Cases of COVID-19 down 74 percent in Taos County

Infection numbers on the decline locally, nationally

The reported number of people infected with COVID-19 has begun to decline sharply after more than a month of week-on-week increases throughout Taos County, with a 74 percent percent decrease in its COVID-19 case rate (cases per 100,000 people per week) this past week. Meanwhile, cases decreased 44 percent nationally and were down 48 percent throughout New Mexico.

Taos County reported 127 new cases of COVID-19 from Feb. 1 – Feb. 7, compared to the recordbreaking 488 new cases the week before, according to Town of Taos GIS Analyst Tim Corner. The total number of reported cases in the county is now at 5,081.

This is “encouraging news,” said Corner. “Cases continue to decline quickly across the country… [and] hospitalizations are following. We appear to be just past peak hospitalizations in New Mexico for this Omicron wave.” He said the results are “in part due to the higher than average vaccination and booster rates which have been shown to substantially reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.”

Two additional deaths were reported among Taos County residents in the past week, bringing the total number of deaths to 82.

The last person to die of COVID in the county was a man in his 80s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

Across New Mexico, 32 of 33 counties saw a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases, with De Baca County being the only exception. Cases continued to decline in all regions of the state, but the Northwest region and Southwest regions have the highest case rates.

The average daily case count for the state decreased to 2,040 cases per day last week, down from 3,924 the week before. Meanwhile, the average deaths per day in the state decreased to 14 per day, down from 23 per day last week. Testing across the county has decreased to an average of 159 tests per day, down from 402 per day last week.

Every county in the state (as well as nearly every county in the country but 22) currently has a high transmission rate — defined by the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as any county with 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 495,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020, with a death toll of 6,555. The CDC reports that more than 906,000 people have died in the U.S. due to COVID-19.

Eighty-eight percent of Taos County residents over 18 are fully vaccinated and 99 percent are partially vaccinated, and 56 percent have been boosted, according to Corner. For the state as a whole, 78 percent are fully vaccinated; 91 percent are partially vaccinated and 43 percent have received a booster shot. For younger New Mexicans (aged 12–17), 60 percent are fully vaccinated and 70 percent are partially vaccinated. Of children aged 5-11, 26 percent have been fully vaccinated, and 37 percent have been partially vaccinated.

To get vaccinated, or sign up to get a booster shot, go to vaccinenm.org.