New Mexico breaks daily COVID-19 record with 577 new cases

Algernon D'Ammassa
Las Cruces Sun-News

This story was updated with public school data at 5 p.m.

SANTA FE - New Mexico blew past its previous single-day record for new cases of COVID-19 disease on Wednesday when the state Department of Health reported that 577 new cases had been confirmed.

The previous record, set four days ago, was 488. 

By county, the highest number of news cases confirmed were in Bernalillo County (with 199) and Doña Ana County in the south with 108. 

The disease is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, for which no vaccine yet exists. The first cases in New Mexico were identified on March 11, the same day Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency in the state. 

Since that date, the state has processed 1,011,320 tests and confirmed 34,290 cases. Documented recoveries total 19,127 and 921 New Mexicans have died.

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The latest three deaths included a male Bernalillo County resident in his 70s and a female resident of Chaves County (which identified 66 new cases Wednesday) in her 70s, both of whom had been hospitalized and had unspecified underlying conditions. 

The third death male resident of the Good Samaritan Society facility in Las Cruces, in his 90s. He, too, was described as having underlying conditions. 

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According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain conditions including diseases of the heart, lung or kidneys, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and others present greater risk for more severe disease when infected with COVID-19. 

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 statewide increased to 145 Wednesday as well, which may include out-of-state residents receiving hospital care in New Mexico. 

Four new cases were identified among federal detainees at the Otero County Prison Facility in Chaparral, bringing the total of cases among people in federal custody to 849, including the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, which holds detainees for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

Among individuals in the custody of the New Mexico Corrections Department around the state, 598 cases have been identified. The vast majority of those — 472 — have been at the Otero County Prison Facility.

The state Public Education Department reported 21 new cases, 10 public school students and 11 staff members, in 11 of the state's 33 counties. 

Since it began collecting data on Aug. 17, the PED has documented 230 school personnel and 118 students among 179 schools testing positive for the disease, a total of 348. 

On Tuesday, Lujan Grisham signaled that public health orders aiming to slow community spread of the pandemic would be extended and include rollbacks to previous steps the state has taken to reopen normal business operations. 

The new measures previewed Tuesday included reducing permissible social gatherings to a maximum of 5 from 10, and a new directive that restaurants serving alcohol and breweries would be required to close by 10 p.m. Hotels and places of lodging will also be allowed to accept guests at 25 to 60 percent of their allowed occupancy, depending on whether the establishments had completed a state safety certification course.

MoreNew COVID-19 restrictions for New Mexico

Further details are expected when the governor, who is self-quarantining after a potential exposure to COVID-19 from a member of her staff, leads a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

During an Oct. 8 press update, Lujan Grisham warned that New Mexico was "at extreme risk of uncontrollable spread" and said the economic repercussions if the state experiences a larger outbreak "untenable." 

State health officials have urged greater public compliance with health directives such as the mandatory face mask requirement in public spaces, limited travel outside the home, maintaining at least six feet of distance from other people and washing hands regularly with soap for at least 20 seconds at a time. 

Symptoms of COVID-19 infection include 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.

Keep reading:Here are the Doña Ana County businesses investigated for coronavirus

Experts warn, however, that some of the symptoms resemble symptoms of regular influenza, and have advised vaccinations for seasonal flu. Most individuals recover from the disease with mild or moderate symptoms. Additionally, individuals may carry the symptoms for days at a time without showing any symptoms at all.

Individuals with symptoms are directed to call their health care provider or the Department of Health's COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453. Free testing is available at DOH offices. 

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.