200 more virus cases in New Mexico – 38 in Doña Ana County; state’s heath leader stepping down

SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico health officials reported an additional 200 coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the statewide total of confirmed infections to 13,256.

Officials also said there were no new deaths across New Mexico, so the state's fatality count held at 513.

The state’s most populous county, Bernalillo, led all others with 65 additional cases reported for the day. In southern New Mexico, Doña Ana County was second in the state with an additional 38 cases - bringing their count to a total of 1,128.

There were 119 individuals hospitalized Sunday in New Mexico for Covid-19, down a couple of a patients from the previous day. Officials said this hospitalization number may include individuals who tested positive for the virus out of state but are currently hospitalized in New Mexico.

Meanwhile, New Mexico’s Health Secretary Kathyleen Kunkel has announced her intention to retire once the current wave of coronavirus infections subsides.

Kunkel, 69, an attorney and former pediatric social worker, cited the physical and mental demands of her work at the forefront on the state’s efforts to contain the virus' spread.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who once led the Department of Health, announced a nationwide search for a successor.

Lujan Grisham imposed aggressive public health directives at the outset of the pandemic that included business closings, state-at-home restrictions and school closures.

The state Health Department is in the midst of hiring at least 200 specialists to identify outbreaks and trace exposure at it shifts toward a rapid-response model for limiting spread.

As rates of infections increased in recent days, Lujan Grisham announced more aggressive enforcement measures to ensure masks are worn in public and that visitors and out-of-state travelers abide by orders to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Current restrictions on mass gatherings have been extended through mid-July. The state used its cellphone emergency alert system over the holiday weekend to warn of high infection risks and the need for masks.

Kunkel was appointed in January 2019. The state also is recruiting a new state epidemiologist after the recent departure of Michael Landen.