Cases Fall Through August
Diego Lopez, Reporter
COVID-19 spread in Cibola is at its lowest since the end of April. The deadly disease is losing steam in the county, but deaths appear to be stabilizing as if to show that the disease is not any less deadly. Vaccinations against the disease appear to have stalled completely as not a single person received the shot in Cibola County through August.
Cibola County saw minimal spread of the disease in August, with a rapid decline in active cases week-on-week. As of data released on September 12, Cibola County has 329 active cases, this is the lowest seen in the county since April.
COVID’s Spread
COVID-19 really began to lose steam in the second week of April. Cibola ended July with 487 active cases, this grew for the first week of August when active cases rose to 491. This would be the peak of the most recent growth in cases as active cases remained at 491 in the second week of August, falling to 410 in the final week of August.
April ended with 308 active cases, by the next Monday, the first week of May, active cases ballooned to 344. Cibola County currently has 329 active cases, as of September 12, this is the lowest Cibola has seen since the end of April.
Vaccinations Stall
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, receiving a COVID-19 vaccination is the best way to prevent an infection from the disease which can be deadly.
The last time a resident of Cibola County was vaccinated against the disease was in the final week of July. If represented on a graph, Cibola’s COVID vaccination campaign would be a line of steady growth until it stalls out completely in August.
The final week of July had Cibola at 16,421 residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That number has not increased since the end of July.
The final week of July had Cibola at 19,657 people with at least one COVID-19 shot. That number has not increased since the end of July.
To receive a COVID19 vaccination, visit your local pharmacist, or visit https://cvvaccine.nmhealt h.org/myregistration.html and register for a shot through the New Mexico Department of Health.
Deaths Appear to Stabilize
10 residents of Cibola County died from COVID-19 in January. This was the deadliest month in Cibola due to the disease all year. There were eight deaths from COVID in February, four in March, then deaths stagnated at five in April and May. Only two residents died of COVID in June, with the number of fatalities rising to four in July.
In August, three members of the Cibola community died from COVID. So far, one person has died from the disease in September, they passed away Sept. 1.
COVID deaths appear to be stabilizing below five per month for the first time all year.
Growth by Age in Cibola
August saw the slowest climb in new cases by all age groups since May. The 30–39-year-old demographic in Cibola has once again increased at the highest rate, adding 34 new cases since the beginning of the month, rising from 1,239 cases to 1,273.
The 10–19-year-old demographic increased at the second highest rate through August, adding 31 cases. This demographic went from 1,260 cases at the beginning of August to 1,291 at the end of the month.
Two age groups raised the same amount to tie for the third highest increase in COVD-19 cases through August. The 0-9 demographic and the 6069 demographic both increased by 30 cases. The 0–9-year-old group went from 911 cases at the beginning of the month to 941. The 60-69 demographic increased from 735 to 765 cases.
Mask wearing, social distancing when sick or around sick people, and getting vaccinated are the best way to prevent serious illness and death from the disease, according to the CDC.