Restaurants reopen to sit-down dining

In another sign of a tentative return to normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic, Tucumcari’s restaurants reopened to sit-down dining Monday morning, as did one of its gymnasiums, for the first time in weeks.

Diana Jimenez, manager of Mary’s Mainstreet Gym, opened the doors on its downtown facility at 5:30 a.m. Monday for the first time since mid-March.

When Jimenez was asked whether there was pent-up demand after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that such facilities could reopen amid the state’s phased plan, she said: “Oh, gosh, yes. I had so many inquiries asking, ‘Are you going to open June 1st?’”

Jimenez said she hadn’t planned to reopen until June 15 because she needed to clean and sanitize the equipment. However, sheriff’s deputy Dennis Garcia offered to do that for her if she could open Mary’s on Monday. She accepted.

“I get so much help from the community,” Jimenez said.

Several diners were seen eating in Kix on 66, one of Tucumcari’s popular breakfast spots, on Monday morning after it and other restaurants for weeks were restricted to carry-out or delivery. Chairs were kept on tables on one side of the restaurant to comply with the state’s 50% occupancy rule.

Kix on 66 had a soft opening for dine-in eating when the governor allowed restaurants to serve meals at outdoors last Wednesday. Kix is one of the few restaurants in Tucumcari with several outdoor tables.

Owner Todd Duplantis, a city commissioner and the owner or operator of two other restaurants in Quay County, said Kix on 66 saw more than $1,000 in business on the first day of outdoor dining.

Hopes to reopen another place in Tucumcari were dashed, however. The Mesalands Dinosaur Museum initially announced on social media last week it would reopen Monday but retracted that when more information came to light, director Loni Monahan said.

Monahan was allowed to open the museum’s gift shop Monday under the state’s retail-business rules.

Monahan expressed disappointment with the museum not opening, saying she’d been “inundated” by people from out-of-state wanting to visit. She said she turned away 50 people last week.

The city’s other museums, including the Tucumcari Historical Museum, Tucumcari Railroad Museum and New Mexico Route 66 Museum, also remained closed.

Conchas Lake State Park, closed for weeks, reopened Saturday after a weeks-long closure. Its hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., though its visitors center and north dock marina remain closed.

Overnight stays and camping at Conchas remain closed. Visitors must abide by social distancing guidelines. Masks will be required.

The park also is under Stage II fire restrictions, where campfires and smoking are prohibited.

Ute Lake State Park near Logan reopened, with restrictions, several weeks ago.

New rules

These businesses in all parts of the state were allowed to reopen Monday, June 1, in accordance with COVID-safe practices:

• Restaurants could offer indoor dine-in service at 50% maximum occupancy;

• Hotels could operate at 50% occupancy, up from 25%;

• Nine more state parks, including Conchas Lake and Santa Rosa Lake, opened for day-use beginning May 30, with five more state parks opening for day-use beginning June 1;

• Hair salons, nail salons, massage services and related services may operate at 25% of maximum on an appointment basis;

• Gyms could operate at 50% maximum capacity with personal training permissible at two people per trainer, but group fitness classes were not permitted;

• Indoor malls could open at 25% of occupancy, but food courts could not reopen;

• Drive-in theaters were permitted to operate but not regular theaters;

• The 14-day self-quarantine order for airport arrivals was amended to permit certain business travel.

Bars remain closed, although breweries and wineries could offer curbside pickup if it’s permitted by their licenses.

Retailers and churches still may operate at 25% occupancy as they have since mid-May, and face coverings still must be worn in public except while eating, drinking or exercising. Those with health conditions that preclude a mask are exempt. Mass gatherings still are banned.

The changes are part of the state’s phased reopening plan, which began with reopening businesses and services that required the least personal contact.

Later phases would include reopening theaters, museums, casinos, zoos and more.

Lujan Grisham said during a briefing Thursday where she announced the easing of restrictions she anticipates the amended public health order would cover 30 days.

The state is at a transmission rate of 1.09, below the desired benchmark of 1.15. Lujan Grisham said social distancing, hand washing and mask-wearing have helped slow the infection rate.

The latest data

New Mexico reported 113 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total of 7,800.

Six more deaths were reported, bringing the total to 362.

The number of cases in Quay County remained at five. The last COVID-19 case reported in the county was May 12.

A total of 191 people in the state are hospitalized with the virus. A total of 2,888 people have recovered from the disease.

West of Tucumcari, McKinley County leads the state by far with 2,451 cases.

East of Tucumcari, Amarillo reported 2,100 active cases as of Monday.

In the U.S., more than 1.8 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, with more than 104,000 deaths as of Monday morning.