December 17, 2020 New Mexico Department of Health reported 48 deaths related to COVID-19 Thursday, the highest number of deaths reported in a single day for the state since the pandemic began in March. New Mexico has now lost 2,097 individuals to the virus. New Mexico reached the grim milestone of 1,000 deaths related to the disease 246 days into the pandemic, but the state reached 2,000 deaths just 48 days later, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a press conference on Thursday. DOH provided some information on each of the 43 newly reported deaths: A female in her 40s from Bernalillo County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.