COVID cases down 29 percent in Taos County

Taos County saw a 29 percent decrease in its COVID-19 case rate (cases per 100,000 people per week) for the week ending Nov. 29 from the previous week. In New Mexico, cases were up one percent, while nationally cases were up 14 percent during the same time period.

Two new deaths were reported among Taos County residents in the past week, bringing the total number of deaths to 71. The most recent people to die of COVID in the county were two men, one in his 60s and one his his 70s. Both had been hospitalized.

Taos County reported 65 new cases of COVID-19 from Nov. 23 — Nov. 29, compared to 92 new cases the week before, according to Town of Taos GIS Analyst Tim Corner. The total number of cases in the county is now 2,860.

“Case numbers improved across the county, state, and nation last week,” said Corner, but warned against letting one’s guard down. “Thanksgiving affected testing volume, which was down by around a third in Taos County and New Mexico. This could also have affected the reported number of cases. Therefore, we need a little more time to see how things play out before declaring we are over the peak.”

Across New Mexico, 29 of 33 counties saw a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases. The average daily case count decreased to 1,080 cases per day last week, down from 1,402 the week before. Meanwhile, the average deaths per day in the state decreased to 11 per day, down from 12 per day last week, which was the highest level since this past March.

Case rates fell in all regions of the state this past week. The Southwest and Northwest regions of the state currently have the highest case rates.

Every county in the state but Harding County currently has a high transmission rate — defined by the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as any county with more than 100 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past seven days. Harding currently has a “low” transmission rate.

The New Mexico Department of Health reports that the state has seen more than 314,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020, with a death toll of 5,367. The CDC reports that more than 778,000 people have died in the U.S. due to COVID-19.

Taos County residents (aged 18+) are 87 percent fully vaccinated and 99 percent partially vaccinated, according to Corner. For the state as a whole, 74 percent are fully vaccinated and 86 percent are partially vaccinated, and 23 percent have received a booster shot. For younger New Mexicans (aged 12–17), 56 percent are fully vaccinated and 65 percent are partially vaccinated. Children aged 5-11 have been 16 percent vaccinated.

Corner said while it may seem good that cases are in decline this week and vaccinations are up, “one concerning trend in last week’s data is the increasing and high level of current hospitalizations in New Mexico.” He said he hopes to see hospitalizations fall with cases over the coming weeks, “but only time will tell and the Omicron variant promises another new normal.”

To get vaccinated, or sign up to get a booster shot, go to vaccinenm.org. 

Testing options

Walgreens: Free drive-thru testing. 811 Paseo del Pueblo Sur. Sign up online at walgreens.com/findcare/covid19/testing.

Taos Youth and Family Center: Free drive-thru oral swab testing Wednesdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., 407 Paseo del Cañon East. Register at cvtestreg.nmhealth.org; also see curative.com or cur.tv/taos. Painless, self-administered oral swab test. Results delivered electronically within 48 hours of receipt at the lab.

Taos Department of Health: Free nasal swab testing Mondays, 8-10:30 a.m., 1400 Weimer Rd, Taos. Register at cvtestreg.nmhealth.org. For more information, call (575) 758-0493.

No-cost, at home testing: New Mexico and Vault Medical Services offer at-home COVID-19 saliva testing for any person who believes they need to be tested, with or without symptoms, at no cost. Order a test online at cvvaccine.nmhealth.org.