NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Every county in New Mexico is now at the red level. The New Mexico Department of Health announced the updated statewide COVID-19 map on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

At this time, no counties meet the criteria to operate at the yellow or green level. However, the state reported that 27 counties improved in at least one of the two health gating criteria metrics and 23 improved in both metrics.

According to a news release, over the past two weeks Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Curry, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, McKinley, Otero, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Quay and Valencia saw improved average daily per-capita case rates. Of the 25 counties, Cibola, Harding and Taos made the greatest improvements by percentage according to the release.

The DOH also reported that Colfax, De Baca, Guadalupe, Los Alamos, Mora, San Miguel, San Juan and Union saw an increase in their daily case rates the last two weeks. The state updates its map on Wednesdays, every two weeks. The next update is expected to be on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

On Wednesday, the state amended the current Public Health Order, increasing capacity inside essential retail spaces. This change applies to grocery stores and certain large big-box retailers that generate a percentage of their revenue from consumable food and drink products.

In accordance with the state’s graduated Red-to-Green system of measuring the risk of viral spread in specific counties, the changes establish that essential retail spaces:

  • May operate at 50% of maximum occupancy at the Green Level
  • May operate at 33% of maximum occupancy at the Yellow Level
  • May operate at 25% of maximum occupancy at the Red Level

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