Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Quay County experienced 47 more confirmed cases of coronavirus — but no deaths — last week, including five cases reported Friday.
The county had reported deaths in each of the previous two weeks. Quay County’s death toll remained at 14 since the pandemic began in spring 2020.
Compared to the 56 confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the previous week, the latest numbers indicated a possible slowdown in the spread of the disease in the county.
Nearly all of last week’s cases were in the Tucumcari ZIP code, with two each in Logan and San Jon.
According to data Wednesday by the New Mexico Department of Health, Quay County remained the seventh-worst in the state in tCOVID-19 caseloads. That was a slight improvement from it being fifth-worst the previous week.
The county's case total rose to 940 since the pandemic began in spring 2020.
The breakdown of COVID-19 cases by ZIP code in Quay County through Friday was 710 in Tucumcari, 144 in Logan, 44 in San Jon, 12 in House, 10 in McAlister, nine in Nara Visa, eight in Bard and five in Grady (part of which extends into Quay County).
A total of 736 people in the county were deemed by the DOH to have recovered from the virus.
These COVID-19 rapid responses were reported in the county last week:
• Eastern Plains CAA, Tucumcari, one case reported Sept. 24;
• Tucumcari Public Schools, one case reported Sept. 26 and Sept. 29;
• Logan Municipal Schools, one case reported Sept. 27;
• Mesalands Community College, one case reported Sept. 27;
• Trigg Memorial Hospital, Tucumcari, one case reported Sept. 28;
• La Cita, Tucumcari, one case reported Sept. 28;
• Quality Lube & Tire, Tucumcari, one case reported Sept. 28;
• Taco Bell, Tucumcari, one case reported Sept. 28;
• Yesway, San Jon, one case reported Sept. 28.
A typical rapid response consists of isolating positive cases, quarantining close contacts, ceasing operations to the extent necessary to isolate affected areas, disinfecting these areas, implementing safety procedures and resuming operations. Typically, operations are ceased for fewer than 24 hours before it is safe to reopen.
In New Mexico, 791 new COVID-19 cases were reported Friday, bringing the overall total to more than 253,000 since the pandemic began.
State epidemiologist Christine Ross said Wednesday said cases in New Mexico were continuing to decline slowly.
Eleven COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state Friday, raising the total to 4,812.
A total of 347 people were hospitalized in New Mexico with the disease Friday, an increase of 33 from the previous week.
The Amarillo metro region on Friday totaled 3,382 active cases of the disease, a decrease of about 700 from the previous week. The active-case count was about 300 earlier this summer.
The disease has killed 890 people in the Amarillo metro since the pandemic began.
In the U.S., more than 43.6 million people have been confirmed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with more than 700,000 deaths, through Friday.
According to state data Friday, 47.1% of Quay County residents have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus. That was an increase of 0.7% from the previous week.
About 52.4% of Quay County residents have received one shot of COVID-19 vaccine through Friday, an increase of 0.2% from the previous week.
In New Mexico, 70.8% of eligible residents had been fully vaccinated by Friday, with 80.1% receiving one dose of vaccine.
Health Secretary David Scrase said 88% of New Mexico’s hospital employees are fully vaccinated, with 7% receiving an approved exemption from the vaccine. Only 1% remain unvaccinated.
The state has set up a questionnaire for residents to determine whether they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. That can be found at vaccineNM.org.