SANTA FE – Health officials in New Mexico on Sunday reported 2,468 new COVID-19 cases and 33 additional deaths.
That increases the state’s totals to 81,896 cases and 1,383 known deaths since the pandemic began.
The New Mexico Department of Health on Saturday reported 2,342 new coronavirus cases and 25 deaths.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But for some – especially older adults and people with existing health problems – it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
A new edict announced Thursday allows the New Mexico Department of Health to shut down workplaces for two weeks if they have four or more coronavirus cases in a 14-day period.
More than 20 essential businesses across the state were shut down as of Friday, of which nearly half were grocery stores or major retailers.