Coronavirus Updates

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Wednesday announced 130 additional COVID-19 cases and 3 deaths.

As of today, there are 127 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.

  SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday extended the state’s emergency public health order through July 15 and issued a severe warning about the risk of New Mexico being forced to re-enact more severe public health restrictions in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 across the state.

Reflecting the rising case count and COVID-19 transmission rate in all regions of the state, the state’s amended emergency public health order does not enact any additional easings of public health restrictions intended to mitigate the spread of the virus. The governor and state health officials signaled last week that “Phase Two” of the state’s reopening would be on hold until public health conditions warrant further relaxations of restrictions and the state’s gating criteria could once again be met. 

SANTA FE, NM - Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a new public health order effective today, July 1st, requiring businesses to enforce mask compliance in their spaces. Business owners will face possible fines for not following the new order.

  A new investigation from KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and The Associated Press examines the troubling state of the public health infrastructure the nation is relying on to navigate the health and economic threats presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The multipart investigation, which launched today, finds that the public health workforce in the United States is underfunded and under threat, lacking the basic tools to confront the worst pandemic in a century. The novel coronavirus has infected at least 2.6 million people in the U.S., killed more than 12,000 people and cost tens of millions of jobs and $3 trillion in federal rescue money.

Doña Ana County Treasurer Eric L. Rodriguez announced today that his office will waive penalty and interest fees from property tax payments made after May 10, for accounts that meet certain qualifications.

“We have been waiting for state legislation to pass so that our office can legally provide some relief to Doña Ana County taxpayers who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rodriguez said.

House Bill 6 provides such a relief by temporarily waiving penalty and interest for the second half of the 2019 tax liabilities on accounts that were current before May 10, 2020. The bill also provides significant relief and support measures for individuals, businesses and local governments, throughout the state.

New Mexico state health officials on Monday announced 168 additional COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths.

As of today, there are 127 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.

Major League Baseball (MLB) has informed Minor League Baseball (MiLB) that it will not be providing its affiliated Minor League teams with players for the 2020 season. As a result, there will not be a Minor League Baseball season in 2020.  MiLB originally announced the delay to the start of the 2020 season on March 12 and the postponement of games on April 16 due to COVID-19.

Here is a statement from the El Paso Chihuahuas: “This year we will certainly miss the excitement, experience, and the sense of community that Chihuahuas baseball is well known for,” said MountainStar Sports Group and Chihuahuas President Alan Ledford.  “While baseball is not happening at Southwest University Park in 2020, we will continue to serve our community and engage with fans throughout the region through social media, community efforts, and the hard work of our mascot, Chico.”

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation has extended the closure of tribal government offices and ordered residents to stay home for another three weeks.

Tribal officials say they are concerned with spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases off the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Arizona again shut down bars, nightclubs and gyms amid a surge of coronavirus cases. New Mexico has paused plans for reopening more of the state's economy.

Activities in New Mexico State University’s Coca-Cola Weight Training Center have been temporarily suspended. The university made the decision at the recommendation of the University Athletics team doctor after six student-athletes and a sports performance staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The university is working to identify other NMSU students and personnel who may have come in contact with those who tested positive. The facility will reopen after further testing can be completed.

University Athletics continues to operate under its COVID-19 plan, which was reviewed and approved by experts at the university and at the New Mexico’s Department of Health. For the latest updates on the NMSU system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit https://ready.nmsu.edu.

  WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been a frequent Trump administration talking point on the recent spike in COVID-19 infections: Don’t worry, only a small sliver of U.S. counties is at greater risk.

In offering this reassurance, Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar have said that only 3% or 4% of counties in the country are seeing a surge in cases. Focus on the “encouraging signs," Pence told senators last week.

But they and other administration officials are skirting a key fact: More than 20% of Americans live in those relatively few counties.

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Monday announced 173 additional COVID-19 cases and 1 death.

As of today, there are 119 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.

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Sunday announced 192 additional COVID-19 cases and one more death.

As of today, there are 114 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.

  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's persistent see-no-evil posture on coronavirus testing — if you don't look for the virus, the cases go away — defies both science and street sense. Yet he took it a step further with a comment suggesting that testing be restrained so the pandemic doesn't look so bad.

His aides passed that off as a joke. Trump contradicted them, saying he wasn't kidding. Then he contradicted himself, saying he was.

So it went over the past week as America's reckoning with disease and racism navigated a fog of falsehoods and distortions from the president. A sampling:

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Saturday announced 209 additional COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths.

As of today, there are 122 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.

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Friday announced 225 additional COVID-19 cases. 

As of today, there are 128 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.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials say they are heartbroken but that the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to cancel this year's state fair.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham raised concerns Thursday about a recent uptick in COVID-19 infections in the state, indicating that it might be no-go for funnel cakes, turkey legs and the rest of the pageantry that makes up the annual September spectacle.

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Efforts to open more of New Mexico's economy are on hold because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent days. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during a briefing Thursday that there's a false sense of security that has developed among Americans and that people are not being vigilant about staying home, wearing masks when they go out and keeping their distance from others. She blamed lax social behaviors for the recent increase in New Mexico and noted the risks presented by the exponential growth in infections in neighboring Arizona and Texas. New Mexico has nearly 11,200 cases.

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Department of Health has reported 69 new cases of coronavirus on the Navajo Nation with 11 more known deaths.

That pushes the total of positive COVID-19 cases on the reservation to 7,157 with the death toll at 347 as of Wednesday night. Preliminary reports from 11 health care facilities indicate about 3,802 people have recovered from COVID-19 with one hospital report still pending.  

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — About 80% of inmates at the Otero County prison in southern New Mexico have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The outbreak started in early May when officials learned a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. State Corrections Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero says more than 400 inmates tested positive and three have died.

The prison also holds inmates serving time on federal convictions, mostly related to drugs. There were 275 positive cases among those inmates. The percentage of federal prisoners infected with COVID-19 is unclear.

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Thursday announced 207 additional COVID-19 cases and 5 deaths.

As of today, there are 135 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.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The statewide total of COVID-19 infections in New Mexico is approaching 11,000 as health officials are reporting an additional 156 positive tests.

The numbers released Wednesday also show the death toll now stands at 480, including four new deaths related to the coronavirus. The latest cases come as the state eases into the reopening of some segments of the economy, including breweries, restaurants, gyms and salons at limited capacities.

SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Wednesday announced 156 additional COVID-19 cases and four more deaths.

As of today, there are 149 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.

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — All flags on the Navajo Nation will be flown at half-staff through Thursday to honor the first officer on the tribal police force to die from the coronavirus in the line of duty.

Officer Michael Lee died June 19 at a Phoenix hospital. The 50-year-old Lee served 29 years with the tribal police department, beginning his law enforcement career as a recruit with the Navajo Police Academy in October 1990. He worked his first seven years in Window Rock and the rest of his career in Chinle.

  SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Tuesday announced 147 additional COVID-19 cases and 7 more deaths.

As of today, there are 141 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.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas has surpassed 5,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time.

The announcement Tuesday marks another troubling new milestone as the largest pediatric hospital in the U.S. begins taking adult patients to free up bed space in Houston.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday that “the next couple weeks are going to be critical” in Texas and other states that are trying to curtail an alarming spike in new cases.