Douglas County reports 20 new COVID-19 cases; 213 remain active

An Eddy County woman in her 20s and a Chaves County woman in her 100s are among the latest New Mexico COVID-19 patients to die, according to the state Department of Health.

The county has averaged about eight new cases per day over the last 14 days, according to a 14-day moving average graph updated weekdays by the health department.

Laramie County has the highest confirmed active case count in the state with 71 confirmed active cases, according to the WDH.

"Help us to push our curve back down again".

On Monday, the province implemented sweeping restrictions for a three-week "circuit breaker" as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow at an alarming pace.

Large-scale clinical studies found that COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of contracting the disease in vaccinated individuals by up to 95%, compared with those who were not vaccinated. Additionally, on March 27, two patients were under investigation for COVID-19, seven critical care unit beds were in use, and the total patient census was 153 out of an approximate capacity of 170. At least 5,865 people have recovered, but sadly 108 members of our community have lost their lives to this deadly virus.

AstraZeneca doses were initially meant to go to frontline workers, leaving the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech supplies for the province's age-based immunization schedule, but those plans were put on hold over concerns about rare cases of blood clotting in people below the age of 55 who received the AstraZeneca vaccine. County health officials continue to keep a close watch on the COVID variants that have begun to appear closer and closer to home.

Officials did not have data available Wednesday on the number of new variant cases in the province.

"First, everyone will have access to a safe and effective vaccine, and that remains on track to happen before Canada Day".

The B.C. government announced Tuesday that people aged 55 to 65 who are living in the Lower Mainland can register Wednesday to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine.

"Third, we don't yet have enough people protected through the vaccines to be able to put aside any of our safety precautions, so we need to continue to follow all the public health orders and guidelines we have in place".