New nursing home guidelines announced

The state on Thursday announced new guidelines that would allow family members to have outdoor visits this week with residents of long-term care facilities in 21 counties, including Quay.

Earlier Thursday, the state also added exemptions to its quarantine rules for New Mexicans who have to travel out-of-state for medical and parenting reasons.

Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, New Mexico's secretary of Aging and Long-Term Services, announced the new long-term care visitation guidelines during Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's weekly COVID-19 briefing. Nursing home residents in the state had been in lockdown for months because they are high-risk for the virus.

For long-term care facilities to host outdoor visits:

• There must be no active COVID-19 cases in the facility;

• Visitors must be healthy and screened for the virus;

• Social distancing is required;

• Appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn.

Outdoor visitations at such facilities must be by appointment with these requirements:

• Using a Plexiglas “chatterbox” window or open-window visits;

• The resident and visitor must be 6 feet apart while wearing masks;

• They must be 12 feet apart if the resident doesn’t wear a mask;

• Visits would be limited to monthly.

Outdoor visitations would allowed only in counties where COVID-19 test positivity rates and average daily cases remain low. Just 21 states met those conditions, including Quay, Guadalupe, Harding, De Baca and San Miguel. Curry, Roosevelt and Union counties didn't meet the criteria.

Tina Fisk, administrator at the Quail Ridge Senior Special Care Center in Tucumcari, said Friday she wanted to set up the protective Plexiglas shields by Monday for outdoor visitations.

Quail Ridge had been closed to visitors since mid-March because of COVID-19 precautions. Fisk said Friday she informed residents that visitations could resume Monday.

“They are very excited,” she said. “They’re relieved; they’re happy. This has been very hard on them.”

Hotrum-Lopez said existing visitation guidelines remain in effect and are encouraged, which include closed-window visits or by phone or teleconference.

Lujan Grisham, whose mother lives in a long-term care facility, said it remains important for New Mexicans to be vigilant against the disease but saw value in giving a “light at the end of the tunnel” for long-term care residents and family members who suffer from depression from no visits. The governor said she would not hug or hold her mother's hand, however, when outdoor visits are allowed because such actions remain unsafe.

Earlier Thursday, the governor's office sent out a news release detailing revisions to the mandated 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers.

In the executive order are two new exceptions:

• The mandatory self-quarantine does not apply to New Mexico residents who left the state to obtain medical care.

• The mandatory self-quarantine does not apply to New Mexico residents who left the state for less than 24 hours for matters attendant to parenting responsibilities.

Previous exceptions to the quarantine remain in place:

• Persons employed by airlines;

• Persons performing public safety or public health functions;

• Military personnel and dependents;

• Federal employees;

• Persons employed by a federal agency or national defense contractor;

• Emergency first responders and healthcare workers;

• Persons arriving in the state pursuant to a court order;

• Persons employed or contracted by an essential business, as defined in the state’s emergency public health order, traveling into New Mexico to conduct business activities.

The quarantine requires individuals to physically separate from others in a residence or lodging establishment for at least 14 days from the date of their entry into New Mexico or for the duration of their presence in the state, whichever is shorter.

Human Services Secretary Richard Scrase said Thursday the state's seven-day average of COVID-19 cases had dropped. The spread rate also fell to a record-low of 0.72 since the pandemic began, well below the goal of 1.05.

Scrase attributed the fall in those rates to improvements in contact tracing, along with better compliance with masks, social distancing and hand washing.

He urged residents to stay at home during the upcoming Labor Day holiday to keep the spread of the virus in check.

When asked by a reporter whether the governor would relax COVID-19 restrictions in light of those improving trends, Lujan Grisham said it was “possible” it could happen before the end of August, but it depends on the data. She said she was “disappointed beyond words” indoor dining at restaurants isn't allowed, but “this virus is too risky.” Lujan Grisham said she also is looking for offering more aid to restaurants.

On Wednesday, the state’s Environment Department filed an emergency rule that requires employers to report COVID-19 cases to the agency within four hours after being notified. The employer must email [email protected] or call 505-476-8700.