SANTA FE – New Mexico will begin providing COVID-19 vaccinations to 15,000 people who work or live at long-term care facilities, state officials announced Saturday.
Beginning Sunday, CVS and Walgreens pharmacy chains and Vida Pharmacy in Albuquerque will administer doses of the Moderna vaccine at nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the state, officials said.
“Sunday marks a monumental day in our fight with this deadly pandemic. It signifies a step toward protecting our seniors and securing their safety,” said Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, Cabinet secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department.
The statement noted that people who receive vaccinations will need two doses from the same manufacturer administered several weeks apart. The pharmacies will send staff to facilities three times over the coming months to administer the vaccines.
Dr. Tracie Collins, Department of Health Cabinet secretary, said people who have been vaccinated can still carry and transmit COVID-19, so it’s important that they continue to wear masks and take other precautions such as washing their hands and distancing.
In another development, data from New Mexico state and local law enforcement agencies show drunken driving arrests have decreased substantially since the pandemic began.
New Mexico State Police Officer Dusty Francisco, a spokesman for the agency, said driving while intoxicated arrests fell 41% between March 1 and Dec. 22 compared with the same period in 2019, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office reported a 38% decrease in DWI arrests from 2019.
Alcohol-related deaths across the state are also down from last year. As of Dec. 15, 125 people have died from alcohol-caused crashes, the second-lowest figure in a decade, according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
Data show that alcohol consumption has actually increased since the beginning of the pandemic. Blue Cross Blue Shield has reported a 23% rise in alcohol use since March.
A study released by the RAND Corporation found that binge drinking has increased since 2019. That study said 14% of men and 17% of women reported an increase in the amount of alcoholic drinks they consumed each month.
