363 active cases in Cibola
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — COVID-19 has erupted across Cibola County, with some of the highest concentration of cases being in the 87020 (Grants, N.M.), 87026 (Laguna, N.M.), 87327 (Zuni, N.M.) ZIP codes. Since the pandemic began in March, Cibola has recorded 676 positive cases and 24 deaths among citizens. There have been 346 total positive cases identified in the three area prisons since March. Of the 676 positives, 313 citizens have recovered, meaning that, as of November 2 there are 363 active cases in Cibola.
Since last Monday, the cases in Cibola County have increased 19.6 percent, with a nine percent increase in deaths.
Cibola County Emergency Manager Dustin Middleton said that the county is seeing a rise in positive cases because people are becoming too relaxed, not wearing their masks. and not abiding by social distancing measures. When asked about enforcement of the COVID-19 restrictions, Middleton said, “People are going to be people; a lot of them don’t feel the government has the authority; it puts us in a hard spot.”
The COVID outlook
After the Halloween holiday weekend, Middleton said that he expects Cibola’s COVID-19 numbers to increase. During this past weekend the emergency manager participated in Operation Safe Haven, a multiagency operation to protect children as they went about trick-or-treating, Middleton noted that he saw very few people out and about for the normally busy holiday.
“If one person in the group has the virus, then they’ve just infected the group, or increased everyone’s chances of getting it,” Middleton said about Halloween parties and other large gatherings. “It’s hard because people need to be with people; it’s a mental health thing and it’s about personal choice — we just have to assess the risks.”
Currently, Cibola County is in the “red” column, which is one of the worst ratings a county can get from the New Mexico Department of Health. This is due to the county’s six percent test positivity rate. Per 1,000 people in the county, 25.34 have the virus, according to Weather.com who tracks
rising COVID cases on a county by county approach.
The rising cases are attributed to the 30-39 age group, who is currently leading the county’s case growth with 122 cases, they are followed by the 20-29 age group with 114 cases, and the 40-49 age group with 101 cases.
Cibola County has a larger percentage of women who are testing positive than men, this has been the case for months now. Women currently make up 54.26 percent of the county’s positive cases, with men making up 45.74 percent.
Middleton said that there isn’t enough data to say whether this is due to women being infected more than men, or because men don’t get tested, he said that often times men don’t get treated when they feel ill and just wait until they feel better.
Middleton used heart attacks as an example, explaining that nine times out of 10 a man will have a heart attack and not go to get checked on because they often chalk it up to indigestion. More research is needed to understand why more women in Cibola are testing positive than men.
Statewide data, however, tells a different story than Cibola’s, with women making up 50.58 percent of infections and men making up 49.42 percent.
COVID testing
There has been an increase of testing as well, 135 tests were administered last Thursday at the Cibola County Health Office.
“[The New Mexico Department of Health] is doing a great job hosting tests,” Middleton said.
The guidance for when and who needs to be tested has changed a few times from the federal Centers for Disease Control, to clear up the confusion Middleton explained that anyone with symptoms of the COVID-19 disease should get tested.
Below is a list of COVID-19 symptoms.
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
These are not all the symptoms of COVID-19, the CDC explains that symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the disease. Emergency Manager Middleton warned that these symptoms look a lot like the flu symptoms.
“If you’re experiencing symptoms, get tested,” Middleton said, “If you’re feeling ill, I’d much rather you stay home and not infect everyone else.”
Schools and their safety
Families across Cibola County had the option of returning their children to the classroom in mid-October. Emergency Manager Middleton said that since then a handful of positive cases have been identified among at least one of the schools, but that there was not an exact total of positive cases from the schools available at the time.
Shortly after speaking with the Cibola Citizen, Mount Taylor Elementary released a statement from the Grants/Cibola County School District Superintendent Max Perez which read,
“We were informed late yesterday that a Mount Taylor Elementary teacher has tested positive for C OVID-19 . All protocols and safety measures were immediately put into place. There is no school on campus for the remainder of the week. Lunches will not be distributed at the school during this time. Anyone that we know who was in contact with that teacher have been or are being contacted. They have been given guidance and instruction on what to do to minimize the spread by our Health Services Office and the New Mexico Department of Health.” (sic.)
On October 29 Superintendent Perez sent an email that was sent to the Cibola Citizen which read,
“We have just been informed that a Mesa View Elementary Student has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has not been at the school for several days. Anyone that we know who was in contact with that teacher have been or are being contacted. They have been given guidance and instruction on what to do to minimize the spread by our Health Services Office.”
Middleton said that the different elementary schools had some walkthroughs by officials to check and see if they had proper ventilation, but that not every school had a complete walkthrough and that the focus was placed on establishing a quarantine zone to put a student who is suspected of having COVID-19 or exhibiting the symptoms until a parent could pick them up.
When asked about the safety of students and staff in the schools, Middleton said, “It’s still a little early to comment on safety.” He added, “[COVID-19] doesn’t affect the youth as much, but we need to learn more.”
Lives lost
Cibola County has hit 24 deaths as of press time, statewide 1,036 New Mexicans have lost their lives to COVID-19.
“One thousand New Mexican lives lost is an unfathomable tragedy. / For months now, the daily drumbeat of a few more deaths has served to diminish the acute feeling of loss. But it is tragic and real, every day, for so many New Mexican families with an empty seat at the table, and we cannot allow ourselves to become numb,” said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
“I beg of you to take this virus seriously. Don’t wait for the illness and death it delivers to arrive on your doorstep, within your family, to take the precautions we know work.”