ARTESIA — The following is a preview of the phases of New Mexico’s reopening plan, as released Thursday, April 30, by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Artesians are urged to familiarize themselves with not only the planned phases but the guidelines for citizens, employers and retailers.
The State of New Mexico notes that the success of this plan will be entirely driven by the continued social distancing behaviors of all New Mexicans. As of today, those COVID-Safe Practices (CSPs) include:
STAY HOME:
• Staying at home as much as possible. Avoid unnecessary travel, and always stay at home when sick, except in the case of a medical emergency.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw that tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
• Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
IF YOU MUST GO OUT:
• Wear a multi-layer cloth face covering when in a public setting, except when eating, drinking, or exercising outdoors.
• Maintain a six-foot distance from others.
• Do not participate in large gatherings.
• Protect vulnerable populations by finding ways of connecting that do not involve face-to-face contact.
CSPs FOR ALL EMPLOYERS:
• Limit operations to remote work to the greatest possible extent.
• If individuals must conduct some work in an office environment, workplaces should be arranged to provide six feet of space between individuals.
• Close common areas where personnel are likely to congregate or modify them to minimize contact.
• Provide for all meetings to take place remotely whenever possible.
• All employees should be provided with appropriate face coverings and should wear them while in the workplace. THIS INCLUDES RESTAURANTS.
• Train all employees on daily cleaning and disinfecting protocols, hygiene, and respiratory etiquette (covering coughs, etc.).
• Make handwashing, hand sanitizer, and other hygiene support available to employees and instruct them to use these practices frequently.
• Screen employees before they enter the workplace each day, verbally or with a written form or app. Send home employees who are experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, and/or loss of taste or smell.
• Prohibit employees with known close contact to a person who has been lab confirmed to have COVID-19 from returning to work until the end of a 14-day self-isolation period.
• Minimize non-essential travel. Adhere to CDC guidelines and state orders regarding isolation following out-ofstate travel.
• Adhere to all CDC and OSHA guidelines.
ADDITIONAL CSPs FOR RETAILERS:
Required
• Adhere to CSPs for All Employers, as listed above.
• Adhere to maximum occupancy limits, per the state’s planned phases, as outlined below.
• Utilize signs, stanchions and/or floor decals to support six-foot social distancing inside businesses, including one-way aisle traffic and separate entry/exit wherever possible.
• Utilize signage to communicate occupancy limits and encourage customers to wear face coverings.
• Maintain a schedule of stringent daily cleaning and sanitizing.
• Once every two hours (or more frequently), clean and disinfect high-touch items such as
doors, fitting rooms, and credit-card terminals.
• Establish safety protocols to allow for contactless curbside pickup and home delivery wherever possible.
Best Practice
• Install large plexiglass sneeze guards at cash registers wherever possible.
• Arrange for contactless payment and receipt options to the greatest extent possible.
• Screen employees and customers with a no-contact thermometer; individuals with a temperature above 99.1 should be denied entry.
• Offer face coverings and gloves to customers.
Gating criteria will be used to determine whether progressing through the state’s phased reopening plan as indicated below is safe and feasible.
Criteria include:
• Spread of COVID-19: The rate of COVID-19 transmission has an initial gating value of 1.15 or less. Should appropriate social distancing continue, that value should remain at approximately 1.15 in two weeks’ time.
• Testing capacity: This refers to the amount of time that has passed between the receipt of a positive result to the infected individual beginning isolation and the people with whom they have come in contact self-quarantining. The initial gating value is 24 hours for the positive individual, 36 hours for their contacts. Both values should continue to be achievable, provided appropriate social distancing continues.
• Statewide healthcare system capacity: This refers to the availability of resources such as
general hospital beds, ICU beds, ventilators, and personal protective equipment (PPE). The initial gating value indicates that beds and ventilators are sufficient at this time, and PPE is in 14-day supply at hospitals. Provided appropriate social distancing continues, beds and ventilators should remain in sufficient supply, and availability of PPE should increase to a 28-day supply in two weeks’ time.
Gating criteria will be monitored continuously as the state moves through it’s phased reopening plan, with the governor making decisions based on input from the Economic Recovery Council; the Mayors’ Council, other state and local leaders, and constituents; and the Department of Health.
For the purpose of moving through the phased plan, the state has been divided into five regions: Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, Northwest and Metro. Certain regions’ progression through the plan may be delayed if they do not meet the above-mentioned gating criteria.
No regions, counties, or cities will be permitted to move ahead of the state.
PREPARATION PHASE
New Mexico entered into the Preparation Phase on Friday, May 1. Details of that phase were published in Friday’s edition of the Daily Press.
PHASE ONE
Should appropriate social distancing and safety practices continue to be observed, thereby continuing to slow the spread of COVID-19, the state will enter Phase One in mid-May.
WHAT WILL OPEN:
• All retailers will be allowed to operate according to CSPs at 20% fire code occupancy.
• Non-essential businesses generally may operate according to CSPs at up to 50% of pre-crisis staffing levels.
• Dine-in service at restaurants and bars will be permitted, according to CSPs (and additional practices currently in development) at up to 50% occupancy. No barstool or standing service will be allowed. No live music will be permitted.
• Gyms and salons can operate according to CSPs.
• Hotels will be permitted to operate according to CSPs at up to full capacity.
• Houses of worship will be permitted to operate according to CSPs at a capacity to be determined.
WHAT REMAINS CLOSED:
• Theaters
• Casinos
• Vulnerable individuals will continue to be instructed to stay at home as much as possible.
• Visits to long-term care and other congregate care facilities will continue to be restricted as per the current public health order.
• Mass gatherings (concerts, events, parties) will continue to be restricted.
• The 14-day quarantine order will remain in place for out-of-state airport arrivals.
• Vacation rentals to out-of-state residents will continue to be prohibited.
PHASE TWO
Should appropriate social distancing and safety practices continue to be observed, thereby continuing to slow the spread of COVID-19, the state will enter Phase Two in early June.
WHAT WILL OPEN:
• Theaters may begin to operate according to CSPs and capacity restrictions to be determined.
• Bars may operate according to CSPs and capacity restrictions to be determined.
• Casinos may operate according to CSPs and capacity restrictions to be determined.
WHAT REMAINS CLOSED:
• Vulnerable individuals will continue to be instructed to stay at home as much as possible.
• Visits to long-term care and other congregate care facilities will continue to be restricted as per the current public health order.
• Mass gatherings (concerts, events, parties) will continue to be restricted.
• The 14-day quarantine order will remain in place for out-of-state airport arrivals.
PHASE THREE
Should appropriate social distancing and safety practices continue to be observed, thereby continuing to slow the spread of COVID-19, the state will enter Phase Three in early July.
WHAT WILL OPEN:
• Vulnerable individuals will no longer be instructed to stay at home as much as possible but will be urged to continue practicing strict social distancing guidelines.
• The state will aim to reopen schools in August with modified schedules and procedures in place to protect students, faculty and staff.
WHAT REMAINS CLOSED:
• Mass gatherings of more than 100 people will continue to be prohibited. No large festivals or fairs will be permitted.
• Some concerts and spectator sports may be permitted on a modified basis with capacity restrictions.
• Visits to long-term care and other congregate care facilities will be restricted to some extent.
• The quarantine order for out-of-state airport arrivals will be reassessed.
