COVID continues to ravage Cibola County
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Cibola County has been plagued by COVID-19. Cibola County had recorded 1,657 positive cases and 44 deaths, as of Monday, Nov. 30.
Cibola County’s battle against COVID-19 has been raging with the disease gaining more than 200 cases in a week, marking a 9.5 percent increase. There were 37 deaths as of last week, a 15.7 percent increase.
To combat the spread of the disease New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has ordered that the state implement a new system of tracking the progression of the disease by going to a three-colored level. Starting with green for counties where COVID-19 is not that rampant, devolving to yellow for counties where the virus isn’t terrible but it isn’t under control, to red which means the virus is out of control in a specific county.
Only one county in the state is yellow, Los Alamos, and every other county in the state is red including Cibola.
Red
A red level county faces the harshest closures to prevent the spread of the disease and flatten the curve.
Red level means that the following rules will change:
• Essential Retail: 25 percent of maximum occupancy or 75 customers, whichever is smaller.
• Food and Drink shops: No indoor dining; outdoor dining allowed at 25 percent of maximum occupancy; establishments serving alcohol must close by 9 p.m.
• Houses of Worship: 25 percent of maximum occupancy.
• Places of Lodging: 40 percent of maximum occupancy for those that are New Mexico Safe Certified, 25 percent for those that are not; five guests maximum for vacation rentals.
• Essential Businesses: Must limit operations to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions.
• Mass Gatherings Limits: five persons, 10 vehicles.
• Close-Contact Businesses: 25 percent of maximum occupancy or 10 customers at one time, whichever is smaller.
• Outdoor Recreational Facilities (golf courses): Remain closed.
• Close-Contact Recreational Facilities (movie theaters): Will remain closed.
• All Other Businesses, including Non-Essential Retail Stores: 25 percent of maximum occupancy or 75 customers at one time, whichever is smaller.
Yellow
A yellow level indicates that a community is working on getting the virus under control, but more work is needed.
In a yellow county the rules change to allow:
• Essential Retail: 25 percent of maximum occupancy or 125 customers, whichever is smaller
• Food and Drink shops: Indoor dining allowed at 25 percent maximum occupancy; outdoor dining allowed at 75 percent of maximum occupancy; establishments serving alcohol must close by 10 p.m.
• Houses of Worship: 25 percent of maximum occupancy.
• Places of Lodging: 60 percent of maximum occupancy for those that are New Mexico Safe Certified, 25 percent for those that are not; five guests maximum for vacation rentals.
• Essential Businesses: Must limit operations to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions.
• Mass Gatherings Limits: 10 persons, 25 vehicles.
• Close-Contact Businesses: 25 percent of maximum occupancy or 20 customers at one time, whichever is smaller.
• Outdoor Recreational Facilities: 25 percent maximum occupancy.
• Close-Contact Recreational Facilities (movie theaters): Remain closed.
• All Other Businesses, including Non-Essential Retail Stores: 25 percent of maximum occupancy or 125 customers at one time, whichever is smaller.
Green
Being in the green level means that a county has a better handle on the disease and is mostly safe to reopen at a partial level.
When a county is placed in the green level it means:
• Essential Retail: 50 percent of maximum occupancy of 125 customers, whichever is smaller.
• Food & Drink Establishments: Indoor dining allowed at 50 percent maximum occupancy; outdoor dining allowed at 75 percent of maximum occupancy.
• Houses of Worship: 50 percent of maximum occupancy.
• Places of Lodging: 75 percent of maximum occupancy for those that are New Mexico Safe Certified, 40 percent for those that are not, 10 guests maximum for vacation rentals.
• Essential Businesses: Must limit operations to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions.
• Mass Gatherings Limits: 20 persons, 100 vehicles.
• Close-Contact Businesses: 50 percent of maximum occupancy.
• Outdoor Recreational Facilities: 50 percent maximum occupancy.
• Close-Contact Recreational Facilities (movie theaters): Remain closed.
• All Other Businesses, including Non-Essential Retail Stores: 50 percent of maximum occupancy.
Reset
County data will be reevaluated every few weeks to make sure that each county is in the right color-coded level for the number of infections.
The new system comes as New Mexico exits its two-week “reset” meant to help stamp out infections. According to the New Mexico Department of Health the reset worked, not only did New Mexicans stay home more but it broke the virus’ continued growth.
Despite the good news, NM Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase and the nation’s top infectious disease experts said that they expect waves of infections after the Thanksgiving holiday.