SANTA FE – A public health order issued Friday by the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) renewed the existing public health orders related to COVID-19. The renewal has been extended through May 16, 2022.
“We know being up-to-date on vaccines is the best way to safeguard ourselves, our families and our communities and reduce the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization and death from COVID-19,” said David R. Scrase, M.D. Acting Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Department of Health. “If you need your first, second, third or fourth vaccine dose, please get vaccinated – this is especially important for more socially vulnerable individuals and communities, where the risk of severe disease is more than doubled.”
COVID-19 cases have dropped since March and hospitalizations continue to be low. However, the most recent two-week data shows the new Omicron BA.2 variant makes up 22.1 percent of cases in New Mexico and continues to expand across the state, trailing behind the rest of the county.
As the vast majority of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths occur among the small number of unvaccinated New Mexicans, DOH encourages everyone 5 years and older to stay up-to-date on their vaccines and boosters.
New Mexicans can sign up for their vaccine appointments at vaccineNM.org, vaccineNM.org/kids, or vaccine.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages the public to use its county COVID-19 Community Levels (lower risk, moderate risk, higher risk) to help individuals make personal health decisions.
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NMDOH