ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico health officials said Wednesday another 153 coronavirus cases have been confirmed, pushing the statewide total to nearly 4,300.
Seven additional deaths were also reported by the state Health Department. That includes four patients in McKinley County, a rural area in western New Mexico that accounts for nearly one-third of the state’s cases.
The county’s most population city, Gallup, is currently under a lockdown aimed to curbing the spread. Officials were expected to decide soon whether to extend the emergency declaration, which is set to expire at noon Thursday.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last week invoked the state’s Riot Control Act powers after getting a request from the Gallup mayor. National Guard soldiers and New Mexico State Police put up roadblocks to limit nonessential travel and business hours were curbed as part of a community curfew.
During the pandemic, state officials say New Mexico agencies have delivered more than 5.4 million meals to children and young people, more than 293,000 meals to seniors and more than 400,000 pounds of food items to those communities most in need.
The state has also increased enrollments and benefits to families under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and has authorized additional support to go to each child in foster care for the duration of the governor’s stay at home order.
In other developments:
A rural county sheriff in New Mexico has deputized about 20 church members at an in-person church service. Sierra County Sheriff Glenn Hamilton said the move was about recruiting help and preparing for the worst but he also noted that law enforcement is exempt from the governor’s stay-at-home order, KOB-TV reported. Hamilton has extended the deputation offer to all churches in Sierra County and expects more to sign up.
