New cases:
New Mexico total rises to 57
Many of the sounds of the Santa Fe Farmers Market were familiar Saturday such as a vendor calling out, “Local bison! Get your buffalo!” But a lot had changed.
The crowd was smaller than usual. Buyers and sellers wore gloves, many people wore face masks and organizers set up hand-washing stations to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The number of virus cases has continued to climb in the state, as the Governor’s Office announced 14 more cases Saturday, bringing New Mexico’s total to 57.
“We’re doing our best practices for food safety,” said Ned Conwell, 43, of Green Tractor Farm. “We want to make sure we’re out here because we’re an important part of people’s food supply.”
Luzero Velasquez and Joseluis Ortiz of Santa Cruz Farm made a sign saying, “No Fear, No Stress, All Love.” Ortiz said the farmers market was a place where the community could gather, six feet apart.
“We want to alleviate the crowds at the store and give access to fresh, really fresh, nutrient-rich food,” he said.
Eric Wolf and Cheryl Gardopee, both in their 70s, said they were anxious about going to the farmers market. They had been isolating as best they could over the past week. “We came for fresh vegetables and to support local farms,” Gardopee said. “We never eat out, but we will now just to support the local food industry.”
Among the new coronavirus cases announced by the Governor’s Office was a Santa Fe County man in his 50s. The county has eight reported virus cases.
Bernalillo County had nine new cases: a woman in her 70s, a woman in her 60s, two men in their 40s, two men and a woman in their 30s, a woman in her 20s and an infant boy. Bernalillo County, the most populous in the state by far, has 32 reported cases. Other new cases include a Doña Ana County woman in her 20s, a Lea County man in his 70s, a Sandoval County woman in her 40s and a Taos County woman in her 50s.
Sandoval County has seven cases; Taos County has three; both Doña Ana and Socorro counties have two; and Lea, McKinley and San Miguel counties all have one.
The number of people hospitalized is still four — three from New Mexico-based cases and one person from the Navajo Nation in Arizona who is being treated in New Mexico, said David Morgan, a state Department of Health spokesman.
As of Saturday, there were no virus-related deaths in New Mexico.
In other news, the Department of Health is investigating the possible spread of COVID-19 at Del Norte High School in Albuquerque.
A letter signed by Principal Ed Bortot said students and staff might have been exposed March 4-6 and March 9-10 when a student who has tested positive attended school. The letter was sent to Del Norte families and staff and the nex+Gen Academy located on the north end of campus.
The letter recommended that students and staff self-isolate and monitor themselves for symptoms. If symptoms develop, they should call the state’s coronavirus health hotline at 855600-3453.
Among the new coronavirus cases announced by the Governor’s Office was a Santa Fe County man in his 50s. The county has eight reported virus cases.