SANTA FE — State health officials reported 264 new coronavirus infections Monday — led by Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico — and three more deaths.
The number of virus patients in New Mexico hospitals also remained high at 172 — two more than Sunday and a 33% increase over a week ago.
The strong growth in COVID-19 cases comes as New Mexico health officials say they are watching a spike in infections across the state line in El Paso, Texas.
Doña Ana County, which borders Texas and Mexico, led New Mexico with 82 cases Monday, far more than the state’s most-populous county. Bernalillo County, home to Albuquerque, had 59 new cases.
The statewide death toll now stands at 548 residents. New Mexico reported the death of three adults Monday, in their 50s, 80s and 90s.
The state has confirmed 15,291 cases of the virus out of 424,355 tests, a positive rate of about 3.6%. The share of positives has fluctuated from about 3.4% to 6.5% over the last week.
