SANTA FE – New Mexico health officials confirmed an additional 659 COVID-19 infections Friday – marking the highest daily case total in more than three weeks.
The New Mexico Department of Health noted that 191 of the new cases involved inmates at a state lockup in Lea County.
State officials earlier this week expressed optimism about downward trends in the overall spread of the virus among the general population, with all 33 counties reporting positivity rates below 10%. However, they acknowledged that the seven-day rolling average of daily cases remained above the state’s target.
In all, New Mexico has reported nearly 185,000 cases since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
The death toll stands at 3,685, with more than a dozen deaths reported Friday.
The number of people registering to receive vaccinations continued to climb, with nearly 660,000 signed up.
State data shows more than 557,000 shots have been administered. That includes nearly 198,000 New Mexicans who have received their second shots.
