Dona Ana County’s state virus ranking improves, allows more business re-openings
SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico officials on Wednesday said Dona Ana County has moved forward again to yellow in the state's color-coded risk, which means it can ease some pandemic-related restrictions.
This will allow many non-essential businesses in Dona Ana County to reopen at 25%, which includes indoor dining. It increases the outdoor dining capacity to 75% and removes the capacity limit at businesses deemed essential.
Yellow level of restrictions allows for the following:
- 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: 33% of maximum capacity
- Food and drink establishments: 25% of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75% of maximum capacity for outdoors dining; any establishment serving alcohol must close by 10 p.m. each night
- Close-contact businesses: 25% of maximum capacity or 20 customers at one time, whichever is smaller
- Outdoor recreational facilities: 25% 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: 25% 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 33% of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises
- Places of lodging: 60% of maximum occupancy for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 25% of maximum occupancy for all others; 5 guests maximum for vacation rentals
- Mass gatherings limit: 10 persons, 80 vehicles
Dona Ana was one of multiple counties that improved in the state's red to green framework for safe re-opening during the coronavirus era.
Otero and Luna counties, adjacent to Dona Ana in southern New Mexico, were also listed as yellow on Wednesday.
Under the state’s system, a color is assigned based on the risk level in a particular county. The risk is determined by two key metrics: a test positivity rate below 5% and a new per-capita case rate of fewer than 8 per 100,000.
A county that meets one of the benchmarks over a two-week period may operate at the yellow level, which Dona Ana County has.
Wednesday's latest red, yellow, green and turquoise county-by-county map for New Mexico shows seven counties operating in the turquoise level, seven counties at the green level and 18 counties - including Dona Ana, Otero and Luna - in the yellow level and only one county - Guadalupe- operating in the red level.
