SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health on Wednesday announced the updated statewide COVID-19 map for the two-week period beginning Jan. 13, with 30 counties at the Red Level. Twenty counties saw a higher average daily percapita rate of new cases in the last two weeks, and 17 counties saw a higher test positivity rate; 16 counties worsened in both metrics. Only 12 counties improved in both of the two health gating criteria metrics.
The state’s county-by-county system uses key health metrics – the percapita 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.
Harding County met both health metric thresholds and may operate at the Green Level beginning Jan. 13. Union County met one of the health metric thresholds – with a positivity rate of 3.8 percent – and may operate at the Yellow Level beginning Jan. 13.
Catron County, which had reached the Yellow Level on Dec. 30, saw dramatic increases in both health metrics and returns to the Red Level requirements on Friday, Jan. 15.
Eleven counties, one third of the state’s counties, reported a positivity rate below 10 percent, close to the state threshold of 5 percent.
WORSENING PERCAPITA CASE RATES:
Over the past two weeks, 20 counties saw their percapita new daily case rate increase. Those counties are: Catron, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra and Taos, with Catron, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Sierra and Quay seeing the greatest increases by percentage.
McKinley County has the highest average daily percapita case rates, at 104.9 per 100,000 as of Jan. 13. It is followed by San Juan County (103.4), Eddy County (102.4), Chaves County (85.6) and Lea County (84.8). The state threshold for moving to a less restrictive level is 8 per 100,000.
The counties of Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola, Guadalupe, Harding, Lea, Mora, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Socorro, Torrance, Union and Valencia saw improvements in their percapita new daily case rate, with Harding, Mora, Union, Socorro and Roosevelt making the greatest improvements by percentage.
WORSENING POSITIVITY RATES:
Over the past two weeks, 17 counties saw their test positivity rate increase. Those counties are: Catron, Colfax, De Baca, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, McKinley, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Sierra, with Catron, Quay, Lincoln, De Baca and Otero seeing the greatest increases by percentage.
De Baca County has the highest positivity rate in the state, with 31.25 percent of tests returning positive as of Jan. 13. It is followed by Lea County (30.69 percent), Eddy County (27.26 percent), Catron County (20.69 percent) and McKinley County (20.41). The state threshold for moving to a less restrictive level is 5 percent.
The counties of Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola, Curry, Harding, Lea, Los Alamos, Mora, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union and Valencia saw improvements in their test positivity rate, with Harding, Union, Socorro, Mora and Roosevelt making the greatest improvements by percentage.
POPULOUS COUNTIES:
The state’s five most populous counties – Bernalillo, Doña Ana, Santa Fe, Sandoval and San Juan – saw mixed results, with three of the five worsening in both health metrics. Bernalillo County, meanwhile, improved in both metrics, and San Juan improved in one of the two.
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 as of Dec. 2.
The requirements for each level are available below and at cv.nmhealth.org/redtogreen.
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 5percent.
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: 50percent of maximum capacity
Food and drink establishments: 50percent of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75percent of maximum capacity for outdoor dining
Close-contact businesses: 50percent of maximum capacity
Outdoor recreational facilities: 50percent of maximum capacity (unless required to have less capacity under the state’s COVID-Safe Practices)
Close-contact recreational facilities: Remain closed
**All other businesses: 50percent of maximum capacity
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 50percent of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: 75percent of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 40percent of maximum occupancy for all others; 10 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 20 persons, 100 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 5percent.
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: 33percent of maximum capacity
Food and drink establishments: 25percent of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75percent of maximum capacity for outdoors dining; any establishment serving alcohol must close by 10 p.m. each night
Close-contact businesses: 25percent of maximum capacity or 20 customers at one time, whichever is smaller
Outdoor recreational facilities: 25percent of maximum capacity (unless required to have less capacity under the state’s COVID-Safe Practices)
Close-contact recreational facilities: Remain closed
**All other businesses: 25percent of maximum capacity or 125 customers at one time, whichever is smaller
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 33percent of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: 60percent of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 25percent of maximum occupancy for all others; 5 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 10 persons; 25 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 5percent.
Essential businesses (non-retail): No capacity restrictions but must limit operations to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions
Essential retail spaces: 25percent of maximum capacity
Food and drink establishments: No indoor dining permitted; 25percent of maximum capacity for outdoor dining; any establishment serving alcohol must close by 9 p.m. each night
Close-contact businesses: 25percent of maximum capacity or 10 customers at one time, whichever is smaller
Outdoor recreational facilities: 25percent of maximum capacity (unless required to have less capacity under the state’s COVID-Safe Practices)
Close-contact recreational facilities: Remain closed
**All other businesses: 25percent of maximum capacity or 75 customers at one time, whichever is smaller
Houses of worship: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 25percent of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
Places of lodging: 40percent of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 25percent of maximum occupancy for all others; 5 guests maximum for vacation rentals
Mass gatherings limit: 5 persons, 10 vehicles