Governor touts state's progress as health officials announce new vaccine equity plan
Feb. 25—Nearly normal.
Almost a year after the COVID-10 pandemic arrived in New Mexico, prompting a statewide shutdown of most business operations, public health restrictions in some counties have lifted enough to allow life to go on much as it did before March 2020, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday.
In four counties that have slowed the spread of the virus enough to achieve the state's new turquoise level for COVID-19 restrictions, all businesses can operate indoors at some capacity, with indoor and outdoor options for bars, theaters and event venues.
"We are on the road to recovery," Lujan Grisham said in a news conference live-streamed on Facebook. "This is exactly where we deserve to be, given our hard work."
The talk came as the state reported 299 new infections and 13 more deaths, continuing a downward trend.
"We're trending in the right direction, which means saving lives," the governor said.
She credited the state's vaccine distribution effort for helping to slow the spread.
But not everyone who is eligible for the vaccine has been able to access a shot.
On Thursday, the state announced a new equity plan to ensure the vaccine reaches people most at risk of developing a severe case of the illness — those in areas with high caseloads and groups that are vulnerable due to poverty and other socioeconomic factors.
The state so far has administered 520,029 doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which requires two doses for full vaccination, the governor and health officials said.
Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said New Mexico is on track to receive 77,720 doses next, a 10 percent increase from previous shipments.
She also said Johnson & Johnson's new one-shot dose of vaccine will soon be available to the state.
While the governor touted what she called "incredible progress" statewide in stemming the spread of COVID-19, she urged residents to remain cautious.
"We really do have to continue to be incredibly dedicated to the public health measures," she said, including wearing face masks, washing hands, using hand sanitizer and remaining socially distanced.
