hobbs that houses state inmates.

As of Friday, there are 703 individuals hospitalized in New Mexico for COVID-19. This number may include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 out of state but are currently hospitalized in New Mexico. This number does not include New Mexicans who tested positive for COVID-19 and may have been transferred to a hospital out of state.

As of Friday, there are 75,833 COVID-19 cases designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.

New Mexico state health officials on Friday announced 1,645 additional COVID-19 cases. Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are:

• 430 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 1 new case in Catron County
• 76 new cases in Chaves County
• 22 new cases in Cibola County
• 30 new cases in Colfax County
• 53 new cases in Curry County
• 5 new cases in De Baca County
• 202 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 57 new cases in Eddy County
• 20 new cases in Grant County
• 4 new cases in Guadalupe County
• 5 new cases in Hidalgo County
• 55 new cases in Lea County
• 19 new cases in Lincoln County
• 7 new cases in Los Alamos County
• 19 new cases in Luna County
• 99 new cases in McKinley County
• 5 new cases in Mora County
• 19 new cases in Otero County
• 8 new cases in Quay County
• 27 new cases in Rio Arriba County
• 13 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 95 new cases in Sandoval County
• 182 new cases in San Juan County
• 15 new cases in San Miguel County
• 81 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 7 new cases in Sierra County
• 13 new cases in Socorro County
• 12 new cases in Taos County
• 4 new cases in Torrance County
• 1 new case in Union County
• 57 new cases in Valencia County
• 1 new case among individuals 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

The Department of Health on Friday reported thirty additional deaths in New Mexico related to COVID-19:

• A male in his 50s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A male in his 70s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A second male in his 70s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A third male in his 70s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. The individual was a resident of the Tender Heart Assisted Living facility in Albuquerque.
• A female in her 80s from Bernalillo County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 80s from Bernalillo County. The individual was a resident of the Atria Vista del Rio facility in Albuquerque.
• A female in her 90s from Bernalillo County. The individual had underlying conditions and was a resident of the South Valley Care Center in Albuquerque.
• A male in his 90s from Bernalillo County. The individual had underlying conditions and was a resident of the BeeHive Homes San Pedro facility in Albuquerque.
• A male in his 40s from Chaves County. The individual had underlying conditions.
• A female in her 60s from Colfax County.
• A male in his 40s from Curry County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A female in her 30s from Doña Ana County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A female in her 60s from Doña Ana County. The individual had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Good Samaritan Society facility in Las Cruces.
• A female in her 70s from Doña Ana County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 90s from Doña Ana County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A male in his 60s from Lea County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 70s from Lea County. The individual had underlying conditions.
• A female in her 80s from Lea County. The individual was hospitalized and was a resident of the Lovington Healthcare facility in Lovington.
• A female in her 60s from Lincoln County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A male in his 70s from Luna County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 40s from Otero County.
• A male in his 60s from Otero County. The individual had underlying conditions.
• A female in her 80s from Quay County.
• A female in her 30s from Rio Arriba County.
• A male in his 40s from Rio Arriba County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A female in her 80s from Roosevelt County. The individual had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales.
• A male in his 60s from San Juan County. The individual was hospitalized.
• A female in her 70s from San Juan County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 70s from Socorro County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 40s from Torrance County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

The number of deaths of New Mexico residents related to COVID-19 is now 2,710.

Previously reported numbers included seven cases that have been identified as duplicates (four in Bernalillo County, one in Doña Ana County, one in San Juan County, one in Sierra County) and one case in Bernalillo County that was not lab confirmed – these have now been corrected. Including the above newly reported cases, New Mexico has now had a total of 151,819 COVID-19 cases:

Bernalillo County: 43,807

Catron County: 62

Chaves County: 7,415

Cibola County: 2,395

Colfax County: 586

Curry County: 4,293

De Baca County: 109

Doña Ana County: 18,577

Eddy County: 5,015

Grant County: 1,050

Guadalupe County: 295

Harding County: 8

Hidalgo County: 270

Lea County: 7,144

Lincoln County: 1,128

Los Alamos County: 334

Luna County: 2,463

McKinley County: 10,374

Mora County: 131

Otero County: 2,327

Quay County: 356

Rio Arriba County: 2,587

Roosevelt County: 1,599

Sandoval County: 8,861

San Juan County: 11,289

San Miguel County: 931

Santa Fe County: 7,901

Sierra County: 600

Socorro County: 993

Taos County: 1,228

Torrance County: 519

Union County: 201

Valencia County: 5,206

County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

The Department of Health currently reports the following numbers of COVID-19 cases among individuals held by the New Mexico Corrections Department at the following facilities:

• Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 281
• Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 250
• Lea County Correctional Facility: 249
• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 163
• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 106
• Otero County Prison Facility: 472
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 174
• Roswell Correctional Center: 227
• Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 215
• Springer Correctional Center in Colfax County: 151
• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 22

The Department of Health has detected community spread in the state of New Mexico and is investigating cases with no known exposure. The agency reports that given the infectious nature of the virus it is likely other residents are infected but yet to be tested or confirmed positive. To that end, all New Mexicans have been instructed to stay home except for outings absolutely necessary for health, safety and welfare. These additional restrictions have been enacted to aggressively minimize person-to-person contact and ensure spread is mitigated. New Mexicans are strongly urged to limit travel to only what is necessary for health, safety and welfare.

The New Mexico Department of Health has active investigations into the positive patients, which includes contact-tracing and swabs of symptomatic individuals who have had contact with the positive cases.

New Mexicans who report symptoms of COVID-19 infection, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and/or loss of taste or smell should call their health care provider or the NMDOH COVID-19 hotline immediately (1-855-600-3453).

The Department of Health strongly encourages the following groups to get tested:

• Symptomatic people displaying the COVID-19 symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and/or loss of taste or smell;
• Asymptomatic people who are close contacts or household members of people in their infectious period who have already tested positive for the coronavirus;
• Asymptomatic people who live or work in congregate settings such as long-term care facilities and group homes;
• Patients who are scheduled for surgery and whose provider has advised them to get tested before the procedure.

New Mexicans who have non-health-related questions or concerns can also call 833-551-0518 or visit newmexico.gov, which is being updated regularly as a one-stop source for information for families, workers and others affected by and seeking more information about COVID-19.