Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Quay County’s number of new coronavirus cases dropped by nearly half last week, and a website that tracks the disease improved the county’s rating to “low” risk of community spread.
COVID-19 cases totaled 10 last week, compared to the 19 last week reported by the New Mexico Department of Health.
The COVID Act Now website on Friday dropped Quay County’s risk rating for community spread from “medium” to “low.” Quay County’s rate of new cases dropped sharply to 121.2 cases per 100,000 people last week, compared to 218.1 the previous week.
All of New Mexico’s counties were in the low risk of the disease’s spread Friday except for Hidalgo County, which was medium risk.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Quay County since the pandemic began in spring 2020 rose to 2,365.
The breakdown of total COVID-19 cases by ZIP code in Quay County through Friday was 1,814 in Tucumcari, 333 in Logan, 110 in San Jon, 41 in House, 27 in McAlister, 20 in Nara Visa and 19 in Bard.
All the new cases last week were reported in the Tucumcari ZIP code, save for one case in the McAlister area.
One confirmed COVID-19 death in Quay County was reported last week, raising the death toll to 68 since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
A total of 193 new cases of coronavirus were reported Friday in New Mexico. That raised the total since the pandemic began to more than 616,000.
New Mexico’s seven-day daily case rate had declined slightly to 243 by Friday. The rate was 250 the previous week.
A total of 82 people were hospitalized in New Mexico with the disease Friday, a decrease of nearly 30 from the previous week. The state has seen far fewer hospitalizations during the latest variant of the virus.
A total of six COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state Friday, raising the pandemic’s overall total to 8,517.
New Mexico Health Secretary David Scrase said during a briefing Thursday he believed only about one-quarter of the coronavirus cases are being reported because of home testing.
He said the number of hospitalizations in New Mexico was the lowest since mid-May, and the current strain of COVID-19 was less lethal than previous versions.
Scrase said he believes companies soon will develop a COVID-19 booster shot that will be administered annually, much like flu shots.
For now, he recommended the updated Omicron-related booster that adults could receive as soon as two months after their previous booster.
The Quay County Public Health Office at 310 S. Second St. in Tucumcari will host a booster vaccination event for walk-ins and appointments from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Those who wish to be vaccinated should bring their identification, medical insurance card and vaccination card.
The office has scheduled other vaccination events on Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Nov. 17, Dec. 2 and Dec. 16.
Renee Hayoz, administrator of the Quay County Family Health Center in Tucumcari, said her clinic hadn’t yet received the new boosters but was hoping to get them this week. If not, those people with appointments for those shots on Thursday will be rescheduled.
The New Mexico Department of Health’s vaccination helpline is available at 855-600-3453, option 3, or by going to vaccinenm.org.
Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, Cabinet secretary for the Department of Aging and Long-Term Services, said the agency plans a six-week COVID-19 booster rollout to nursing homes and assisted-living centers. Not only will boosters be offered, but also flu shots. She said staff also will be offered vaccines and education about them.
The Department of Health recommends COVID-19 drugs for those who have contracted the disease in its early stages and are at high risk for serious illness. These drugs are highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death but must be taken within days of the first symptom. More information on finding these treatments can be found at FindATreatmentNM.com.
In the Amarillo metro region, the total number of active cases on Friday continued to show a slow decline. That total that day was 1,490, compared to 1,627 a week ago.
The disease has killed 1,305 people in the Amarillo metro since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
In the U.S., about 95.4 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed since the pandemic began, with more than 1.05 million deaths, through Saturday.