SANTA FE – New Mexico’s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic increased to five with the case of a man in his 40s, as state officials on Tuesday said expanded testing will begin in an effort to target cases in which people have no symptoms.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the latest fatality, saying the total number of cases in the state increased to at least 315. About two dozen people remained hospitalized.
State health officials said the Bernalillo County man who died was found unresponsive at home last week. He had an underlying medical condition.
Social distancing continues to be an important tool to keep more people from contracting the virus but relaxing the parameters regarding who gets tested will help, Lujan Grisham said.
“The whole purpose is to make sure we’re doing the right surveillance,” she said.
The state already has issued a stay-at-home order, schools are shuttered and numerous businesses have been forced to close as a result of a series of public health mandates. However, the governor said she’s still seeing images of packed big box stores and people congregating while shopping.
She warned that the restrictions will be in place at least through the end of April, possibly longer.
Lujan Grisham said the federal government has granted the state’s request for a U.S. Army field hospital to be set up and federal officials are looking at other sites around New Mexico where temporary medical clinics can be established to add capacity for the health care system.
In other developments, New Mexico horse racing regulators met to discuss possible changes to race dates for the rest of the year in light of state and federal restrictions that have limited public gatherings and forced the closure of casinos, tracks and other venues.
The Racing Commission voted unanimously to postpone racing at SunRay Park in Farmington, saying the rest of the year remains a “rolling target.”
Commission Chairwoman Beverly Bourguet said the closure of the tracks and casinos has had significant financial consequences for horse owners, jockeys, trainers, groomers, boarding facilities, farmers who grow feed for the animals and others.
“These are extraordinary times,” she said.
