Serving the High Plains

State's health order extended through August

New Mexico's governor on Thursday extended current health restrictions through August with the hope coronavirus cases will fall and allow students to return to schools after Labor Day and the lessening of some business restrictions that month.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also said during a livestreamed briefing the state likely would issue new guidelines Friday or Monday for nursing homes that would allow family visitations under certain conditions. Residents of those homes have been under lockdown since March because of their high vulnerability to COVID-19.

Lujan Grisham also said the state would modify as soon as Friday the state's 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers to make it easier on some people venturing into New Mexico.

The governor said the current health restrictions would remain in place through August. That included occupancy limits in many businesses and churches, bans on public gatherings, recommendations of social distancing and hand washing, and a continuation of the mask mandate.

In addition to the September goals of reopening schools and lifting some restrictions, Lujan Grisham said more immediate goals are reducing COVID-19's spread and positivity rate, more expansions of testing and contact tracing, ensuring COVID-safe behaviors and businesses adhering to face covering mandates, and supporting businesses that use COVID-safe practices.

“In short, we have everything in place that can and will get our state back to a better and steadier place in our fight against this virus -- if and only if New Mexicans make and continue to make the right individual and collective decisions,” she said. “We’ve got to keep on the right track to ensure our students and educators can get back in the classroom this school year.”

With nursing homes and long-term care facilities, the governor said she was looking at loosening some restrictions for residents to have family visits, such as an outdoor meeting by appointment amid health screenings.

Lujan Grisham said she was eyeing looser restrictions for those facilities in areas that had lower infection rates. She said that would incentivize better COVID practices. She also said it was important to resume family visitations for the developmentally disadvantaged residents of those homes.

Human Service Secretary David Scrase said the state's seven-day average of 330 coronavirus cases had flattened or gone down slightly “but it's too early to predict victory.”

The total number of confirmed cases Thursday was 255, putting the total past the 20,000 mark since the pandemic began. New Mexico has seen the number of daily cases exceed 200 for a month.

No cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Quay County since Sunday. The total remained at 31, with the death of one resident who died in Florida in April.

Three more COVID-19 deaths were reported Thursday, for a total of 635. The total number of COVID-19 hospitalization stood at 156, which Lujan Grisham said was “trending better.”

Scrase said the number of daily deaths and hospitalizations had remained relatively low despite the sharp uptick in cases. He attributed that to more cases in people age 10 to 30, who have fewer dire health effects with the disease.

Lujan Grisham cautioned that in addition to death risk, emerging evidence shows COVID-19 infection can lead to long-term health issues such as heart scarring and lung, liver and kidney damage.

The state's spread rate of the virus was 1.09, above the goal of 1.05. New Mexico continued to meet its goal for daily tests (7,800-plus of a goal of 5,000), test positive rate (4.12% of a goal of 5%), intensive-care bed availability and personal protective equipment supplies. Contract tracing criteria had not meet their goals but had improved.