McKinley county is second only to Los Alamos County among the counties that helped New Mexico in its efforts to reach a 60 percent level of vaccination in order to reopen July 1.
McKinley County had 77.9 percent of people who completed their vaccination series as of June 14.
On June 18, N.M. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham confirmed that the state will retire its color-coded county-by-county system, along with the COVID-19 health restrictions on commercial and day-to-day activities on July 1. On that date all pandemic-related occupancy restrictions on all forms of commercial activity will be lifted and all businesses across the state may once again operate at 100 percent of maximum capacity.
All limitations on mass gatherings will be gone on July 1.
Businesses may still adopt and require additional precautions for employees and/or patrons, at their discretion, and are still advised to enact whatever social distancing and face masking measures may be appropriate to ensure the health and safety of customers and staff, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
Facemasks, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, have not been required in New Mexico for individuals who have completed their vaccination series since May 14.
The state will continue to follow CDC guidance with respect to face-coverings: Masks will remain required for unvaccinated individuals, and businesses, workplaces and tribes may continue to require masks for employees, customers or visitors on the premises, regardless of vaccination status, at their discretion.
Until July 1, all counties in the state will remain at the least-restrictive Turquoise Level, where commercial and day-to-day pandemic-related restrictions are minimal.
The governor and state health officials this spring set a target of 60 percent of eligible New Mexicans having completed their vaccination series to shed pandemic restrictions once and for all. The state administration has been among the national leaders in vaccine usage and distribution throughout the months-long vaccination effort, and in recent weeks has made a major additional push all throughout the state, enhancing financial vaccine incentives for individuals and local governments, as well as advertising and marketing outreach.
As of midday June 18, with state vaccination data through end of day June 17, in hand, the New Mexico Department of Health reports 59.4 percent of eligible New Mexicans have completed their vaccination series, with more data still to come in. The state is anticipating a new batch of federal vaccination data for New Mexico residents receiving their shots from federal entities, which often lags by several days, by June 20, as well as New Mexicans’ completed vaccination data from the neighboring state of Texas. In effect, state health officials said, so far as there is a “margin of error” in vaccination data, the state is well within it with respect to the 60 percent target.
“Frankly, we need to be better than 60 percent fully vaccinated,” Lujan Grisham said. “The variants across the globe and in the U.S. present very serious risks to unvaccinated people, even young people. We all, each of us, have the power to stop the serious illnesses and deaths: Get your shot. It’s safe. It works. It’s that simple. Don't wait for COVID to infect you or someone you love and wish you'd decided differently.
“This week was a particularly productive week for our vaccination efforts. We will continue to push forward with getting shots into arms, and we need everyone – all New Mexicans – to continue to help mitigate vaccine hesitancy and resistance by sharing productive, data-backed information about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines with family and friends. Disinformation kills. We have to keep pushing back,” she said.
The state will continue to promote and execute COVID-19 vaccinations all across the state.
As of June 14, New Mexico counties with the best rate of individuals that have completed their vaccination series, and helped pull the state to the 60 percent mark, are:
- Los Alamos County: 81.5 percent
- McKinley County: 77.9 percent
- Taos County: 69.7 percent
- Rio Arriba: 67.5 percent
- Santa Fe County: 67 percent
- Sandoval County: 65.6 percent
- Cibola County: 64.2 percent
- Bernalillo County: 62.2 percent
- San Juan County: 61.7 percent
- Guadalupe County: 60.9 percent
As of June 14, the New Mexico counties with the worst completed vaccination rates, and where risk of infection and illness are thus highest, are:
- Roosevelt County: 28.3 percent
- Curry County: 34.4 percent
- Torrance County: 35.5 percent
- Eddy County: 35.7 percent
- Quay County: 37.2 percent
