Serving the High Plains

Three cases reported, including first in House

The New Mexico Department of Health on Wednesday reported three more cases of COVID-19 in Quay County, including the first in the House ZIP code.

According to the DOH's website, the latest cases were three women – two in the Tucumcari ZIP code and the other in House. Their age ranges were 20 to 29, 40 to 49 and over 90.

The total number of cases in the county grew to 117, with two deaths, since the pandemic began. Quay County has recorded 11 cases in November alone.

The breakdown in the county by ZIP code since the pandemic began is 71 in Tucumcari, 36 in Logan, five in San Jon, three in McAlister, one in House and one in Grady.

On Wednesday, a total of 1,022 cases of coronavirus were reported in New Mexico, one day after the state broke another record of 1,141 cases. Bernalillo County had 266 cases on Wednesday, and Dona Ana County recorded 197.

New Mexico's seven-day rolling average of cases is higher than 900, well past the gating criteria of 168.

New Mexico's overall case total since the pandemic started passed the 50,000 mark.

A record total of 14 deaths were reported in the state Wednesday, bringing that total to 1,059.

A total of 393 people in New Mexico are hospitalized with the virus. As of Wednesday, 82% of general beds at New Mexico hospitals are occupied, and 75% of intensive-care beds of the state's hospitals are occupied. This includes patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and other illnesses.

On Wednesday, the public health department for the Amarillo region reported more than 4,900 active cases, with a hospitalization rate of 31%.

In the U.S., 9.4 million confirmed cases of the disease have been reported through Wednesday, with more than 233,000 deaths.