County sees two new COVID deaths in past week

COVID-19 community transmission levels in Taos County were low last week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hospitalizations due to COVID19 have remained steady. The New Mexico Department of Health reported that, as of April 4, a total of 96 individuals in the state were admitted for inpatient treatment for COVID-19, compared to 97 in the week prior.

According to the CDC, 3 percent of Taos County hospital beds were in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19, an increase since last week. Since the start of the pandemic in New Mexico, 17.4 percent of those admitted for inpatient treatment for COVID-19 have died as a result of the virus, according to the latest state report from March 27. Two Taos County residents died in the last week due to COVID-19, bringing the total number of virus fatalities here to 110.

According to the latest Department of Health data from March 27, New Mexico had the 10th-lowest test-positivity rate in the nation at 7.4 percent, while the average testpositivity rate in Taos County for the two-week period ending March 27 was 6.4 percent.

The county logged five new confirmed infections over the past week ending Tuesday (April 4), compared to five new cases the week before. A total of 7,306 Taos County residents have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began in March 2020. Also as of Tuesday, the state had recorded 675,727 reported cases of COVID-19, an increase of 1,500 confirmed infections since March 28.

As of Tuesday, 9,128 New Mexicans have died due to COVID-19, according to the Department of Health, up from 9,104 the week before. The CDC reported Tuesday (April 4) that more than 1,125,000 individuals had died in the U.S. due to COVID-19.

As of March 28, New Mexico’s vaccination rates have held steady compared to the previous fourweek period, with 80.6 percent of eligible residents aged 18-64 and 99 percent of those 65 and older having completed their primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the NMDOH. Just 28.9 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 64 have received a booster, while 47 percent of New Mexicans over the age of 65 have received a booster.

Among 12-17 year-olds in New Mexico, 15.4 percent have received a booster, and 15.3 percent of children aged 5-11 have received a booster. Among children aged 6 months to 4 years, 11.9 percent have received at least one dose of vaccine, with 4.7 percent having completed their primary series.

People can sign up to receive the free COVID-19 vaccine at vaccinenm. org, or ask their primary care physician. To request free at-home COVID-19 antigen tests, visit accesscovidtests.org.