New Mexico on Wednesday reported an additional 40 COVID-19-related fatalities, bringing the statewide toll to 2,243.
Bernalillo County – which includes Albuquerque – accounted for 16 of the deaths.
Colfax, Lea and Santa Fe counties each lost three additional residents to the virus, according to Wednesday’s report from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office.
The Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County reported another COVID-19-related inmate fatality Wednesday. That’s the fifth such death among the prison’s population in a week.
Although Wednesday’s statewide death toll was higher than recent days, the seven-day fatality average continued its decline to 27.7, according to a Journal analysis.
New Mexico reported an additional 1,174 COVID-19 cases Wednesday. The seven-day average is now 1,271. That’s the lowest since Nov. 11, according to a Journal analysis.
The seven-day case count average peaked at 2,672 a month ago.
State Human Services Secretary David Scrase said this week that the state appears to be on the down slope of its third COVID-19 wave.
Virus-related hospitalizations changed little. There were 809 Wednesday, compared with 810 Tuesday. They spiked to nearly 950 in early December.
