New Mexico, Doña Ana County set daily virus case records; 3 southern NM deaths
SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico on Tuesday set a new record for the number of Covid-19 cases reported in a single day and hospitalizations marked a new high for the 12th day in a row.
State health officials reported an additional 1,141 cases Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 49,240 since the coronavirus pandemic began. The death toll stemming from the pandemic also has increased to 1,045 and hospitalizations reached a record 401 on Tuesday.
Doña Ana County led the state in daily new cases with a record 270.
Three of the state's nine latest deaths involved southern New Mexico residents. They included a woman in her 30s from OPtero County who had been hospitalized, a man in his 70s from Otero County who has been hospitalized and a woman in her 70s who was a resident of the Adobe Assisted Living facility in Las Cruces.
New Mexico has been dealing with a surge for weeks now despite having some of the toughest public health restrictions in place, including mandates that call for face coverings and limited interaction with others.
The latest high in the daily case count comes as people line up at the polls around New Mexico to cast their ballots. The state's top election administrators have been posting messages on social media saying that it's safe to vote and that all polls are following Covid-safe practices aimed at preventing spread of the virus.
