“In nine weeks, New Mexico, we are open,” Said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in a Wednesday afternoon Facebook live update. She further added that at NM’s current pace of vaccinations, the state would be “fully reopened” in nine weeks. We’ll keep an eye on the goal posts to see if that actually becomes reality.  

In the mean time the State Department of Health relaxed the mask mandate for outdoor exercise and will loosen other public restrictions for much of the state beginning on Friday.  The Governor said New Mexico expects to have 60% of its adults fully vaccinated by June 30 – a standard that, if met, would allow the state to do away with the color coded system for evaluating counties. For now the state mask mandate will remain in place for indoor public settings, with exceptions for eating or drinking. Retail spaces also cannot allow an unmasked individual to enter the premises.

However, until New Mexico can hit the goals of 60% vaccination rates, the new public health order taking effect Friday will make it easier for counties to advance in the state’s color-coded system of health restrictions. On Friday thirty of the state’s 33 counties will be upgraded to either green or turquoise – rather than just 17 due to rule changes in the Governor’s latest public health order. Click HERE to read the full statement from the Governor.