Report confirms 798 infections across state

The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday confirmed 798 new infections of COVID-19 Friday, with a total of 296 people hospitalized in the state.

The report included 18 new cases in Curry County and 17 in Roosevelt County. The five deaths reported Friday were from Bernalillo and Eddy counties.

A Wednesday update from the DOH noted the country has seen a seven-day average of 232.1 new cases per 100,000 residents and a 10.21% test positivity rate.

State Epidemiologist Christine Ross said the state’s test positivity rate has climbed from 2.5% on July 8 to 8.7% by Aug. 9.

“We’re trending in the wrong direction, and it seems to be mostly fueled by this highly contagious Delta variant,” Ross said. “We know human behavior plays into this as well. We’re all exhausted. We’re traveling, we’re seeing friends and family.”

Health Secretary David Scrase said recent modeling from Los Alamos National Labs projects between 900 and 1,500 daily cases and two to six daily COVID-19 deaths by late August and early September.

“We are heading for 1,000 cases a day by the end of this month,” Scrase said.

In other COVID-19 developments:

• Plains Regional Medical Center reported 18 patients were being hospitalized Saturday for COVID19, including seven in the intensive care unit.

The hospital reported one death and no pediatric cases.

• Scrase noted Wednesday the southeast health region, which includes Curry, Roosevelt and Quay counties, has a 39.8% full vaccination rate, compared to about 65.5% statewide.

He implored New Mexicans to get vaccinated, arguing every 49 New Mexicans who get vaccinated prevents one COVID-19 death.

• In a Friday release, the DOH acknowledged the ongoing federal FDA and CDC review process surrounding potential third COVID-19 doses for some immunocompromised populations. On Thursday, the FDA voted to approve third shots for some immunocompromised populations.

The department plans to share additional information and/or guidance next week.

“DOH is looking ahead to the likely possibility that the federal government will approve third shots for some groups of immunocompromised people,” DOH Deputy Secretary Laura Parajon said in the release. “In the meantime, DOH is continuing to develop plans and operational protocols to ensure that vaccines can be made available as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

• The department sent out a message Friday reminding New Mexicans it is a crime to use a fake vaccination card. On Wednesday, Scrase and Ross highly discouraged the practice.

“People do that with personal risk,” Scrase said, “and on a deeper ethical level how does that benefit you or anyone else? It’s hard for me to get my head around why someone would do that.”