SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – In an update to the statewide COVID-19 map on Wednesday, the New Mexico Department of Health has announced that 32 of New Mexico’s 33 counties are in the Turquoise Level with just one county in Green. As of May 19, there are no counties at the Yellow or Red Levels however, the department reports that counties can still backslide with enhancing risk on the next biweekly map update if vaccination thresholds are not met and key health metrics show the spread of the virus has worsened.

Counties that can operate at the Turquoise level as of Wednesday are Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Doña Ana, Eddy, Guadalupe, Grant, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, Sandoval, San Juan, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, and Valencia. Counties that are in the Turquoise Level see fewer restrictions on commercial and day-to-day activities.

Chaves County may operate at the Green Level. NMDOH uses the following health metrics to determine a county’s risk level:

  • A per-capita rate of new COVID-19 cases of no greater than 10 per 100,000 inhabitants over the most recent 14-day reporting period
  • An average positivity rate less than or equal to 7.5 percent over the most recent 14-day reporting period
  • A county with a fully vaccinated rate at or above a target (45% as of May 19) that increases 5% every other week as more vaccinations are completed

Counties that meet none of the criteria by the time of the Department of Health’s biweekly map update will be at the Red Level. Counties with one criteria will be categorized in the Yellow Level, while counties that meet two criteria are in the Green Level.

Counties are the Turquoise Level have three of the criteria or maintains the Green Level for two consecutive biweekly map update periods. The state reports that when 60% of eligible New Mexicans have been fully vaccinated, the state will graduate out of the color-coded county risk system and will remove most pandemic-related restrictions on commercial activities.

As of May 10, 60% of New Mexicans had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine which was about 1,007,687 people. As of that same date, 48% of New Mexicans were fully vaccinated.