SANTA FE – On Friday, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) renewed public health orders related to COVID-19, including a requirement to wear masks in public spaces. Those orders are attached.
Data shows Omicron case counts are trending lower but continue to hover around 3,000 per day, requiring the extension of the mask mandate for the time being. The highly infectious nature of the omicron variant requires continued vigilance until the number of New Mexico hospitalizations decrease.
Vaccination, masking, social distancing, and isolating continue to be valuable tools to help fight the spread of highly transmissible COVID-19 variants. The critical piece of knowing when to isolate is now easier, thanks to a significant increase in the number of free at-home COVID-19 tests available. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham directed the Department of Health to help procure access for New Mexicans to more than four million free at-home COVID-19 tests, including those available through Biden’s plan. Multiple options to mail order or pick up free at-home COVID-19 tests can be accessed through FindaTestNM.org.
Having tests on hand before exposure or illness can help protect our communities and keep our schools open, therefore everyone is encouraged to order or pick up their free at-home COVID-19 tests as soon as possible.
As the vast majority of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths occur among the small number of unvaccinated New Mexicans, NMDOH encourages everyone 5 years and older to stay up to date on their free vaccines and boosters. In fact, being unvaccinated has now been shown to increase the risk of death from COVID to over 90 times the risk if one is up to date with vaccination, which includes the primary series plus a booster.
New Mexicans can sign up for their free vaccine appointments at vaccineNM.org, vaccineNM.org/kids, or vaccine.gov.
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NMDOH
Katy Diffendorfer, Health Equity Communications Manager | Katy.Diffendorfer@state.nm.us
The Department of Health works to promote health and wellness, improve health outcomes, and deliver services to all New Mexicans. As New Mexico’s largest state agency, DOH offers public health services in all 33 counties and collaborates with 23 Native American tribes, Pueblos and nations.