New Mexico to allow 'slight reopening' for retailers, offices; face coverings required for all
In a shift from last week, New Mexico will mandate face masks in public spaces for all
Algernon D'AmmassaThis story was last updated at 6:34 p.m.
SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a "slight reopening" of businesses in New Mexico to take effect across most of the state on Saturday.
However, in a shift from the governor's position last week, all New Mexicans will be required to wear face coverings in public spaces under new public health orders.
Lujan Grisham announced the new guidance during a virtual news conference from the state Capitol building, which opened with news that 155 new cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which causes COVID-19 disease.
The new cases bring the state's aggregate total to 5,364, or 4.7 percent of the 115,011 completed tests as reported by the state Department of Health Wednesday.
Additionally, she announced 12 new deaths associated with the disease, while 200 individuals were hospitalized in New Mexico. 52 of those patients were on ventilators.
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While most who contract COVID-19 experience mild to moderate symptoms, some patients experience serious complications leading to serious illness or death. A total of 231 New Mexicans have died, or 4 percent of the state's confirmed cases.
A 'slight reopening' of businesses
With the current public health orders closing nonessential businesses and limiting other operations set to expire after May 15, Lujan Grisham announced details of the first phase for resuming economic activity taking effect Saturday.
The current public health orders will be extended through May 31 and include numerous modifications, including differentiated regulations for different regions of the state.
In all but the northwestern area consisting of Cibola, McKinley and San Juan counties, small retailers will be allowed to operate while limiting occupancy to 25 percent of their fire code capacity. For grocery stores and big box retailers, the occupancy limit will be 20 percent.
Excluded from the reopening are movie theaters, concert halls and amusement parks.
Other nonessential businesses, such as offices and call centers, will also be permitted to operate at 25 percent capacity, although workers are still asked to work from home as much as possible.
Houses of worship will be permitted to operate at 10 percent of their maximum capacity.
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Commercial businesses involving higher personal contact, including restaurants, indoor shopping malls, salons and gyms, will remain closed.
Lujan Grisham urged New Mexicans not to treat the openings as a temptation for unnecessary travel, and urged residents to continue to stay home as much as possible, especially if sick or vulnerable to infection. Guidance to avoid social gatherings and to maintain a minimum of six feet of distance from other people outside one's household remain in effect.
Cibola, McKinley and San Juan counties, meanwhile, will enter a "preparation phase" for resuming economic activity, the governor said.
In those counties, nonessential retailers will be permitted to operate curbside or delivery services, firearms stories will operate by appointment only, and golf courses, pet and veterinary services will also be allowed to open.
'A tightrope walk'
Summer youth programs will operate with limitations including a 5-to-1 ratio of children to adults while limiting admission to local residents. Children would also be required to stay with same staff to avoid migration between groups. Activities would be required to exclude contact sports or other competitive activities with intensive personal contact.
Based on the state's criteria for reopening, which Lujan Grisham noted are stricter than other states that have reopened and seen cases increase, the state could begin reopening salons and barber shops, gyms, indoor malls and dine-in restaurants with limited occupancy in June. Lujan Grisham opened the door to increasing occupancy at houses of worship, hotels and motels at that time.
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Staying on the path to reopen businesses would require continuing adherence to social distancing, which Lujan Grisham acknowledged would be more difficult as more businesses open. Still, she said progress toward resuming normal activities would proceed based on public health data, including downward trends in new infections and slowing transmission rates to keep hospital systems from being overloaded.
"I think we can do this," Scrase said, "but it is a tightrope walk."
After the news conference, the state Republican Party criticized Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, saying the first phase of reopening was "too little too late."
The party's statement said "the decision to restrict small businesses to only 25% capacity when national chains are going at full steam, making obscene profits, is ludicrous and unjust."
In fact, big box retailers, including national chains, will be required to operate at 20 percent of their occupancy.
Face masks will be required in public
In a shift from her position last week, when she said mandating the use of face coverings would be too difficult to enforce, Lujan Grisham announced that everyone would be required to wear secure coverings over nose and mouth in public spaces beginning Saturday.
The requirements will include exceptions for eating and drinking, as well as exercising.
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During her announcement, Lujan Grisham demonstrated how to fold a cloth mask by hand, and said the state would arrange a system to help distribute to masks to citizens in need with details pending.
Lujan Grisham said she was depending on voluntary compliance and "positive peer pressure" to enforce the mask requirement, but noted it is enforceable for employers at licensed businesses where employees are required to wear them.
State Human Services Secretary David Scrase acknowledged public controversy over the effectiveness of non-respirator masks but joined Lujan Grisham in arguing that they help mitigate community spread. "All of us wearing masks could save thousands of lives," he said.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reversed its guidance on face masks in public, first discouraging their use but later recommending them.
Testing expands across New Mexico
State Department of Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel said that with expanded testing capacity, COVID-19 testing had been available for anyone currently working, even if they did not have symptoms, as well as anyone exhibiting symptoms associated with the disease.
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Kunkel also reported that testing sites were expanding in the southwestern area of the state. While the highest concentration infections remained in the northwest, Scrase noted that the southwestern region was the one region with a recent increase in the rate of disease spread.
"All workers, please get tested," Kunkel said, directing New Mexicans to contact local health department offices. "If you can't come to us we will come to you."
Scrase said the state was close to its target transmission rate of 1.15 transmissions per confirmed cases overall. While the northwestern and southwestern regions of the state were both above the target, the southwest actually saw an increase in its rate of spread since last week.
Updated reporting on COVID-19 cases
The 155 cases were reported as follows:
- 16 new cases in Bernalillo County
- 2 new case in Chaves County
- 4 new cases in Cibola County
- 2 new case in Curry County
- 4 new cases in Doña Ana County
- 53 new cases in McKinley County
- 1 new case in Roosevelt County
- 3 new cases in Sandoval County
- 56 new cases in San Juan County
- 1 new case in Santa Fe County
- 1 new case in Taos County
- 2 new cases in Valencia County
- 7 new cases among federal detainees at the ICE Otero County Processing Center
- 3 new cases among federal detainees at the Otero County Prison Facility
The 12 latest individuals to lose their lives to the illness were all residents of Bernalillo, McKinley, San Juan and Sandoval counties, in the northwestern region where the COVID-19 has been most severe, especially within the Navajo Nation.
In its revised total of cases by county, the DOH eliminated three duplicate cases from Bernalillo and San Juan counties:
- Bernalillo County: 1,124
- Catron County: 2
- Chaves County: 30
- Cibola County: 93
- Colfax County: 5
- Curry County: 34
- Doña Ana County: 249
- Eddy County: 14
- Grant County: 15
- Guadalupe County: 17
- Harding County: 1
- Lea County: 15
- Lincoln County: 2
- Los Alamos County: 6
- Luna County: 8
- McKinley County: 1,681
- Otero County: 8
- Quay County: 5
- Rio Arriba County: 28
- Roosevelt County: 13
- Sandoval County: 477
- San Juan County: 1,203
- San Miguel County: 7
- Santa Fe County: 113
- Sierra County: 1
- Socorro County: 49
- Taos County: 22
- Torrance County: 18
- Union County: 3
- Valencia County: 59
There are now 38 confirmed cases at the Otero County Processing Center and 21 at the adjacent Otero County Prison Facility; two cases at the Cibola County Correction Center; and a single case at the Torrance County Detention Facility.
Meanwhile, the DOH has designated 1,515 cases as recovered, or 28 percent of all confirmed cases. Localized data on recoveries was not available.
COVID-19 information and resources
New Mexicans showing symptoms of COVID-19 infection (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) are advised to contact their health care provider or the DOH COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453.
New Mexico is now making testing more widely available for individuals, including under the following conditions:
- People without symptoms who are close contacts or household members of New Mexico residents who have already tested positive for the coronavirus;
- people without symptoms living in nursing homes;
- people without symptoms in congregate settings such as homeless shelters, group homes, and detention centers;
- people without symptoms who are currently working;
- people with symptoms including cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and/or loss of taste or smell.
New Mexicans with non-health-related questions or concerns may call 1-833-551-0518 or visit www.NewMexico.gov online.
Up to date information on public health orders and metrics of COVID-19 testing and cases can be viewed online at cv.NMHealth.org.
For emotional support and behavioral health crises, the state has established a mobile application, NMConnect, for accessing services. The app can be downloaded for free to use with iPhone and Android devices.
A dedicated hotline for healthcare workers and first responders is available at 1-855-507-5509.
All others may access help at 1-855-662-7474.
Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.