The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic appears to be cycling down in Lea County — again. That was the word from Nor-Lea Hospital District CEO/Administrator David Shaw during an online update broadcast on social media Friday morning. While the daily case count in Lea County has declined slightly to about 40 per 100,000 residents, positivity rate still remains relatively high at 11 …

A flood of COVID patients in Lea County is stretching local hospitals to the breaking point. “The scenario we’re facing is a disaster,” said Dan Springer, CEO of Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital. “We have done everything possible to accommodate patients. We’re just completely overwhelmed.” As of midday Tuesday, Covenant Hobbs was “beyond capacity,” Springer told the News-Sun, with 19 patients …