Four more COVID-19 deaths confirmed in Quay

New Mexico health officials reported four more confirmed deaths of COVID-19 in Quay County last week, including two on Friday, raising the total to 23 since the pandemic began last spring.

The superintendent for House Municipal Schools also announced Friday that classes would be remote-only this week after at least three cases among students or staff were reported last week in the district.

The county also reported its 1,000th case of coronavirus during the pandemic.

The state Department of Health last week reported these coronavirus deaths in the county:

• A man in his 80s who was hospitalized;

• A man in his 80s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions;

• A man in his 60s who was hospitalized;

• A man in his 60s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

Thirteen COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Quay County since late May.

Quay County experienced 17 more confirmed cases of coronavirus last week, including five reported Friday. That was the same as the previous week.

Most of last week’s cases were in the Tucumcari ZIP code, though cases also were reported in Logan, San Jon and House.

The county's case total rose to 1,008 since the pandemic began in spring 2020.

The breakdown of COVID-19 cases by ZIP code in Quay County through Friday was 761 in Tucumcari, 156 in Logan, 45 in San Jon, 14 in House, 10 in McAlister, 10 in Bard, nine in Nara Visa, and five in Grady in the part that extends into the county.

A total of 852 people in the county were deemed by the DOH to have recovered from the virus.

These COVID-19 rapid responses were reported in the county last week:

• House Elementary School, one case reported Oct. 18 and Oct. 21;

• House High School, one case reported Oct. 21;

• Mesalands Community College, one case reported Oct. 21;

• Tucumcari Public Schools, one case reported Oct. 21;

• San Jon Middle School, one case reported Oct. 15.

A typical rapid response consists of isolating positive cases, quarantining close contacts, ceasing operations to the extent necessary to isolate affected areas, disinfecting these areas, implementing safety procedures and resuming operations. Typically, operations are ceased for fewer than 24 hours before it is safe to reopen.

House superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot stated in a letter posted on the district’s website Friday that classes would be held remotely through at least Oct. 28 after a staff member or student tested positive for the disease.

She stated more remote-learning days would be added, if necessary, “to monitor the health and safety of students and staff.” The district is investigating who came in close contact with the infected person and encouraged those who meet the criteria to be tested. Close contacts must quarantine at home for 10 days unless the contact has been vaccinated or shows no symptoms.

In New Mexico, 982 new COVID-19 cases were reported Friday, bringing the overall total to more than 268,000 since the pandemic began.

Fourteen COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state Friday, raising the total to 4,987.

A total of 352 people were hospitalized in New Mexico with the disease Friday, an increase of 20 from the previous week.

Early last week, the DOH imposed crisis standards of care for all hospitals in New Mexico because of stubbornly high case numbers, lack of nursing staff and more non-COVID patients in general. Crisis standards of care mean non-essential medical procedures will be delayed.

The Amarillo metro region on Friday totaled 2,106 active cases of the disease, a decrease of nearly 250 from the previous week. The active-case count was about 300 earlier this summer.

The disease has killed 902 people in the Amarillo metro since the pandemic began.

In the U.S., more than 45.4 million people have been confirmed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with more than 735,000 deaths, through Friday.

According to state data Friday, 48.5% of Quay County residents have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus. That was an increase of 0.2% from the previous week.

About 53.6% of Quay County residents have received one shot of COVID-19 vaccine through Friday, an increase of 0.3% from the previous week.

In New Mexico, 72% of eligible residents had been fully vaccinated by Friday, with 81.4% receiving one dose of vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration last week approved booster shots for the Modern and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Pfizer booster shots were approved several weeks ago.

The state DOH stated these groups are eligible for a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot at six months or longer after completion of their initial series of vaccinations:

• 65 years and older

• 18 and older who live in long-term care settings

• 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions

• 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings

For New Mexicans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, booster shots are recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

New Mexico residents are encouraged to schedule their primary and booster shots with their primary care physicians. They also can do so through the statewide COVID-19 vaccine registration system, vaccineNM.org.