ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Just like businesses, counties, and cities are reopening some services to adjust to the state’s updated public health order going into effect Wednesday. It is a county-by-county, three-tiered system. For Bernalillo County, things will be very similar to how they operated before the state’s two-week reset, with county buildings only allowing 25% capacity.
“With most of our county staff teleworking and only open to limited access to the public,” Richard Clark, Director of Emergency Management for Bernalillo County, said. The in-person essential services include animal adoption, the licensing office, and solid waste payments, all of which are by appointment only. The county commissioner meetings will continue to be done remotely.
County fitness centers will stay closed, Clark said they will open soon. The community centers, which at one point had daycare, are also staying closed. A county spokesperson said they are staying closed for a couple of reasons including a decrease in the number of kids attending. While some senior services like meal pickups will still be offered, county senior centers are staying closed.
“They’re part of our vulnerable population. And so, we’re going, you know, we’re trying to keep them so they don’t congregate so that we don’t have them you know, vulnerable to a lot of employees or people who might come in contact with them,” Clark said. The county has a full release on its reopenings on its website.
For Albuquerque, a spokesperson with the city said it is working on how it will adjust to the new Public Health Order and will announce any changes later this week. But at a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Tim Keller said The Botanic Gardens, zoo, and museums without interactive displays will likely open Thursday. He said restrictions will be similar to how they were at these facilities prior to the two-week reset.
Rio Rancho announced it’s reopening some city facilities at limited capacity. Its full release is on its website. On the state level, the MVD, which was closed during the two-week reset, plans to reopen on Wednesday on an appointment basis only.
