State records 228 new cases of COVID-19

NM plans student vaccine week; MDC offers shots to inmates

New Mexico tallied 228 additional cases of COVID-19 and three deaths from the virus — including a Bernalillo County man in his 30s — on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Detention Center offered vaccines to inmates and the state aimed to do the same for students.

Julia Rivera, an MDC spokeswoman, said all inmates would be offered the Moderna vaccine starting Thursday. She said each inmate who gets vaccinated will be given a vaccination card upon release.

Rivera said if inmates are released before receiving a second dose, they will be provided information on how to schedule it with the Department of Health.

The NMDOH and Public Education Department announced that they are teaming up to make May 3-8 Student COVID-19 Vaccination Week. During that time, students who are 16 and older will be “given priority” to get vaccinated and can schedule an appointment starting Monday.

“Vaccinating against this virus protects students’ health and the health of the school community,”

Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said in a news release. “Additionally, once students are fully vaccinated, they won’t have to quarantine if they’re identified as close contacts of someone with COVID-19. That could help reduce school closures in the future.”

The majority of new cases of COVID-19 reported Thursday were from Bernalillo County, which had 83, San Juan County

with 33, and Doña Ana County with 19.

New Mexico has now seen a total of 195,990 cases and 4,023 deaths since the pandemic hit.

There are 120 people hospitalized in the state with the virus; that number may include those who tested positive out of state but are hospitalized here.

So far, 177,428 COVID-19 cases have been designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.