Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Quay County last week plummeted to just three last week, compared to 16 during the previous week, according to state data.
According to the COVID Act Now website, Quay County’s rate of new cases plunged to 84.8 cases per 100,000 people last week, compared to 193.9 per 100,000 the previous week.
The website kept the county at “low” risk of community spread of the disease, as it did with all the neighboring counties but De Baca, which was at “medium” risk.
However, one confirmed COVID-19 death in Quay County was reported last week, raising the death toll to 70 since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
It was the first reported death in the county since late October.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Quay County since the pandemic began in spring 2020 rose to 2,497 by Friday.
The breakdown of total COVID-19 cases by ZIP code in Quay County through Wednesday was 1,903 in Tucumcari, 364 in Logan, 112 in San Jon, 46 in House, 28 in McAlister, 21 in Nara Visa and 20 in Bard since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
The new cases last week all were reported in the Tucumcari ZIP code.
Case rates in New Mexico also continued to decline.
A total of 366 new cases of coronavirus were reported Friday in New Mexico. That raised the total since the pandemic began to more than 659,000.
New Mexico’s seven-day daily case rate decreased to 274 by Friday. The rate was 305 the previous week.
A total of 95 people were hospitalized in New Mexico with the disease Friday, another sizable decline of 35 from the previous week.
Six COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state Friday. The pandemic’s overall toll rose to 8,814.
In the Amarillo metro region, the total number of active cases dropped for the first time in two months.
The total Friday fell to 1,678, compared to 1,736 a week ago.
The disease has killed 1,318 people in the Amarillo metro since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
In the U.S., about 100 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed since the pandemic began, with more than 1.1 million deaths, through Saturday.
More free, at-home COVID-19 tests can be ordered through the federal government and shipped by mail through covid.gov/tests. Residents also can receive free, at-home tests by mail through the Rockefeller Foundation’s Project Act program at accesscovidtests.org.
The New Mexico Department of Health’s vaccination helpline is available at 855-600-3453, option 3, or by going to vaccinenm.org.
The DOH recommends COVID-19 drugs for those who have contracted the disease in its early stages and are at risk for serious illness. These drugs are 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.
On a related note, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday announced the appointment of Patrick M. Allen as Cabinet secretary of the state’s Department of Health.
Allen assumed leadership of the department on Tuesday.
“Patrick is a regulator and public health professional with a proven record in improving health care systems, and I have full confidence he will do the same here in New Mexico,” Lujan Grisham said.
Allen has spent more than 30 years in public service, most recently serving as director of the Oregon Health Authority under Gov. Kate Brown. In that role, Allen improved access to affordable and equitable health care for Oregonians, achieving health insurance coverage for over 95% of residents.
He also led the state’s health department during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Oregon seeing the second-lowest rate of infection in the country.
Before working at the Health Authority, Allen served in several roles at the state’s Department of Consumer and Business Services, including as director. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Oregon State University.
Acting Cabinet Secretary David R. Scrase will step away from the department and continue in his role as cabinet secretary for the Human Services Department.
“I’m grateful to Dr. Scrase for his service to New Mexicans as secretary of the Department of Health. Because of his leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our state had a nationally leading response that saved the lives of countless New Mexicans,” Lujan Grisham said.