NM rate of vaccination up to 47%

Nine fatalities reported as investigators work on backlog of deaths in winter

SANTA FE — The percentage of fully vaccinated adults in New Mexico climbed another point — to 47% — on Friday as the state pushes to reach its goal of 60% by the end of June.

About 59% of the state residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Some of the vaccines now available, however, require two doses to be fully effective.

Health officials say New Mexico intends to lift capacity restrictions on businesses and fully reopen once 60% of adults are fully vaccinated.

The state on Friday also reported nine more coronavirus-related deaths, pushing the statewide total for the pandemic to 4,098.

Human Services Secretary David Scrase said earlier this week that some of the deaths now being reported are from fatalities that happened over the winter.

Medical investigators, he said, faced a backlog of deaths to look into, and the state is adding the fatalities to its coronavirus total once investigators link their death to COVID-19.

The state peaked at an average of 36 virus fatalities a day in December.

“We’re — believe it or not — catching up from an unprecedented number of deaths that were referred to them in October through January,” Scrase said.

He estimated new deaths are averaging just one a day.

In Friday’s update, the Department of Health also reported:

■ 285 new COVID-19 cases, 80 of which were in Bernalillo County.

■ Of the nine additional deaths, one was a man in his 90s from Bernalillo County.

■ 145 virus patients in state hospitals, roughly in line with the recent average.