The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of New Mexico on March 11, 2020. On December 23, 2020, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 1,174 new COVID-19 cases and 40 deaths, bringing the cumulative statewide totals to 133,242 cases and 2,243 deaths since the start of the pandemic. During the last quarter of 2020, COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Mexico increased, reaching a peak of 947 hospitalizations on December 3.
The most populous counties in the state have seen the largest number of infections, but by mid-April, the northwest counties of McKinley and San Juan became the most infected areas in the state, with Sandoval County also seeing a high infection rate. All of these counties have large Native American populations. According to the state's data dashboard, American Indians had nearly 58 percent of the statewide infection rates as of May 15. On April 25, McKinley County had the highest total number of cases while San Juan County had the highest number of deaths by April 26. However, by the end of July, Hispanics/Latinos had a plurality of cases. The portion of cases among American Indians continued to decline, and by mid February 2021 was below that of whites.
Timeline
March 2020 March 11: The initial four cases of COVID-19 in New Mexico were reported by the New Mexico Department of Health. They included a couple in their 60s in Socorro County with a travel history to Egypt, a woman in her 70s in Bernalillo County with a travel history to the New York City area, and a Santa Fe County woman in her 60s also with a New York City area travel history. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Department of Health cautioned against large gatherings and non-essential travel outside of New Mexico. Governor Lujan Grisham signed Executive Order 2020–004, declaring a statewide public health emergency. March 12: Two more cases were confirmed. These were a Bernalillo County man in his 40s and a Santa Fe County woman in her 50s who had travelled to Italy. March 13: Four more cases were confirmed. These included Bernalillo County men in their 50s and 80s and a Bernalillo County woman in her 70s, all with contact to previously diagnosed patients, as well as a Santa Fe County woman in her 20s who had travelled to New York. Governor Lujan Grisham announces all K-12 public schools will close for three weeks starting March 16, 2020. March 14: Three more cases were confirmed. The patients included one Sandoval County man and one woman, both in their 60s, and a Bernalillo county woman in her 50s. March 15: Four more cases were confirmed. The new patients were all men from Bernalillo County: one each in their 20s and 40s, and two in their 30s. March 16: Four more cases were confirmed. They were all from Bernalillo County: one man in his 20s, two women in their 30s, and one man in his 80s. March 17: Two more cases were confirmed. Two men were diagnosed, one in his 40s in Santa Fe County and one in his 50s in Taos County. March 18: Five more cases were confirmed. They included a woman in her 40s in Bernalillo County, a woman in her 80s in Bernalillo County, a woman in her 30s in Santa Fe County, a woman in her teens in Sandoval County, and a woman in her 50s. The case of the Bernalillo County woman in her 40s was under investigation as potential community spread, with no known travel or personal link. March 19: Seven more cases were confirmed. Four cases were from Bernalillo County, two from Santa Fe County, and one from San Miguel County. The Department of Health noted for the first time that it had detected community spread within New Mexico. March 20: An additional eight cases were confirmed, including the first cases in Doña Ana and McKinley counties. Two more cases each of Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, as well as a new case in Taos County, were also confirmed. March 21: 14 new cases were confirmed, including the first case in Lea County. The other cases confirmed consisted of 9 in Bernalillo County and one each in Doña Ana, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Taos County. March 22: Statewide case total is 65 with two new cases in Bernalillo, Doña Ana, and Santa Fe counties and one in McKinley and San Juan counties. March 23: Governor Lujan Grisham announced a statewide stay-at-home order that requires 100% of non-essential business workforce to work from home effective March 24. 18 new cases are also announced with four new cases in Bernalillo and Chaves counties (it was later revealed that one of the Chaves county cases was the result of a clerical error), six in Doña Ana and two in San Juan and Santa Fe counties bringing the reported statewide total to 83. March 24: Total cases reach 100 as 17 new cases are reported with five new cases in Bernalillo county, three in Doña Ana, four in San Juan, two in Santa Fe, and one in McKinley as well as Cibola and Curry the first for those counties. March 25: The first death in the state is reported. A male in his late 70s died on March 22 at Artesia General Hospital. A COVID-19 test was done and confirmed late on March 24 that he tested positive for the virus. The individual also had multiple underlying chronic health issues. 13 new cases are reported with five in Bernalillo county, three in Santa Fe, two in Rio Arriba, one in San Juan and Sandoval counties and a deceased male in Eddy County bringing the statewide total to 112. March 26: 24 more cases are reported with seven new cases in Bernalillo county, six in San Juan, five in Santa Fe, three in Doña Ana, two in Sandoval, and one in Chaves county bringing the statewide total to 136. March 27: Total cases reach 191 as 55 more cases are reported with 27 in Bernalillo county, 7 in Santa Fe, 5 in Sandoval and Taos, 3 in San Juan, 2 in McKinley, and one in Cibola, Eddy, Lea, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, and Valencia counties. Governor Lujan Grisham extends the K-12 public school closures to the end of the school year. March 28: The second death in the state is reported in Bernalillo county, a male in his 80s with chronic health issues died on March 27. 17 more cases are reported with 11 in Bernalillo, 3 in Chaves, and one in Doña Ana, Eddy and San Juan counties bringing the statewide total to 208. The New Mexico Department of Health also reports that 26 cases are designated as having recovered. March 29: 29 new cases are reported with nine in Bernalillo, four in McKinley, San Juan and Santa Fe counties, three in Sandoval, two in Curry, and one in Chaves and Valencia counties bringing the statewide total to 237. March 30: 44 more cases are reported as well as two more deaths in Bernalillo county. New cases are 16 in Bernalillo, 5 in Sandoval and San Juan, 3 in McKinley, Santa Fe, Torrance and Valencia bringing the statewide total to 281 with 4 deaths. March 31: 35 additional cases are reported with another death (a male in his 40s with an underlying health condition). New cases include 12 in Bernalillo, 7 in Sandoval, 6 in San Juan, 4 in McKinley and Santa Fe, and one in Rio Arriba and Taos counties bringing the statewide total to 315 with five deaths.
April 2020 April 1: New testing criteria are announced to allow asymptomatic people in close contact with those who have tested positive as well as asymptomatic people in nursing homes, group homes, homeless shelters and detention centers to be considered for COVID-19 testing. 48 more new cases are reported with 19 in Bernalillo county, six in Santa Fe, five in San Juan, four in McKinley, three in Doña Ana and Sandoval, two in Cibola and Curry, and one new case in Catron, Grant, Otero and Taos counties. One death is also reported a female in her 90s in Sandoval county. The statewide total is 363 reported cases with six deaths. April 2: Total cases reach 403 with 15 new cases in Bernalillo county, 8 in Sandoval, 4 in McKinley and San Juan, 3 in Chaves, and one new case in Cibola, Curry, Doña Ana, Rio Arriba, Socorro, and Taos counties. One more death is reported a woman in her 70s in Bernalillo county with seven deaths in the state. 31 cases are now designated as having recovered. April 3: The largest number of new cases to date is reported with 92 positive tests confirmed. 39 new cases are reported in Bernalillo county, 26 in Sandoval, 9 in San Juan, 8 in McKinley, 4 in Santa Fe, 3 in Cibola, and 1 in Doña Ana bringing the statewide total to 495. An outbreak occurs at the La Vida Lleno nursing home in northeast Albuquerque resulting in two deaths with 19 more residents and 3 staffers testing positive for COVID-19. April 4: 51 new cases are reported with 23 in Bernalillo, 9 in San Juan, 6 in Santa Fe, 4 in Cibola, 3 in Torrance, 2 in Sandoval, and the first reported cases in Lincoln and Los Alamos counties and one new case in McKinley and Rio Arriba counties bringing the statewide total to 543. There is also one reported death in McKinley county bringing the statewide total to 11. Among the new cases 5 residents and 8 staffers from the La Vida Lleno nursing home in Albuquerque test positive for the virus bringing the total to 35 from that facility. 54 cases are designated as having recovered. April 5: 81 new confirmed cases bring the statewide total to 624 with one death in McKinley county. April 6: Governor Lujan Grisham extends the stay at home order through April 30 effective at 8 am on April 7 with new restrictions limiting the number of people allowed in grocery or big box stores to 20 percent of the maximum occupancy limit as determined by the fire departments. 62 new confirmed cases bring the statewide total to 686. April 7: 109 new cases are reported with 42 in Bernalillo, 24 in San Juan, 18 in Sandoval, 11 in McKinley, 5 in Doña Ana, 2 in Curry and Santa Fe, and 1 new case in Chaves, Cibola, Grant, Taos, and Torrance counties and one death in Bernalillo county bringing the statewide total to 794 cases and 13 deaths with 171 recoveries. Of the total cases in Sandoval county 52 were on the San Felipe Pueblo and 31 on Zia Pueblo. April 8: 72 more cases and three deaths in Bernalillo county (all residents of the La Vida Llena nursing home) are reported bringing the statewide total to 865 cases, 16 deaths and 201 recoveries. April 9 Another record number of cases are reported with 124 positive tests including 45 in Bernalillo, 31 in Sandoval, 13 in McKinley, 9 in San Juan, 5 in Cibola and Doña Ana, 3 in Santa Fe and Valencia, 2 in Chaves, Los Alamos, and Socorro, and one new case in Colfax, Curry, Taos, and Torrance counties bringing the statewide total to 989. One more death is reported in Bernalillo county, a female in her 80s who was a resident at the La Vida Llena long-term facility, the sixth death from there. 17 total deaths in the state have occurred with 217 recoveries. April 10: 106 more cases are reported bringing the statewide total to 1,091. Two more deaths are also reported. April 11: 86 more cases and one death are reported bringing the total 1.174. Governor Lujan Grisham extends the ban on mass gatherings to include houses of worship right before Easter. April 12: 74 new cases are reported bringing the total to 1,245. Six more deaths are also reported. April 13: 107 new cases bring the statewide total to 1,345 with five deaths reported. April 14: 62 more cases bring the statewide total to 1,407 with five additional deaths. April 15: 80 new cases bring the statewide total to 1,484. No deaths are reported. April 16: The highest number of deaths to date are reported with eight deaths, one in Bernalillo, Cibola, and Sandoval counties, two in McKinley, and three in San Juan. 116 additional cases are reported with McKinley, Sandoval and San Juan counties having the largest increases. April 17: 115 more cases are reported bringing the statewide total to 1,711. Seven more deaths are also reported bringing the total to 51.