The contagion and death rate in New Mexico is rising daily

[lunatica]

Anyone who thinks that because NYC has kind of leveled off that we’re on the other side of the hump is mistaken. Even as the curve levels off in one place it’s rising sharply in many others.

Today’s Trump theater isn’t going to stop the pandemic for an instant. He isn’t going to make any Governor who is grappling with the rising deaths open any businesses prematurely. I don’t know what will have to happen in order to start opening businesses, but a rising death rate is not one of them, no matter how many tizzy fits he has.

[lunasun]

1. Is it mostly in ABQ and other cities? I heard a lot was on Navajo nation land at one point

[lunatica]

4. It's pretty widespread.

I copied and pasted the following:

Coronavirus cases in NM by county

The revised total of cases per county was as follows Monday afternoon:

Bernalillo County: 455
Catron County: 1
Chaves County: 19
Cibola County: 25
Colfax County: 2
Curry County: 10
Doña Ana County: 50
Eddy County: 7
Grant County: 10
Lea County: 2
Lincoln County: 1
Los Alamos County: 5
Luna County: 2
McKinley County: 191
Otero County: 3
Quay County: 1
Rio Arriba County: 7
Roosevelt County: 1
Sandoval County: 244
San Juan County: 173
San Miguel County: 1
Santa Fe County: 76
Socorro County: 14
Taos County: 15
Torrance County: 10
Valencia County: 20

The counties here are large in land area, but relatively small in population. I live in Santa Fe. The entire county only has 150,358 people. The city of Santa Fe has about 85,000 people. Albuquerque is in Bernalillo County and has the most cases. The population there is is around 545,000 people. There are quite a few tribes. They’re not doing well. They seem to have the same problem the Black community has of disproportionately higher rates of deaths on the reservations. I don’t know about the Native Americans who live off the reservations or if they are being counted.

[sfstaxprep]

3. The Thing Is...

New York is so explosive, that it truly is causing the peak to get as high as it will, just from the sheer volume. So with NY getting their situation under control, that alone will cause the top end #'s to come down. But the increases in the other states will mute the decline, so instead of a bigger drop off due to the containing in places like NY & CA, it will be more gradual, and last longer than it should.

[lunatica]

5. Another issue is that if he opens everything up the cases will go up again

Right now there is a minimum of people coming into contact with each other, so it’s natural that the rate of contagion would go down. But if people start mingling again the spread will skyrocket again. The virus itself is still as strong as ever.

I read someplace that in China some of the people who got it and recovered are getting it again. It could be even more of a nightmare than it is right now.

[klook]

6. Very sorry to hear this.

I visited New Mexico a couple of years ago and found that in addition to the beautiful scenery and delicious food, the state has some of the nicest people I've met anywhere. In Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Bloomfield, Abiquiu, and several other places, the people were universally so pleasant and welcoming.

I know there there is a lot of poverty there, especially in the Navaho Nation, which doesn't help matters. I sincerely hope new infections can be kept under control.

[lunatica]

7. Thanks

I moved here from California because it’s simply too outrageously expensive to live there. It was the best thing I’ve done in decades. You’re right. The people here are very friendly and welcoming. I feel at home here. One of the things I like most about it is its ethnic mixture. It acknowledges and celebrates its human mixture of all racial and cultural differences with pride.

It’s a blue state and our governor did the smart thing by reacting quickly to order businesses and schools to shut down and to tell people to self isolate. We are kept updated constantly. I feel she is doing a very good job.

[klook]

8. Your comments reflect my observations.

I loved the cultural mix there. I’d consider moving there, but not sure I could handle the arid climate.

I’m in humid Georgia now, which in the summer is absolutely sweltering. I think I need something in between, but I could probably get used to the dry air out there.

[lunatica]

9. Humid heat is much worse than dry desert heat.

I lived in Massachusetts once and it was absolutely miserable. The desert here is 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet high. Albuquerque is 5,000 feet high. The temperature is rarely unbearable if you aren’t directly in the sun. And at these altitudes the night temperatures go way down. I’ve always had trouble in the heat but I don’t here.

Nowadays with air conditioning in homes and cars you barely feel it. I only use the air conditioner when it gets too hot, which is very rarely in my two and a half years here.

[klook]

10. Yeah, the dryness was the problem for me in NM.

My nose bled daily for the entire 2 weeks, despite frequent use of spray saline solution. But I understand that people do eventually adjust.

There are enough wonderful things about your state that I may end up there someday, who knows?

[womanofthehills]

11. I live in Torrance County NM & we have 10 cases

I live rural outside of the small town of Mountainair. (Around 800 people) - so far we know 3 people in town tested positive. The mayor of Mountainair ( a dem) has been excellent thru all this - he is on Facebook and Zoom answering questions and giving out info every other night. Some women in town are making masks for the mayor to give out. If you are low on food or toilet paper, he personally will leave items on your door step. I love small town living. Our town is probably half Hispanic and half Anglo. We have a very active art center and 2 art galleries in this small town. Many artists live here.

I grew up in NJ, went to art school In N Y and came out to NM to finish my degree in my 20’s. I fell in love with NM and can not even imagine ever living back East. The sun shines almost ever day and the sky is really blue out here. From my land I have a great view of the Manzano Mts - covered with snow today.

[lunatica]

12. There's no place like NM

I’ve lived in México City, Colombia, Illinois, North Carolina, Wisconsin, the Bay Area and NM. I actually feel like Santa Fe is a combination of the best of all those places, and yet it feels like a town. Nothing like yours, of course, but just in comparison to the huge cities I’ve lived in.