New Mexico hits vaccination goal

The Santa Fe New Mexican
·1 min read

Jun. 23—The New Mexico Department of Health on Wednesday reported 60.2 percent of eligible residents were fully vaccinated, marking an important milestone in the state's COVID-19 recovery.

The Governor's Office announced last week it would lift public health restrictions July 1 even though the state narrowly missed its 60 percent vaccination target by the June 17 deadline.

Vaccination data was still trickling in for New Mexicans who were inoculated by federal agencies or who received their shots in Texas. Once those numbers were tabulated, New Mexico's vaccination rate would reach 60 percent, state officials said.

The Health Department reported 76 new cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, with three infections in Santa Fe County, 23 in Bernalillo County, 12 in Rio Arriba County and nine in Doña Ana County.

There were two additional deaths: a Santa Fe County man in his 70s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions, and a Bernalillo County woman in her 70s who was a resident of the Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque.

There have been 205,134 confirmed cases statewide, resulting in 4,332 deaths.

As of Wednesday, 76 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Mexico.