COVID-19 reporting rules eased

As COVD-19 cases seem to decline around the state and in Curry and Roosevelt counties, the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) is easing up on rules that require a business to report a positive COVID-19 test within four hours, according to an news release from the New Mexico Environment Department, which includes the OHSB.

Based on guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and the New Mexico Department of Health, the OHSB said a policy change that went into effect on Thursday indicates OHSB inspectors will “exercise enforcement discretion” with New Mexico employers and will not issue citations or penalties for violation of the four-hour reporting rule, the news release stated.

The rule change will be in effect until the COVID-19 rule is revised, according to the news release.

Statistics from “The New York Times,” which tracks detailed daily COVID-19 data, show new cases of COVID-19 have declined over the past two weeks in Curry and Roosevelt counties, as well as in the state as a whole.

Over the week that ended Monday, “The New York Times” showed Curry County had reported 2.7 new cases a day on average, or about 10 per 100,000 population, and a graph shows a decline in new cases over the past 14 days.

Roosevelt County reported an average of 1.1 cases per day over the past week, or 5.5 per 100,000 population. A graph shows cases declining in Roosevelt County, as well.

Statewide, The Times reported that New Mexico recorded an average of 215 cases daily in that same period, the equivalent of 10 per 100,000 -19 population. The state noted a 12% decrease over 14 days, according to the Times’ reporting.

The state health department’s COVID-19 Dashboard on Monday showed that between Sept. 6 and Sept. 19, the latest reporting period available, that in Curry County, there were 14 new cases of COVID-19 reported per 100,000 population with a rate of COVID-19 tests showing as positive at 9.4%. In Roosevelt County over the same period, there were 23 new cases reported per 100,000 population, with the positivity rate of COVID-19 tests at 7.8%.

The health department’s map shows that Curry County is in a lower category of concern than Roosevelt County, although CDC maps show incidence in both counties as “low.”

State health department statistics show that 79% of residents have received as least one shot of COVID-19 vaccinations, and 63.9% of residents have completed the entire series of vaccinations.

Roosevelt County, meanwhile 51% of residents have received at least one shot of the vaccine, and 45% have received the whole series of COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Hospitals in both counties have recorded low numbers of hospitalization due to COVID-19 in recent weeks and months.

At Plains Regional Medical Center, “COVID-19 patient numbers have remained steady in recent weeks,” at a rate of 1 to 3 COVID-19 patients in the hospital “on most days,” according to an email message that quoted Deborah McAllister, PRMC’s chief nurse executive.

Roosevelt General Hospital in Portales reported 39 COVID-19 cases in July, 27 in August and 11 in September according to Jeanette Orrantia, a spokesperson for the hospital.