COVID cases decrease 38 percent in Taos County
NM has third highest case rate in US
After a sharp spike this fall, Taos County saw a 38 percent decrease in its COVID-19 case rate (cases per 100,000 people per week) from the previous week, but in New Mexico, cases were up 18 percent. Nationally, cases were up 12 percent during the same time period.
Taos County reported 76 new cases of COVID-19 from Nov. 9 – Nov. 15, compared to 123 new cases the week before, according to town of Taos GIS Analyst Tim Corner. The total number of cases in the county is now 2,694.
No additional deaths were reported among Taos County residents in the past week, leaving the total number of deaths in Taos County at 66. The last person to die of COVID in Taos County was a male in his 90’s with underlying conditions, a resident of the Taos Retirement Village.
Across New Mexico, 18 of 33 counties saw an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The average daily case count increased to 1,383 cases per day last week, up from 1,197 the week before. Meanwhile, the average deaths per day in the state increased to 10 per day, nearing the all time high of 11 deaths on Sept. 16.
San Juan County, De Baca County and Grant County still have the highest case rates in the state.
Every county in the state but Mora County has high transmission rates (Mora has a “moderate” transmission rate). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines high transmission as more than 100 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days.
The New Mexico Department of Health reports that the state has seen more than 295,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020, with a death toll of 5,191. The CDC reports that more than 761,000 people have died in the U.S. due to COVID-19.
Taos County residents (aged 18+) are 86 percent fully vaccinated and 97 percent partially vaccinated, according to Corner. For the state as a whole, 74 percent are fully vaccinated and 84 percent are partially vaccinated. 17 percent of New Mexicans have received a booster shot. For younger New Mexicans (aged 12–17), 55 percent are fully vaccinated and 64 percent are partially vaccinated. Six percent of children aged 5-11 have been vaccinated.