New Mexico sees 273 coronavirus cases, two additional deaths
Jul. 22—Health officials in New Mexico reported 273 new cases of the coronavirus Thursday, indicating infections are once again on the rise.
The state's daily case count leveled off in the spring and early summer as vaccinations increased, with new cases falling below 200 a day for most of June and July.
But infections have crept up in recent days, spurred largely by the delta variant, which is more contagious than other mutations of the virus.
Santa Fe County had 10 new cases Thursday, while Bernalillo County added 71, Otero County recorded 21, San Juan County logged 14, and Eddy and Lea counties each had 13.
An additional 16 federal detainees tested positive for the virus at the Otero County Processing Center.
The state also reported two more deaths related to COVID-19 — an Eddy County man in his 50s and an Eddy County woman in her 60s.
To date, the state has reported 208,243 cases and 4,394 deaths linked to the disease.
As of Thursday, 98 people were receiving hospital care for COVID-19 in New Mexico.
