San Juan County's COVID cases fall 14.6%; New Mexico cases drop 6.2%
FARMINGTON — New COVID-19 case numbers across the state and in San Juan County have decreased this week, compared to last week. Numbers nationwide fell almost 10 percent during the same period.
New Mexico reported 4,812 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 6.2% from the previous week, when, 5,128 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 were reported.
San Juan County reported 661 cases and five deaths in the latest week, a decline of 14.6%. A week earlier, it had reported 774 cases and three deaths. Throughout the pandemic the San Juan County has reported 20,008 cases and 542 deaths.
New Mexico ranked 21st among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 9.7% from the week before, with 593,153 cases reported. With 0.63% of the country's population, New Mexico had 0.81% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 12 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
In New Mexico, 61 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 57 people were reported dead.
A total of 263,755 people in New Mexico have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 4,930 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 44,933,336 people have tested positive and 724,317 people have died.
Across New Mexico, cases fell in 21 counties, with the best declines in Bernalillo County, with 1,097 cases from 1,228 a week earlier; in San Juan County, with 661 cases from 774; and in McKinley County, with 254 cases from 302.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
NM vaccination rate is high
New Mexico ranked 9th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 73.8% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 65.9%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Sunday, New Mexico reported administering another 48,102 vaccine doses, including 10,848 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 59,873 vaccine doses, including 14,704 first doses. In all, New Mexico reported it has administered 2,894,023 total doses.
Within New Mexico, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Catron County with 1,389 cases per 100,000 per week; Harding County with 1,280; and Mora County with 619. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Bernalillo County, with 1,097 cases; San Juan County, with 661 cases; and Dona Ana County, with 355. Weekly case counts rose in 10 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Cibola, Dona Ana and Catron counties.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 17.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 417
- The week before that: 424
- Four weeks ago: 447
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 80,739
- The week before that: 84,704
- Four weeks ago: 111,294
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.