SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health on Wednesday announced Lea County moved from the Yellow Level to Green Level.
The health department announced the updated statewide COVID-19 map for the two-week period beginning March 10, with seven New Mexico counties at the Turquoise Level and seven at the Green Level, at which there are fewer restrictions on commercial and day-to-day activities amid decreased virus risk.
Eighteen counties are at the Yellow Level as of March 10. Only one is at the Red Level, signifying very high risk.
Thirteen counties – more than a third of the state – reached a less restrictive level. Those counties are: De Baca, Doña Ana, Eddy, Hidalgo, Lea, Los Alamos, McKinley, Otero, Quay, Roosevelt, San Juan, Santa Fe and Socorro.
Four counties, however, regressed to a more restrictive level. Those counties are: Guadalupe, Mora, Taos and Torrance. Mora, Taos and Torrance each moved from the Green Level – which if they had maintained would have put them into the Turquoise Level, or least restrictive – to the Yellow Level. Guadalupe County saw an increase in both its rate of new per-capita cases and positivity rate and moved from the Yellow Level to the Red Level. A county where the virus is on the rise, requiring a move back to a more restrictive level, must begin operating at the more restrictive level within 2 days.
The state’s county-by-county system uses key health metrics – the per-capita daily incidence of new COVID-19 cases and average COVID-19 test positivity within county borders – to determine the level of public health risk and requirement for each county. A county that meets one criterion may operate at the Yellow Level; a county that meets both may operate at the Green Level. A county that has met both for two consecutive biweekly map updates may operate at the Turquoise Level.
Counties that met both of the health metric thresholds for two consecutive biweekly map updates and may operate at the Turquoise Levelbeginning March 10 are: Catron, De Baca, Harding, Los Alamos, Quay, Sierra and Union.
Counties that met both of the health metric thresholds and may operate at the Green Level beginning March 10 are: Hidalgo, Lea, McKinley, Roosevelt, San Juan, Santa Fe and Socorro.
Counties that met one of the health metric thresholds and may operate at the Yellow Level beginning March 10 are: Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Lincoln, Luna, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Taos, Torrance and Valencia.
Counties that met neither of the health metric thresholds and must operate at the Red Level are: Guadalupe.
The color-coded tier system – Red Level, Yellow Level and Green Level – enables counties to shed restrictions and provide local communities the flexibility to operate more day-to-day activities as soon as public health data show the virus is retreating within their borders.
The public health order, the red-to-green framework and frequently asked questions are all available at cv.nmhealth.org/redtogreen, where New Mexicans can also view the test positivity rate and new case incidence for each county.
The categories and definitions for each risk level are available below and available at cv.nmhealth.org/redtogreen.
TURQUOISE LEVEL:
Counties at the Turquoise Level have both a new COVID-19 case incidence rate of no greater than 8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the most recent four-week period, and an average percent of positive COVID-19 test results over the most recent four-week period less than or equal to 5%.
Essential businesses (non-retail): No capacity restrictions but operations must be limited to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions
Essential retail spaces: 75% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Food and drink establishments (if NM Safe Certified): 75% of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75% of maximum capacity for outdoor dining
Close-contact businesses: 75% of maximum capacity; no restrictions on outdoor spaces
Large entertainment venues: 33% of maximum capacity for any indoor/enclosed space on premises; 75% of any outdoor space on premises
Recreational facilities: 50% of maximum capacity of any indoor/enclosed space on the premises; 75% of any outdoor space on premises
Bars and clubs: 33% of maximum capacity of any indoor/enclosed space on premises; 75% of any outdoor space on premises, where applicable
**All other businesses: 75% of maximum capacity indoors; no restrictions on outdoor spaces
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 75% of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: No maximum occupancy restrictions for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 50% of maximum occupancy for all others; 15 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 150 persons, or 200 vehicles
GREEN LEVEL:
Counties at the Green Level have both a new COVID-19 case incidence rate of no greater than 8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the most recent two-week period, and an average percent of positive COVID-19 test results over the most recent 14-day period less than or equal to 5%.
Essential businesses (non-retail): No capacity restrictions but operations must be limited to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions
Essential retail spaces: 50% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Food and drink establishments (if NM Safe Certified): 50% of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75% of maximum capacity for outdoor dining
Close-contact businesses: 50% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Large entertainment venues: 25% of maximum capacity for any indoor/enclosed space on premises; 50% of any outdoor space on premises
Recreational facilities: 25% of maximum capacity of any indoor/enclosed space on the premises; 50% of any outdoor space on the premises
Bars and clubs: 25% of maximum capacity of any outdoor space on premises, where applicable; indoor not permitted
**All other businesses: 50% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 50% of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: 75% of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 40% of maximum occupancy for all others; 10 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 20 persons, 120 vehicles
YELLOW LEVEL:
Counties at the Yellow Level have either a new COVID-19 case incidence rate of no greater than 8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the most recent two-week period, or an average percent of positive COVID-19 test results over the most recent 14-day period less than or equal to 5%.
Essential businesses (non-retail): No capacity restrictions but operations must be limited to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions
Essential retail spaces: 33% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Food and drink establishments (if NM Safe Certified): 33% of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75% of maximum capacity for outdoors dining; any establishment serving alcohol must close by 10 p.m. each night
Close-contact businesses: 33% of maximum capacity or 20 customers at one time, whichever is smaller; 33% of any outdoor space on the premises
Large entertainment venues: 25% of maximum capacity of any outdoor space on premises; indoor not permitted with the limited exception of operating up to 25% of maximum capacity for recording and broadcasting entertainment without any in-person audience
Recreational facilities: 33% of any outdoor space on the premises; indoor not permitted
Bars and clubs: May not operate
**All other businesses: 33% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 33% of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: 60% of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 25% of maximum occupancy for all others; 5 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 10 persons; 80 vehicles
RED LEVEL:
Counties at the Red Level are those with a new COVID-19 case incident rate of greater than 8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the most recent two-week period and an average percent of positive COVID-19 test results over the most recent 14-day period greater than 5%.
Essential businesses (non-retail): No capacity restrictions but must limit operations to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions
Essential retail spaces: 25% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Food and drink establishments: No indoor dining permitted; 25% of maximum capacity for outdoor dining; any establishment serving alcohol must close by 9 p.m. each night
Close-contact businesses: 25% of maximum capacity or 10 customers at one time, whichever is smaller; 25% of any outdoor space on the premises
Large entertainment venues: May not operate
Recreational facilities: 25% of maximum capacity of any outdoor space on the premises; indoor not permitted
Bars and clubs: May not operate
**All other businesses: 25% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor)
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 25% of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: 40% of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 25% of maximum occupancy for all others; 5 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 5 persons, 40 vehicles
