Officials: State may miss vaccination target to fully reopen July 1
Jun. 16—Cash incentives have boosted New Mexico's vaccination rate as the state closes in on a key milestone that would allow it to lift its COVID-19 restrictions, public health officials announced Wednesday.
But it's unclear whether the state will reach its goal of inoculating 60 percent of eligible residents by Thursday.
"We are diligently working to achieve that goal, and we can have more updates for you at the end of the week," Dr. Tracie Collins, the state's health secretary, said during an online news briefing.
"I'm not concerned at this point [the state will fall short of its goal], but I'm keeping my eye on the data," she added.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said she would fully reopen the economy when New Mexico's vaccination rate hits 60 percent. The state's target date for reopening is July 1.
As of Wednesday, 58.7 percent of eligible New Mexicans were fully vaccinated. For the state to reopen by July 1, 60 percent of residents would have to get a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine by Thursday. Residents aren't considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after they've received their final shot.
The state has loosened its public health restrictions as counties have reported fewer virus cases and more residents have received the vaccine. But after New Mexico reaches its goal of inoculating three-fifths of its eligible population, it will end its color-coded system that imposes occupancy limits on restaurants, hotels and other businesses based on a county's level of COVID-19 risk.
The move would allow for more expansive business operations and larger social gatherings, such as concerts and art festivals.
If the state doesn't reach its goal by Thursday, local businesses likely will have to wait a little longer to fully reopen.
"It ain't over till it's over," Dr. David Scrase, the state's human services secretary, said at Wednesday's news briefing. "We're working really hard on this. ... We'll all sit down Friday after we get the Thursday data in and take a look at where we're at. I'm confident that we'll do the right thing for the people of New Mexico."
To reach its vaccination target by Thursday, the state began giving $100 to residents who get a Johnson & Johnson vaccine or a booster shot this week. Health officials have seen a 30 percent increase in booster shots since the state launched its incentive program, and the number of New Mexicans getting a Johnson & Johnson vaccine has risen nearly 460 percent.
"We really think we have good evidence that this is working," Scrase said.
He defended the state's decision to hand out cash to entice more people to roll up their sleeves, pointing out the money the state gives away will go back into the local economy.
The global economy has lost around $16 trillion because of the pandemic, according to some estimates. New Mexico, in comparison, will spend $2.7 million in federal stimulus funds on its cash incentive program, Scrase said.
The state's seven-day rolling average of new cases was 91 as of June 10, "a place we haven't been since April of last year," Scrase said. The spread rate was 0.94, below the state's target of 1.05.
New Mexico has had 341 cases of a coronavirus variant that was first detected in the United Kingdom.
"The more our population is vaccinated in general, the more resistant we are to the spread of these more spreadable variants," Scrase said.
