State reports comparatively light COVID-19 case rates

The state had a few days of comparably light reports of new COVID-19 cases, while new local infections were across the spectrum.

Between Saturday and Monday, the state reported a total of 2,056 cases — 609 Saturday, 747 Sunday and 700 Monday — with Curry and Roosevelt counties accounting for 97, or about 4.5% of those cases.

Sunday was by far the highest day for local infections, with 45 in Curry and 15 in Roosevelt.

Saturday saw 23 cases, with 15 in Roosevelt County and eight in Curry County. Curry again had eight new cases on Monday, while Roosevelt County had six.

There were no local deaths reported among the 75 reported statewide — 30 Saturday, nine Sunday, 36 Monday. So far, Curry County has reported 43 deaths and Roosevelt 22.

For December, Curry County has recorded 751 cases — less than half of its November total of 1,559, and more in line with the October total of 782 cases. Of the county’s 3,943 cases, a total of 2,256 are designated as recovered.

Roosevelt County has confirmed 473 cases in December, and the monthly total should fall somewhere in line with November’s 514 cases. The county has had a total of 1,469 cases, with 674 reported as recovered.

Both counties are still well outside the state’s benchmark of eight new cases per 100,000 residents — 56 new cases every two weeks for Curry County and 23 new cases every two weeks for Roosevelt County.

• As of Monday, Plains Regional Medical Center had 19 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with six in intensive care.

• There were five local establishments — four in Clovis, one in Portales — on the state’s Monday 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, Bath & Body Works, La Casa Family Health Center and Interim Health Care each had two rapid responses.

In Portales, La Casa Family Health Center has had seven rapid responses. That number is unchanged since Thursday’s watchlist release.

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, 93 establishments are on the state watchlist, down from 175 on Christmas Eve.