Serving the High Plains

Two new cases reported; COVID-19 team referred to Love's truck stop

The state's Department of Health on Saturday reported two more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Quay County, and the state sent its rapid-response team to address a case at Love's Travel Center in Tucumcari.

The latest coronavirus cases brought the total to 30 since the pandemic began. They were the 22nd and 23rd cases in the county in a 30-day span.

One of the latest cases was reported in the Logan ZIP code; the other was in the San Jon ZIP code.

According to a database maintained by New Mexico Environment Department, rapid response teams were referred this month to COVID-19 cases at Tucumcari EMS/Fire Rescue, City of Tucumcari, Community Homecare, Pacheco’s Trucking and Love’s Travel Center. At each site, one employee was confirmed with the virus.

The database states the most recent case was at Love’s Travel Center, on Friday. One employee there tested positive for the disease.

Kent Westbrook, manager at the Tucumcari Love’s, said the travel center did not close because “we followed all the steps” to address the case. He declined to elaborate more about the employee or other details.

Emails to Love’s media relations representatives weren’t immediately returned.

Twenty-five of the coronavirus cases in Quay County remained active through Saturday. Four have been deemed as recovered from the virus, and one death of a Quay County resident was reported in April.

A total of 1,042 people in Quay County have been tested for the virus.

A total of 324 people in New Mexico were confirmed with COVID-19 on Saturday, the 24th consecutive day the state had surpassed the 200 mark.

More than 18,700 cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico have been reported since the pandemic began.

Six deaths were reported in the state Saturday, bringing the total to 607.

A total of 148 people remain hospitalized in New Mexico with COVID-19.

A total of 7,268 have been deemed as recovered from the disease in New Mexico.

Through Saturday afternoon, more than 4.1 million people in the United States have been confirmed with the virus, with more than 146,000 deaths.