Curry, Roosevelt lagging on vaccinations

SANTA FE — As of last Monday, New Mexico ranked 10th among U.S. states in percentage of its eligible population vaccinated against COVID-19 with 63.5% vaccinated

As of Thursday, however, Curry and Roosevelt counties lagged behind the state’s rate of vaccination.

Curry County reported 50.3% of its eligible population had been fully vaccinated, and Roosevelt County reported only 37.7% of its eligible population had been fully vaccinated, according to information on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.

In spite of its impressive vaccination rates, however, the state is still seeing a high rate of new COVID-19 cases, according to state epidemiologist Christine Ross, who presented this information Wednesday as part of a news conference conducted by New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) officials to update the state’s COVID-19 pandemic status.

Recent statewide averages show 1,500 new cases a day in New Mexico, she said.

“This is a very high number we don’t want to see continue,” she said.

Ross said it is hard to determine exactly where people are becoming infected at the current high rates in New Mexico.

“They are being exposed across a variety of situations,” she said. “We can’t pinpoint where they get the virus.”

The new Omicron variant of the virus has entered the state, Ross said, but so far there have been very few cases and the Delta variant continues to be the dominant strain in the state.

Omicron variant cases, however, are expected to rise rapidly. In the nation, she said, Omicron cases rose from insignificance to making up 2.9% of total new cases in just a few weeks. In the northeast, she said, Omicron cases already account for about 13% of new COVID-19 cases.

Based on incomplete data, she said, the variant seems to produce milder cases, and seems to respond well to proven COVID-19 treatments like Regeneron and monoclonal antibody drugs.

How well current vaccines will ward off the variant remains to be seen, she said, but early results are encouraging.

Acting DOH Secretary David Scrase said COVID-19 cases are causing strain in New Mexico hospitals. Across the state, 15 hospitals have received extra assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

As of Wednesday, he said, the state had only 19 intensive care-unit beds empty, due to COVID-19 cases.

In the week that ended Wednesday, he said, state medical facilities administered 1,158 treatments of approved COVID-19 treatments to non-hospitalized patients.

Scrase, Ross and DOH Deputy Secretary Laura Parajon on Wednesday urged New Mexicans to get fully vaccinated, including booster shots, and to continue wearing masks and maintain social distancing indoors, and continue washing hands frequently to protect against all COVID-19 variants.

Scrase noted that less than 30% of COVID-19 cases occur among those who have been vaccinated, the “breakthrough” cases. Less than 20% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths occur among the vaccinated. Cases among the vaccinated, he said, are about evenly distributed in age groups between 18-59 and do not predominantly occur among older patients.

In addition, Scrase said, persons who notice COVID symptoms like coughs, fever, shortness of breath and muscle aches should get tested for COVID -19, and those who work in close-quarters situations like resthomes and prisons should test frequently.

Friday case update: The state reported 1,180 new COVID-19 cases, including 39 in Curry County and 17 in Roosevelt County.

Between Monday and Friday, Curry and Roosevelt County recorded seven COVID-19 deaths — four in Curry County and three in Roosevelt County.

The Curry County deaths were a female in her 80s Tuesday, a male in his 70s Wednesday, a male in his 80s Thursday and a female in her 80s Friday. Roosevelt County deaths were a male in his 30s reported Monday, a male in his 70s reported Wednesday and a female in her 80s reported Thursday. All of the deaths, except the two reported Wednesday, had underlying conditions. The Tuesday death was the only of of the seven who was not hospitalized.

Thursday’s case update put Portales and Clovis were second and third, respectively, for the top ZIP codes. Roosevelt County reported 51 cases, with 45 in the 88130 ZIP code. Curry County recorded 42 cases, 41 in the 88101 ZIP code. The top ZIP code for cases was Albuquerque’s 87121 with 58 cases.