New Mexico now has eight counties at the highest levels of COVID-19, three less than last week, according to the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Still populous counties like Bernalillo and Sandoval are red and the CDC and state health officials recommend that anyone in such counties wear N95 masks indoors in public settings.
Coronavirus transmission rates confirm the rapid spread of the BA.5 variant in New Mexico. The 7-day average rate for hospitalizations to COVID-19 is now similar to the start of August 2021 as the Delta wave hit the state. During a briefing Thursday by the Department of Health, Acting Secretary Dr. David Scrase expressed cautious optimism about the pandemic.
"The disease itself seems to be causing a lot less hospitalizations as a percentage of people who get COVID than previous strains. So that's good news for us, right?"
Scrase warned the current rate of cases is too high. The CDC defines high transmission as 28 cases for every 100,000 people; New Mexico is steady at 38 per 100,000. At the previous COVID update on July 14th, that there are up to eight additional people with COVID for every confirmed case, unreported in part due to at-home testing.
From July 28 to August 4, New Mexico reported 5,560 hundred cases, almost as many doses as the state has administered of Paxlovid, the antiviral that Scrase credits with reducing hospitalizations, in part.
"Now we're up to 4000 people a week. It's a medicine that's right for almost everybody," he said during the briefing.
New Mexico recently became the state with the in the country. Seven counties now have 鈥済reen鈥� or low levels. Half the state, 18 counties, are yellow or medium levels. He said patients have to check with providers about using Paxlovid. DOH still recommends public health fundamentals no matter which variant drives cases: N95 masks, tests, adequate ventilation and vaccines, especially in preparation for the return to school.
"This is a really good time to think about the COVID vaccine for kids newly entering school," he said.
Here's an updated list of resources for those impacted by COVID-19 at 91暗网.org. The most recent DOH briefing can be found via their ; from the presentation can be found on their website.
