Hello everyone,
Please see below for important COVID-19 information and updates:
Top Level Messages
- Omicron: On Monday December 13, DOH announced its first identified case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The individual reported recent domestic travel to a state with reported cases of Omicron. The individual was seen in a local emergency room and discharged stable to home. DOH is currently conducting a thorough case investigation. Full press release available here.
- Boosters 16-17: On Friday December 10, DOH announced that COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine booster scheduling is now available for 16-17-year-olds.This follows federal approvals by the FDA and CDC and a review by the New Mexico Medical Advisory Team yesterday. Parents and guardians can register and schedule their children for vaccine boosters at vaccineNM.org. Additional instructions are available at vaccineNM.org/kids. Full press release available here.
- Public Health Order: On Thursday December 2, Governor Lujan Grisham issued an updated public health order requiring many workers in higher-risk environments – including workers in all health care and congregate-care settings – to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before January 17th, 2022. Public school workers and state employees, meanwhile, must either receive their booster or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. Full press release available here. Full executive order available here.
Daily COVID-19 Reports
Daily report for December 17, 2021. Click here to view all COVID-19 reports, which include cases by county, hospitalizations, facilities, and COVID-related deaths.
75% of New Mexicans 18+ have completed their initial COVID-19 vaccination series
On Monday December 13, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) announced that 75% of New Mexicans 18 years and older have completed their initial COVID-19 vaccination series, meaning they have either received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Full press release available here.
More than 40,000 New Mexicans aged 5-11 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
On Monday December 13, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) announced that over 40,000 New Mexicans between the ages of 5 and 11 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This figure represents more than 21% of all New Mexicans within this age range. Moreover, nearly 15,000 of New Mexico’s 5- to 11-year-olds have now completed their initial vaccination series. Full press release available here.
December 15, 2021 COVID-19 Press Conference
The COVID-19 press update presented by DOH Acting Secretary David R. Scrase, M.D., Deputy Secretary Dr. Laura C. Parajón, and Christine Ross, M.D., NMDOH State Epidemiologist, included current vaccination rates, booster dose updates, 5-11-year-old vaccines, COVID cases, breakthrough cases, the Omicron variant, hospital staffing, and more. See the entire slide deck by visiting the DOH Newsroom page and searching under “Press Conference Slides.”
Trusted Voices
Please enjoy a few of our COVID-19 Trusted Voices. If you are interested in watching our current library of Trusted Voices, you can find the playlist here. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Trusted Voice, please reach out to Audrey Herrera- Castillo at audrey@momentumsantafe.com.
· Dr. Charles Nwankwo is the President of Clovis Community College.
· Reverend Kay Huggins is the Interim Executive Director of the Conference of New Mexico Churches.
· Julianna Reece is the Chief Medical Officer of the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service. She is a physician who was born and raised on the Navajo Nation.