For the third day in a row, New Mexico saw more than 200 new cases of COVID-19, with double digit new cases also for the third day in a row coming from four counties: Bernalillo, McKinley, San Juan and Doña Ana.

The New Mexico Department of Health announced 209 additional cases and two additional deaths related to COVID-19. The state tested 2,321 individuals Saturday.

The total number of deaths reached 491 while the total number of test positive cases reached 11,619. These numbers come on a day in which national news media report that cases across the U.S. are on the rise and more than 2.5 million Americans have been infected by the disease. 

New Mexico Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase has said that the state would like to test around 5,000 a day. The state tested nearly 6,000 individuals on Friday.

With 37 new cases in Bernalillo, 23 new cases in McKinley, 78 new cases in San Juan and 24 new cases in Doña Ana counties, these four counties are showing double digit increases for the third day in a row. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Thursday she is putting on hold lifting any additional public health restrictions due to the increase in cases.

The state decreased the number of individuals who are hospitalized to 122, a drop of six from Friday, the lowest number of hospitalized individuals for COVID-19 since April 21.

There are 5,251 test positive COVID-19 cases who have recovered from the disease, according to the state.

The state has conducted 322,959 tests, according to the state’s DOH COVID-19 webpage. 

Testing

Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are:

• 37 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 1 new case in Cibola County
• 4 new cases in Curry County
• 24 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 4 new cases in Eddy County
• 7 new cases in Hidalgo County
• 6 new cases in Lea County
• 2 new cases in Luna County
• 23 new cases in McKinley County
• 2 new cases in Rio Arriba County
• 7 new cases in Sandoval County
• 78 new cases in San Juan County
• 8 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 1 new case in Sierra County
• 1 new case in Taos County
• 3 new cases in Valencia County
• 1 new case among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility

The reported two additional deaths in New Mexico related to COVID-19 are:

• A male in his 90s from Cibola County who was a resident of the Good Samaritan Society facility in Grants.
• A male in his 80s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

The state does not detail the type of underlying condition. The state reports that either a staff or resident in 33 long-term and acute care facilities around the state has tested positive for the disease within the last 28 days. That number has remained the same for the last two days.

But Otero County Prison Facility has one new test positive case since Friday, bringing the total number of those who have tested positive within the detention facility in southern New Mexico to 435. New Mexico In Depth reported that the facility is housing only sex offenders during the public health emergency.

The Department of Health reports individuals with test positive COVID-19 cases held by federal agencies:

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 2
• Otero County Prison Facility: 275
• Otero County Processing Center: 146
• Torrance County Detention Facility: 32

The Department of Health also reports, separately, the number of test positive COVID-19 cases of those held by the New Mexico Corrections Department:

• Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 1
• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 1
• Otero County Prison Facility: 435
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 1

The state previously reported one case in Bernalillo County that was determined to be an out-of-state resident. The state also corrected three cases previously thought to be out-of-state residents who reside in San Juan County. In addition, the state has corrected a previously reported case of an individual held by federal authorities at the Luna County Detention Center to a resident of Luna County.

Bernalillo County: 2,021

Catron County: 2

Chaves County: 79

Cibola County: 207

Colfax County: 9

Curry County: 136

Doña Ana County: 868

Eddy County: 66

Grant County: 18

Guadalupe County: 20

Harding County: 1

Hidalgo County: 46

Lea County: 100

Lincoln County: 11

Los Alamos County: 7

Luna County: 67

McKinley County: 3,309

Otero County: 35

Quay County: 6

Rio Arriba County: 93

Roosevelt County: 55

Sandoval County: 713

San Juan County: 2,357

San Miguel County: 20

Santa Fe County: 218

Sierra County: 12

Socorro County: 59

Taos County: 39

Torrance County: 41

Union County: 7

Valencia County: 104

The Article was originally published on For third day in a row, four NM counties see double digit rise in cases.