New Mexico eases hotel limits, quarantine mandates for visitors from COVID-19 low-risk states
Algernon D'AmmassaSANTA FE — Travelers from states at lower risk for COVID-19 disease will be exempted from New Mexico's mandated quarantines beginning Friday, and some hotels will be permitted to expand their occupancy from 50 to 75 percent of their capacity.
Under current emergency rules, all visitors from outside New Mexico are required to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.
On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a revised executive order specifying that the 14-day isolation applies to anyone arriving from states with a 5 percent or greater test positivity rate or a new case rate greater than 80 per one million residents, based on a seven-day rolling average.
That standard applied to 37 U.S. states or territories on Thursday, according to the governor's office, including New Mexico's neighboring states of Arizona, Texas and Utah, but not Colorado.
The mandate still applies to all arrivals from outside the United States.
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Visitors or returning residents are also exempt if they have documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before or after entry to New Mexico, but they must self-isolate while awaiting results.
Those entering New Mexico from lower-risk states are advised, but not required, to self-isolate or quarantine, and residents are advised to be tested within five to seven days of returning.
States affected by quarantine order
As of Thursday, the higher-risk category of states and territories included:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Lujan Grisham's office said a list of states affected by the quarantine order applies will be updated weekly at cv.nmhealth.org.
MORE:New Mexico's new coronavirus health orders begin Saturday
Previous exemptions to mandatory quarantining for certain workers, military personnel and federal employees or contractors, and other specific exceptions for residents traveling for medical, family or educational needs, still apply.
In a statement, Lujan Grisham said the latest move continues her administration's effort, in the absence of a coordinated federal response to the pandemic, to "strike a balance between public health and ensuring New Mexicans can live and move safely in a COVID-positive world until the arrival of an effective and widely available vaccine."
She added, "We have to maintain the necessary precautions to keep the people of New Mexico safe while identifying areas where we can amend restrictions to address our state’s economic crisis."
Higher caps for some places of lodging
The administration also released an amended public health order permitting places of lodging which have completed the "NM Safe" training program for COVID-safe practices at places of business to expand their occupancy to a maximum of 75 percent. Others will continue to operate at a cap of 50 percent occupancy.
As before, healthcare workers providing services to residents or individuals quarantining are not counted toward the occupancy limit.
On Thursday, 112 places of lodging statewide were listed on the NM Safe website as having been certified.
The latest order follows changes that went into effect on Aug. 29 expanding occupancy caps at places of worship and food and drink establishments, allowing social gatherings of up to 10 people, and allowing museums with non-interactive displays to open at 25 percent of their fire code occupancy limit.
Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.