SANTA FE – Under a public health order issued Tuesday by the state of New Mexico, vaccinations are required for the 2021 New Mexico State Fair, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 9.

This policy follows the state announcement Tuesday that vaccines will be required for workers in certain medical and high-risk congregate care settings, including hospitals and nursing homes, among other congregate care settings.

All persons who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine must show proof of being fully vaccinated to enter the grounds of the state fair. The policy is intended to ensure the safety of fair-goers, including and particularly children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, as the “Delta” variant of the virus spreads rapidly among unvaccinated New Mexicans and contributes to spiking COVID-19 hospitalizations.

New Mexicans may schedule their COVID-19 vaccination at VaccineNM.org.

Through the month of August, any New Mexican receiving a first or second shot of Pfizer or Moderna, or a first-and-only shot of Johnson & Johnson, will receive $100 from the state. To qualify for the incentive, New Mexicans must register at VaccineNM.org.

Various local governments and private-sector organizations have enacted vaccination requirements for employees and patrons in recent weeks throughout the U.S as stagnant vaccination rates threaten hospital capacity and economic recovery nationwide. The Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, for instance, became the latest professional sports team to require proof of vaccination to attend home games during the upcoming season.

There are limited available exemptions – for medical, disability or religious reasons – to the state’s vaccination policy for the fair. The process through which an individual may document a legitimate exemption is outlined in the public health order, which can be found here.

An individual providing documentation of one of those exemptions must, to gain entrance to the fair, provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within 48 hours of their entering the fairgrounds.