Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Still more to learn about Omicron

SANTA FE — New Mexico Department of Health officials had cautious optimism regarding recent drops in COVID-19 infections, but noted during their Wednesday update there's still plenty to learn about the Omicron variant.

“We do see some decrease in our seven-day moving average,” State Epidemiologist Christine Ross said. “We certainly hope that trend continues downward, but we need more time to follow that trend out and see where it's going to head.”

In a press conference presented in English and Spanish for the first time, DOH officials noted the state reported 99 deaths in the last two weeks from COVID-19.

Ross said the goal for the state is to emphasize risk reduction and encouraged vaccination, testing, social distancing, handwashing and avoiding large gatherings. New Mexico residents can schedule vaccine appointments at vaccinem.org and find a test site at findatestnm.org .

“There is a way to proceed on with our lives,” Ross said. “We do have tools to reduce the risk, and I really hope people use them.”

Between Nov. 22 and Monday, the state reported that unvaccinated New Mexicans made up 71.6% of total cases, 82% of hospitalizations and 87.4% of deaths.

Of the breakthrough cases (COVID-19 cases for vaccinated individuals), the largest age range for cases is 25-39, followed by 40-49, 18-24 and 50-64.

As of Wednesday, the Delta strain remained the state's prominent strain, but state officials expected the more transmissible Omicron variant would take over soon. The variant has been identified in all 50 states, and as of Wednesday represented 73% of all U.S. cases. Ross said the department knows the Omicron variant spreads faster, but is still looking into data on how sick it makes people and how effective vaccines are against it.

In other COVID-19 developments:

• The state confirmed 1,150 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total to 342,649 since the pandemic began. Of those 1,150 cases, 31 were from Curry County and 37 from Roosevelt County.

Both counties had a ZIP code in the top 10.

Portales' 88130 ZIP code was fifth in the state with all 37 of Roosevelt's cases, while Clovis' 88101 ZIP code was ninth with 29 cases.

One of the 44 deaths announced Thursday came from Roosevelt County. The county's 80th death was a male in his 70s who was hospitalized.

Wednesday's report included 914 cases statewide, with 14 in Curry County and three in Roosevelt County. The DOH reported 39 deaths, with two coming from Roosevelt County — a male in his 80s and a female in her 90s. Tuesday's report included 733 new cases, with 20 in Curry County and two in Roosevelt County with no local deaths among the 48 reported.

• Ross said the state is likely undercounting COVID-19 deaths in comparison to other states.

New Mexico, she said, counts a COVID-19 death based on information provided in a death certificate.

“It's a complicated topic,” Ross said, “but you may have someone who dies where COVID-19 has not been listed on the death certificate but we find out they had a positive COVID-19 test within 30 days of their death. There are some states that are considering that a positive COVID-19 death (while New Mexico does not).”

• The state is working on distributing at-home COVID-19 tests. Deputy Cabinet Secretary Laura Parajon said the effort will initially be concentrated on areas with high case rates and high social vulnerability.

• The DOH did not send out a case report Friday due to Christmas Eve, instead choosing to add that to its consolidated Monday report. Katy Diffendorfer, a health equity communications manager for the department, also told The News the department plans to release only two reports this week, on Monday and Thursday.

 
 
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