New Mexico State Veterans Home violated safety rules, became Covid hot spot

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, New Mexico -- A report from the New Mexico Department of Health says the State Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences violated virus safety rules and became a Covid-19 hot spot.

The report detailing the safety violations, a copy of which was reviewed Thursday by ABC-7, was completed last month.

According to the department, in one instance, a Covid-19 positive staff member with symptoms was providing care to both Covid-19 positive and non-positive residents.

The facility also failed to clearly communicate the Covid-19 status of residents to nursing staff, according to the report.

Other violations documented included staff passing between different zones without the proper barriers or protection.

In the weeks that followed, the state's only home for military veterans became one of the worst hot spots for Covid.

According to the health department, 36 residents there have died of Covid-19, meanwhile there were 110 confirmed cases among residents and 78 among staffers.