2nd virus death occurs in New Mexico; Doña Ana County cases rise to 17
SANTA FE, New Mexico – New Mexico state health officials on Saturday reported the state's second coronavirus death and announced 17 additional confirmed virus cases - including a new infection in Doña Ana County. The total number of cases statewide now stands at 208.
The announcements came as state leaders again urged people to stay home to avoid becoming infected with the virus or helping to spread it.
"All New Mexicans have been instructed to stay home except for outings absolutely necessary for health, safety and welfare. These additional restrictions have been enacted to aggressively minimize person-to-person contact and ensure spread is mitigated," the state health department said in a statement.
The death involved a man in his 80s in Bernalillo County, which is the Albuquerque metro area; it has led the state in infections with 92 to date. The victim had been hospitalized with multiple chronic underlying health conditions, officials said.
The new Doña Ana County case reported Saturday involved a woman in her 60s and brought the county's total to 17. Meanwhile, Bernalillo County had 11 new cases, while there were three in Chaves County, and one each for Eddy and San Juan counties.
Health officials said that while 19 people were hospitalized across the state with virus-related conditions on Saturday, there were now 26 people who had recovered from the virus.
However, the New Mexico Department of Health warned that "given the infectious nature of the virus it is likely other residents are infected but yet to be tested or confirmed positive." The agency said it was also currently investigating a number of cases with "no known exposure."
The health department on Saturday unveiled a new online self-screening tool to aid in determining if someone needs to be tested for the coronavirus at https://cv.nmhealth.org/should-i-get-tested/.
On that website, New Mexicans will be provided with a list of questions to determine the extent of their symptoms and their potential for virus exposure. Officials said the results of that questionnaire will indicate to the individual whether they should be tested.
While officials noted an increase in available testing across the state, they said it still must be prioritized for people with symptoms of infection – which can include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
“Regardless of any test results, however, residents need to continue to stay home, avoid all unnecessary travel and protect themselves to avoid COVID-19 transmission. It’s the best way to keep people healthy and stop the spread of this potentially deadly virus,” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Kathy Kunkel.
