Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico health officials reported 659 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday – the first time in 12 days the daily case count has exceeded 500.
The spike was largely fueled by 191 new cases among inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility, which has now seen 672 total cases.
The state also reported 14 more virus-related deaths in its news release issued Friday afternoon.
The new numbers pushed the rolling averages to 384 cases and 12 deaths a day. This time last month, the averages sat at 763 cases and 28 deaths a day.
Six of the 14 most recent deaths were from Bernalillo County and all but six had reported underlying conditions. The deceased ranged in age from their 50s to their 90s.
Aside from the Hobbs prison outbreak in Lea County, most of the new cases came from Bernalillo County, which had 209, and Doña Ana County, with 58.
New Mexico has recorded 184,736 cases of COVID-19 and 3,685 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began.
There are currently 226 people hospitalized with the virus across New Mexico, a number that may include those who tested positive out of state but are hospitalized here.
As of Friday, 141,833 cases of COVID-19 have been designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.
