56 local COVID-19 cases reported

Christmas Day saw the New Mexico Department of Health report 1,465 new cases of COVID-19, with 56 local cases and two Curry County deaths among a state total of 36.

The deaths, the 42nd and 43rd reported by Curry County, were a male in his 70s and a female in her 50s. Both were hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

The Friday pushed the state to a total of 136,622 COVID-19 cases and 2,307 deaths since the pandemic began in March.

Curry County recorded 35 new cases on Friday, for a total of 690 in December and 3,882 since the pandemic began. A total of 2,165 cases are designated as recovered. (3,192 on Nov. 30).

Roosevelt County recorded 21 cases Friday, for a total of 437 in December and 1,432 since the pandemic began. A total of 680 of those cases are designated as recovered. Roosevelt County has reported 22 deaths, with two in the last week — a male in his 80s on Dec. 19 and a female in her 80s Thursday who was hospitalized.

Curry and Roosevelt counties are likely to remain in the red status when the next state update comes Wednesday. The state’s three-tier system is based on daily cases at or below eight per 100,000 residents and test positivity rate at or below 5%. Counties are green if they meet both, yellow if they meet one and red if they meet neither.

Since Dec. 17, the start of the upcoming two-week observation period, Curry County has had 204 cases and Roosevelt County 159. To meet the “8 per 100,000” benchmark, Curry must be at or below 56 cases and Roosevelt 23 during a two-week period.

Based on the positive cases, a 5% positivity rate would require 4,080 tests in Curry County and 3,180 in Roosevelt County during that same period. Since March, Curry County residents have taken 37,725 tests and Roosevelt County 14,077.

• On Wednesday, Plains Regional Medical Center reported 13 COVID-19 patients, with eight in intensive care. The overall number was down from 16 on Monday and 15 on Tuesday, but up from six and five, respectively, in ICU patients.

• There were seven local establishments — three in Clovis, four in Portales — on the state’s Thursday Rapid Response Watchlist.

The watchlist includes any establishment that has had multiple rapid responses in the last 14 days. A rapid response is initiated by the state after a business informs the state an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. Rapid response measures include but are not limited to rapid testing of employees and location cleaning.

In Clovis, Albertsons Market had three rapid responses, while Bath & Body Works and Interim Health Care each had two. In Portales, La Casa Family Health Center has had seven rapid responses, while Walmart, Portales High and R.G. Lath and Plaster each had two.

An establishment that collects four rapid responses inside 14 days would be under consideration for a 14-day closure, but the state looks at each case on its own merits and has not closed any local establishment that has reached the threshold. The seven rapid responses for La Casa is the highest for any local establishment since the watchlist began. However, it is unlikely to be closed by the state given its role as a provider of health services.

Currently, 175 establishments are on the state watchlist. The state did not update the watchlist on Friday due to the Christmas holiday.