COVID-19 cases surging in Luna County
DEMING – Coronavirus cases continued to climb statewide this weekend, and Luna County was no exception. The county collected 60 new COVID-19 cases over the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday weekend count by the New Mexico Department of Health. The county also reported 102 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 86 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,117 cases and 96 deaths.
New coronavirus cases leaped in New Mexico by19.2% as 7,533 cases were reported. The previous week had 6,318 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
New Mexico ranked seventh among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
The cases were most noticeable in Luna County within the Deming Public Schools where the increase in cases may prompt the school district to act by moving four secondary-level schools to remote learning beginning Wednesday, Nov. 10, through Friday, Nov. 12.
Luna County’s positivity rate is at 11.75 based on 50 new COVID cases per 100,000 population based on the New Mexico Department of Health findings for this week. During the colored tier concept, a 5 percent positivity rate qualified for “Yellow.”
According to the positivity rates posted on the school district website (demingps.org) 77 tested positive for a total of 12 schools in the past 14 days. Red Mountain Middle School reported 20 positive cases of COVID-19. The enrollment is 950 students for a positivity rate of 2.11 percent of the population.
Deming High School reported 17 new COVID cases. The school population is 1,423 for a positivity rate of 1.19 percent.
Bataan Elementary School is the only other school in double-digit cases with 15. They had a positivity rate at 2.54 percent with a student enrollment of 590.
Early College High School had the highest positivity rate (3.54 percent) based on its low student enrollment. Six new cases of COVID-19 were reported among the 168 students who attend the high school.
The Deming Public Schools is asking the community to help slow the spread by following the NMDOH guidelines:
• Avoid being in large crowds or groups
• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Correctly wear masks indoors (masks should cover nose and mouth)
• Maintain six feet physical distance
• If you are sick (fever, chills, shortness of breath, headache, runny nose) STAY HOME.
• Parents: Keep children home if they are sick
• Stay home if you have been tested and are waiting for results
• Get vaccinated, if eligible.
In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 2.8% from the week before, with 503,769 cases reported. With 0.63% of the country's population, New Mexico had 1.5% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 22 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Within New Mexico, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in De Baca County with 1,545 cases per 100,000 per week; Grant County with 1,030; and San Juan County with 936. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Bernalillo County, with 1,808 cases; San Juan County, with 1,160 cases; and Dona Ana County, with 945. Weekly case counts rose in 22 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Bernalillo, Dona Ana, and San Juan counties.
Bill Armendariz can be reached at 575-546-2611 (leave a message) or biarmendariz@demingheadlight.com.
This article originally appeared on Deming Headlight: COVID-19 cases surging in Luna County
