6 new Doña Ana County virus deaths as New Mexico loosens occupancy limits, sends out aid checks

SANTA FE, New Mexico -- Total confirmed Covid-19 infections in New Mexico since the pandemic began have reached nearly 125,000, officials said, with an additional 1,816 cases reported Wednesday.

Of those new cases, 94 were in Doña Ana County to take its pandemic tally to 15,689.

There were also another 43 virus deaths reported across New Mexico on Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 2,049.

Six of those latest deaths occurred in Doña Ana County and included four men in their 60s, one of them a resident of the Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces, and two women in their 80s. Most of these victims had been hospitalized at the time of their deaths.

Meantime, more people will be allowed inside grocery stores and other essential businesses as New Mexico on Wednesday amended its public health order on the coronavirus to address waiting lines as cold temperatures take hold across the state.

Lines have formed outside grocery stores and other retailers for weeks following Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's order that capacity be limited at establishments as a way to curb the spread of Covid-19. She has said the tough measures have helped to reduce new infections. However, deaths and hospitalizations related to the pandemic remain high.

“With colder weather here, we want to ensure that people aren’t gathering in lines for an unsafe length of time, especially in communities where there are fewer retail options for essential needs,” the governor said.

Still in effect is the state's color-coded system for classifying counties based on the rate of spread and setting benchmarks they must meet in order to begin easing restrictions. All 33 counties remain in the red high-risk category.

Under the change, grocery stores and other essential retailers will be allowed to operate at 25% of maximum occupancy if they are in the red zone. Previously, essential retail spaces could operate with either a limit on maximum occupancy or a specific number of customers at one time, whichever was smaller.

Capacity will incrementally increase as counties move up to yellow and green tiers, but some municipal leaders have acknowledged it could be months before more populated areas such as Albuquerque and Las Cruces see improvements.

The change took effect Wednesday, as thousands of residents in New Mexico who are collecting unemployment benefits began receiving an extra $1,200 state stimulus in their payments.

The payments are being made to about 130,000 people who qualified for benefits in late November and early December and to people who exhausted their benefits between Sept. 12 and Nov. 5.

About 12,000 payments were distributed Monday via paper checks, direct deposits or debit cards. More disbursements are scheduled Dec. 22 and Dec. 28.

The additional payments are part of the $330 million economic relief package passed Nov. 24 by the state Legislature to help residents and small-business owners who have struggled during the pandemic.