Curry 10th in state for COVID-19 cases

CLOVIS — So far during the COVID-19 pandemic, Curry County is 10th in the state with 3,441 total, while Roosevelt County is ranked 16th with 1,115.

That’s following Monday’s report from the Department of Health, which detailed 22 new cases and one death in Curry County and eight cases Monday in Roosevelt County.

The death reported in Curry County was a female in her 50s, who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

In Clovis, the Plains Regional Medical Center reported that they had 27 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 on Sunday, 29 on Monday, and 24 on Tuesday. There were six people in the ICU all three days for COVID-19.

Clovis currently has five entities on New Mexico's Rapid Response COVID-19 Watchlist for multiple rapid responses in a 14-day period. The watchlist includes BNSF Railway with four, Southwest Cheese with three and Albertsons Market, Gebo's and Hobby Lobby with two cases.

Portales High School is the only Roosevelt County entity on the Watchlist after reporting two rapid responses.

According to New York Times Coronavirus data, on Tuesday Curry County was averaging 36 cases per day and 73 cases per 100,000. Roosevelt County was averaging 19 cases per day and 93 cases per 100,000. For total cases per 100,000, both counties were in the state’s top 10 — Curry was ranked sixth with 7,029 per 100,000 and Roosevelt was tenth with 6,027 per 100,000.

Utilizing that same data, Roosevelt County was tenth in the state for average deaths per 100,000. The county has had 16 deaths due to the Coronavirus, which equates to 86 deaths per 100,000.

In total, New Mexico has had 109,947 positive cases, 1,756 deaths, and 935 hospitalizations for COVID-19. Over the last 14 days there has been a 31% decrease in case numbers, but a 13% increase in deaths and a 16% increase in hospitalizations.

The United States remains the country with the highest total number of positive case with 15,027,423, and highest number of deaths at 283,835 as of Tuesday. Averaging out the data per 100,000, the U.S. is still internationally ranked in the top 10 for highest case counts and is 12th for number of deaths. The U.S. case fatality rate is currently at 2%.

New Mexico's “Red to Green” county-based reopening plan began last Wednesday. Local officials voiced their opinion of the changes and what it means for the community.

“I am glad to see a more local approach and our community has a long successful track record on what we accomplish by working together,” Curry County Manager Lance Pyle said. “We had good results in September on the tiered system for our schools by moving to green, allowing the opening to hybrid model and by all of us working together in support of our healthcare professionals, kids, Cannon Air Force Base and our local businesses there is no doubt we can do that again.

Pyle and Roosevelt County Manager Hamilton were recently successful in securing saliva tests for area residents to have access to.

“On one hand it feels better to have a county approach, giving us some sense of control over our own destiny” Clovis Mayor Mike Morris said. “On the other hand, when you look at the red/yellow/green plan and gating criteria that the governor has laid out, it appears it would be impossible to achieve the yellow level by either the case number gate or the test positivity rate gate that's been established, at least for some time.”

Morris noted he had been asking the state for a county approach since May.

“I find it especially frustrating that the state's strategy which is so burdensome on businesses doesn't seem to be producing the results it should, or I assume, the state wants,” Morris said. “If restrictions could solve this crisis, New Mexico would have the lowest per million case counts and lowest per million death rates in the country. But we don't. Yet, as case numbers and hospitalizations have gone up to alarming levels, the state's response has been to continue to tighten and add restrictions.”

Morris added that for the health and safety of the public the severity and seriousness of the pandemic does call for some restrictions which he has asked Clovis residents to follow. However, he said many of the orders seem to negatively impact business owners while not improving the health of the community.

“As I speak, people are standing in line to buy groceries. And I cannot fathom how that will improve anything or help slow the spread. It only complicates life in an already complicated situation. I feel that restrictions are in order but that a more balanced approach could be more effective — perhaps something like the level green restrictions paired with solid, factual information provided to the public,” Morris said. “Let's acknowledge individual responsibility and give people the freedom to make the right decisions to protect their neighbor.”