SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday announced the state’s emergency public health order will be amended to permit a limited reopening for breweries this weekend followed by a broader reopening on Monday, June 15.

Under the amended order, which is attached and will be effective Friday, June 12, breweries may offer outdoor and patio seating at 50 percent of maximum occupancy as determined by the fire code. The following stipulations apply:

• No service may be provided in indoor seating areas.
• Outdoor service may be provided only to patrons who are seated.
• Tables must be placed at least 6 feet from one another.
• No more than six patrons may be seated at any single table.
• No bar or counter seating is permitted.

“A soft reopening this weekend will give these businesses a chance to properly train staff and implement COVID-safe practices before Monday’s broader reopening,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham.

Bars – defined as food and beverage service establishments that derived more than 50 percent of their revenue in the prior calendar year from the sale of alcoholic beverages – are not included in this provision and may not operate outdoor or patio services at present.

A new public health order to take effect Monday, June 15, will allow breweries to resume indoor service at 50 percent occupancy as determined by fire code. Bar and counter seating will still be prohibited, and these businesses will be required to comply with COVID-safe practices for restaurants, which are available here and downloadable here. This includes a requirement to offer customers the opportunity to record their names and phone numbers or email addresses, along with the date and time of their visit, and retain such records for at least four weeks.​

As they reopen, all businesses must operate in accordance with COVID-Safe Practices for their industry, which can be found in “All Together New Mexico: COVID-Safe Practices for Individuals and Employers.” The state’s COVID-Safe Practices now include restrictions and guidelines for drive-in events, such as theaters or holiday fireworks shows.

The amended public health order can be found here and will be executed Friday, June 12.

The changes are part of New Mexico’s phased reopening plan, which began by reopening the businesses and services that required the least personal contact. Moving from phase to phase depends on meeting certain benchmarks – called “gating criteria” – that measure steady progress toward containing spread of COVID-19. The state is currently in Phase 1 of that reopening plan. Modeling reports from the state are regularly posted here.

Workers can make reports about suspected unsafe work environments in the state to nmenv-osha@state.nm.us.