New Mexico COVID-19 Cases: 7,130

State OKs limited outdoor dining starting tomorrow

By Julia Goldberg

Starting tomorrow, restaurants in most of the state will be allowed to offer limited outdoor dine-in services under a modified public health order.

Under the order, restaurants can offer outside dining at up to 50% of their capacity. Other restrictions include:
  • No dine-in service may be provided in indoor seating areas.
  • Outdoor dine-in service may only be provided to patrons who are seated.
  • Tables must be placed with at least 6 feet of distance between one another.
  • No more than six patrons may be seated at any single table.
  • No bar or counter seating is permitted.

Bars are not included in the modified order. Specifically, any establishment that derived more than 50% of  its revenue last year from the sale of alcoholic beverages can’t offer outdoors or patio services.

Tomorrow’s modified order for outdoor dining also does not include the northwestern public health region: Cibola, McKinley and San Juan counties.

Last week, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state was on track to reopen indoor dine-in restaurant service on June 1—again, at limited capacity. A new release states that New Mexico remains on target for that date overall, but “…health officials continue to monitor the rate of transmission in the state’s southwestern public health region, which if unchecked could preclude further reopenings in that region.”

In a statement, the governor noted that New Mexico continues “…to see sustained, consistent progress in our fight against this virus, which is a credit to the New Mexicans who have amended their behavior to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe. I greatly look forward to being able to continue to ease the restrictions imposed on us by this heinous virus—provided that we continue on the right track and New Mexicans take every necessary precaution, whether in an individual capacity or as a business-owner or employee.”

New Mexico Restaurant Association Chief Executive Officer Carol Wight said the association is happy with the decision. “We believe this will provide restaurants the opportunity to ease back into the swing of things while taking the time to properly train staff and implement COVID-19 safe procedures effectively, before fully opening to the public on June 1,” she said in a statement, and also went on to ask restaurants in Doña Ana County to refrain from offering outside dining tomorrow. “The rate of transmission is considerably higher in this area and in order for everyone to be able to safely reopen soon, the NMRA would like restaurants in this area to forgo the May 27 date and work hard to slow the spread for the June 1 reopening of our industry.”

The modified health order came as officials announced 107 additional positive tests for COVID-19 today, bringing the total statewide number of cases thus far to 7,130. San Juan, McKinley and Bernalillo counties again accounted for the most new cases: 26, 22 and 15, respectively.

There were also 14 new cases among federal detainees held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Torrance County Detention Facility

As of today, the health department has designated 2,564 cases as recovered; 211 people are currently hospitalized. *

The state also reported five more deaths, bringing the statewide fatalities to 325.

New cases

  • 15 new cases in Bernalillo County
  • 2 new cases in Chaves County
  • 1 new case in Cibola County
  • 3 new cases in Curry County
  • 4 new cases in Doña Ana County
  • 22 new cases in McKinley County
  • 3 new cases in Otero County
  • 2 new cases in Sandoval County
  • 26 new cases in San Juan County
  • 1 new case in Taos County
  • 12 new cases in Torrance County
  • 1 new case in Valencia County
  • 1 new case among individuals held by federal agencies at the Otero County Prison Facility
  • 14 new cases among federal detainees held by ICE at the Torrance County Detention Facility

New fatalities

  • A male in his 60s from Cibola County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A male in his 70s from McKinley County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup.
  • A female in her 80s from Otero County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A female in her 60s from San Juan County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.
  • A male in his 70s from San Juan County who had underlying conditions and was a resident of the Cedar Ridge Inn facility in Farmington.

Congregate facilities

The Department of Health has identified at least one positive COVID-19 case in residents and/or staff in the past 28 days at the following congregate living and acute care facilities:
  • Advanced Health Care of Albuquerque in Albuquerque
  • Aztec Health Care in Aztec
  • Beehive Homes in Farmington
  • Bonney Family Home in Gallup
  • Casa Maria Health Care Center in Roswell
  • Cedar Ridge Inn in Farmington
  • Central Desert Behavioral Health in Albuquerque
  • Clayton Nursing and Rehab in Clayton
  • Dungarvin New Mexico, LLC in Gallup
  • Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales
  • La Vida Llena in Albuquerque
  • Legacy Santa Fe in Santa Fe
  • Life Care Center of Farmington in Farmington
  • Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup
  • McKinley Care Center in Gallup
  • MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Santa Fe in Santa Fe
  • Pacifica Senior Living Center Santa Fe in Santa Fe
  • Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup
  • Retirement Ranches, Inc. in Clovis
  • Robin House Assisted Living Center in Albuquerque
  • Sandia Ridge Center in Albuquerque
  • San Juan Center in Farmington
  • Spanish Trails Rehabilitation Suites in Albuquerque
  • Sundance Care Home in Gallup
  • Taos Living Center in Taos
  • Tohatchi Area Opportunity Services (TAOS) in Tohatchi
  • Uptown Genesis in Albuquerque
  • The Village at Alameda in Albuquerque
  • Wellbrook Transitional Rehabilitation Center in Farmington

Statewide cases

Per a state news release, previously reported numbers included two cases that have been identified as duplicates (one in McKinley County, one in San Juan County) and one case in San Juan County has been determined to be an out-of-state resident. These have now been corrected.

  • Bernalillo County: 1,362
  • Catron County: 2
  • Chaves County: 42
  • Cibola County: 130
  • Colfax County: 5
  • Curry County: 49
  • Doña Ana County: 428
  • Eddy County: 19
  • Grant County: 15
  • Guadalupe County: 20
  • Harding County: 1
  • Hidalgo County: 1
  • Lea County: 24
  • Lincoln County: 2
  • Los Alamos County: 6
  • Luna County: 7
  • McKinley County: 2,236
  • Otero County: 17
  • Quay County: 5
  • Rio Arriba County: 37
  • Roosevelt County: 36
  • Sandoval County: 546
  • San Juan County: 1,605
  • San Miguel County: 15
  • Santa Fe County: 133
  • Sierra County: 1
  • Socorro County: 49
  • Taos County: 24
  • Torrance County: 32
  • Union County: 3
  • Valencia County: 73

People being held by federal agencies:

  • Cibola County Correctional Center: 2
  • Otero County Prison Facility: 52
  • Otero County Processing Center: 92
  • Torrance County Detention Facility: 16

People being held by the New Mexico Corrections Department:

  • Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Valencia County: 1
  • Otero County Prison Facility: 42

*Per the health department, hospitalization figures include people who tested positive elsewhere but are hospitalized in New Mexico. but don't include people who tested positive here but are hospitalized out of state.

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