Updated Red-Yellow-Green-Turquoise criteria now in effect, statewide COVID-19 map updated

Layouts BreadCrumbs BreadCrumbs SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday announced the updated statewide COVID-19 map , with updated key health metrics used to assign risk levels to counties under the Red-Yellow-Green COVID-19 framework now in effect. The updates to the criteria, announced by the governor and state officials on Wednesday , are made as the state’s nation-leading vaccine distribution effort is over time likely to reduce the number of asymptomatic people seeking out and receiving tests for COVID-19. As of April 30, 24 New Mexico counties are at the Turquoise Level and six are at the Green Level, at which there are fewer restrictions on commercial and day-to-day activities amid decreased virus risk. 30 of 33 New Mexico counties are at the least restrictive levels. Three counties are at the Yellow Level as of April 30. Zero counties are at the Red Level, signifying highest risk. The color-coded framework now includes a criterion that benefits counties as their vaccination rates improve, incorporating an essential new metric that reflects increasing vaccination rates in counties all across the state as more supply becomes available. “Our intention here is and has always been to ensure the color-coding of the map – and the associated requirements for each county – continue to match the actual risk level on the ground in each county,” said Human Services Secretary David Scrase, M.D. “As our models show test positivity is likely to become more elastic over time, and as fewer New Mexicans will require COVID-19 testing amid increasing vaccinations, we want to provide counties the assurance that they can continue to progress in accordance with the actual risk they face.” “New Mexicans should continue to get vaccinated at the very first opportunity,” said Health Secretary Tracie Collins, M.D. “Not only will it hasten the end of the worst of the pandemic, it will enhance counties’ and communities’ ability to safely begin more and more commercial and day-to-day activities without endangering public health.” New Mexicans can register for their COVID-19 vaccination at vaccineNM.org . Counties that may operate at the Turquoise Level as of April 30 are: Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Eddy, Guadalupe, Grant, Harding, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, and Union . Counties that met both of the health metric thresholds and may operate at the Green Level as of April 30 are: Bernalillo, Doña Ana, Hidalgo, Otero, Sandoval, and San Juan. Counties that met one of the health metric thresholds and may operate at the Yellow Level as of April 30 are: Catron, Chaves, and Valencia. Effective Friday, April 30, the health metrics used to determine a county’s risk level are: A new per-capita rate of new COVID-19 cases of no greater than 10 per 100,000 inhabitants over the most recent 14-day reporting period An average positivity rate less than or equal to 7.5 percent over the most recent 14-day reporting period A county with a fully vaccinated rate at or above a target, beginning at 35% as of April 30 and increasing to 40% for the regularly-scheduled map update on May 5, that will increase 5% every other week as more vaccinations are completed As an example, the vaccination rate metric will increase to 45 percent for the next biweekly map update on May 19 A county that meets none of the criteria upon the biweekly Department of Health map update will be at the Red Level. A county meeting one will be at the Yellow Level. A county meeting two criteria is at the Green Level. A county meeting all three criteria, or having maintained the Green Level for two consecutive biweekly map update periods, is at the Turquoise Level. In addition, counties that reach the Turquoise Level will move to a four-week update, as opposed to biweekly. In other words, once a county reaches the Turquoise Level they will maintain the Turquoise Level for at least the next four weeks, whereas up until now the time period between updates has been two weeks. Previously, the health metrics were more restrictive; the new per-capita case rate was 8 per 100,000 inhabitants and the average new positivity rate was 5 percent . Vaccination rates were not part of the equation. The public health order, the red-to-green framework and frequently asked questions are all available at cv.nmhealth.org/redtogreen , where New Mexicans can also view the test positivity rate and new case incidence for each county. The