State Adjusts Public Health Order, Eases Some Restrictions

New Mexico's color-coded public health law received a new shade today: turquoise, natch.

Under the state's red-to-green public health framework, the state evaluates counties every other week for their case and test positivity rates over the course of 14 days. For cases, counties must have fewer than eight cases per 100,000 people over 14 days. For test positivity rates, counties must average 5% or less during the same time period.

Counties meeting neither benchmark are red and the most restricted; those meeting one criteria are yellow with slightly more capacity; those meeting both are green, which, prior to today, was the highest level and had the fewest restrictions.

Under a modified public health order announced earlier today, counties that remain green for two consecutive biweekly map updates now will progress to a turquoise phase and have the fewest restrictions of all.

For example, indoor dining isn't allowed at all in the red category. But for restaurants with New Mexico Safe Certification, indoor dining can be offered at 33% in the yellow category, 50% at green and 75% in the new turquoise level. You can compare and contrast all the color levels here.

As of today, four counties are red, 19 are yellow, six green and four counties qualified for turquoise: Catron, Harding, Sierra and Union counties.

Santa Fe County remains yellow for the second week in a row with a test positivity rate of 2.01% (compared with 4.22% two weeks ago). Santa Fe also is on the brink of meeting the rolling daily case average benchmark of eight per 100,000, as it is at 8.3%.

According to a state news release, 30 of New Mexico's 33 counties improved their per-capita daily case rate and all but six counties had improvements in their test positivity rates over the last two weeks.

In addition, the public health order recategorizes businesses previously all considered "close-contact recreational facilities" and closed at all the levels.

Now, "large entertainment venues" such as concert venues, movie theaters and performance venues in the yellow category can open at 25% capacity in outdoor spaces; 25% indoors at the green level; and up to 33% for indoor spaces at the turquoise level, with progressively higher capacities for outdoor spaces—notably up to 75% outdoor capacity in the turquoise ranking.

"Recreational facilities," including swimming pools, tennis courts and bowling alleys, along with basketball courts, baseball fields and ski areas, can operate their outdoor spaces in the red and yellow categories at 25 to 33% respectively, with indoor spaces opening up at 25% and 50% in the green and turquoise levels. Again, outdoor spaces expand to as high as 75% at the turquoise level.

As for bars and clubs—defined as businesses that generate more than half of its revenue from the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption—they remain closed in the red and yellow categories, but can open at 25% in outdoor spaces at the green level and, in the new turquoise designation, up to 33% of the maximum occupancy of any enclosed space and up to 75% of any outdoor space on the premises.

In addition, state parks, previously only open for day use to New Mexico residents, will reopen for everyone to use immediately and reopen for camping, by reservation, on Feb. 27.

The new health order arrives as New Mexico health officials report 448 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 183,781. The health department has designated 137,250 of those cases as recovered.

Bernalillo County had 105 new cases, followed by Eddy County with 100 new cases. Doña Ana County had the third highest number of new cases—70—and regressed today from yellow to red today, as its test positivity rate increased from 4.33% to 6.77%. Santa Fe County had 14 new cases today.

The state also announced 14 additional deaths, including three from Santa Fe County: A man in his 60s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions; a man in his 80s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions; and a woman in her 90s who was hospitalized. There have now been 135 deaths in Santa Fe County and 3,658 statewide.

As of today, 251 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.*

New cases

• 105 new cases in Bernalillo County
• 19 new cases in Chaves County
• 10 new cases in Cibola County
• 3 new cases in Colfax County
• 4 new cases in Curry County
• 1 new case in De Baca County
• 70 new cases in Doña Ana County
• 100 new cases in Eddy County
• 1 new case in Grant County
• 1 new case in Hidalgo County
• 7 new cases in Lea County
• 7 new cases in Lincoln County
• 1 new case in Los Alamos County
• 4 new cases in Luna County
• 3 new cases in McKinley County
• 7 new cases in Mora County
• 17 new cases in Otero County
• 8 new cases in Rio Arriba County
• 4 new cases in Roosevelt County
• 14 new cases in Sandoval County
• 11 new cases in San Juan County
• 4 new cases in San Miguel County
• 14 new cases in Santa Fe County
• 13 new cases in Sierra County
• 4 new cases in Socorro County
• 6 new cases in Taos County
• 1 new case in Torrance County
• 1 new case in Union County
• 6 new cases in Valencia County
• 2 new cases among New Mexico Corrections Department inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility

New fatalities

• A female in her 70s from Bernalillo County who had underlying conditions
• A female in her 80s from Bernalillo County
• A male in his 70s from Cibola County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Good Samaritan Society in Grants
• A male in his 50s from Lea County
• A female in her 80s from Lincoln County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
• A male in his 70s from McKinley County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 80s from Rio Arriba County who had underlying conditions
• A male in his 60s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized
• A female in her 70s from Sandoval County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A male in his 80s from San Juan County who was hospitalized
• A male in his 60s from Santa Fe County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A male in his 80s from Santa Fe County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions
• A female in her 90s from Santa Fe County who was hospitalized
• A male in his 70s from Valencia County who had underlying conditions

Congregate facilities

The Department of Health has identified at least one positive COVID-19 case in residents and/or staff in the past 28 days at the following facilities:

• Adobe Assisted Living in Las Cruces
• Advanced Health Care in Albuquerque
• The Aldea House – Heaven Sent LLC in Albuquerque
• Artesia Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Artesia
• Atria Vista Del Rio in Albuquerque
• Avamere at Rio Rancho
• BeeHive Homes Edgewood
• BeeHive Homes Gallup
• BeeHive Homes Taylor Ranch in Albuquerque
• Bloomfield Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bloomfield
• Brookdale Santa Fe
• Calibre Sagecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Las Cruces
• Care Free Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Carefirst Assisted Living Willow Wood House in Albuquerque
• Casa Arena Blanca Nursing Center in Alamogordo
• Casa de Oro Center in Las Cruces
• Clovis Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Clovis
• Colfax Long-Term Care Center in Springer
• Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara
• Genesis Silver City Care Center in Silver City
• Golden Hands Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Good Life Senior Living in Carlsbad
• Good Samaritan Society – Betty Dare in Alamogordo
• Good Samaritan Society Socorro
• Ladera Center in Albuquerque
• Laguna Rainbow Care Center in Casa Blanca
• Lakeview Christian Home in Carlsbad
• Landmark at Desert Gardens in Hobbs
• La Posada Assisted Living in Las Cruces
• Las Palomas Center in Albuquerque
• The Legacy at Santa Fe
• Life Spire Assisted Living North Albuquerque Acres in Albuquerque
• McKinley Center in Gallup
• Mimbres Memorial Nursing Home in Deming
• Mission Arch Center in Roswell
• MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care of Albuquerque
• The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho Assisted Living in Rio Rancho
• North Ridge Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Odelia Healthcare (Camino Healthcare) in Albuquerque
• Princeton Place in Albuquerque
• Ravenna Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Retirement Ranches in Clovis
• The Rio at Las Estancias in Albuquerque
• Rio Rancho Center
• Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
• Sandia Senior Suites Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Santa Clara Assisted Living in Santa Clara
• Sierra Health Care Center in Truth or Consequences
• Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Albuquerque
• Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Los Alamos
• The Suites at Rio Vista in Rio Rancho
• Tercer Cielo 2 in Albuquerque
• Village Retirement Community in Roswell
• Vida Encantada Nursing & Rehabilitation in Las Vegas
• Vista Sandia Assisted Living in Albuquerque
• Welbrook Senior Living in Las Cruces
• White Sands Healthcare in Hobbs

Statewide cases

According to a health department news release, previously reported numbers included two cases that have been identified as duplicates (one in Bernalillo County and one in Doña Ana County)—these have now been corrected. County totals are subject to change upon further investigation and determination of residency of individuals positive for COVID-19.

• Bernalillo County: 52,129
• Catron County: 83
• Chaves County: 8,590
• Cibola County: 2,728
• Colfax County: 699
• Curry County: 4,898
• De Baca County: 132
• Doña Ana County: 22,570
• Eddy County: 6,404
• Grant County: 1,462
• Guadalupe County: 349
• Harding County: 8
• Hidalgo County: 346
• Lea County: 8,009
• Lincoln County: 1,527
• Los Alamos County: 476
• Luna County: 3,083
• McKinley County: 11,989
• Mora County: 161
• Otero County: 3,247
• Quay County: 418
• Rio Arriba County: 3,388
• Roosevelt County: 1,835
• Sandoval County: 10,802
• San Juan County: 13,488
• San Miguel County: 1,222
• Santa Fe County: 9,545
• Sierra County: 698
• Socorro County: 1,215
• Taos County: 1,509
• Torrance County: 631
• Union County: 237
• Valencia County: 6,112

Cases among people being held by federal agencies

• Cibola County Correctional Center: 444
• Otero County Federal Prison Facility: 443
• Otero County Processing Center: 197
• Torrance County Detention Facility: 47

Cases among people being held by the New Mexico Department of Corrections

• Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 287
• Guadalupe County Correctional Facility: 251
• Lea County Correctional Facility: 474
• Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Union County: 166
• Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center in Cibola County: 123
• Otero County Prison Facility: 472
• Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County: 215
• Roswell Correctional Center: 229
• Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Doña Ana County: 218
• Springer Correctional Center in Colfax County: 151
• Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County: 74

*Per the health department, hospitalization figures include people who were tested elsewhere but are hospitalized in New Mexico, but don't include people who were tested here but are hospitalized out of state.