Quay County remains in turquoise zone

Quay County remained in the turquoise zone — or best rating — in COVID-19 risk assessments last week by the New Mexico Department of Health.

The county’s average daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people stood at 1.7 from March 9 to March 22, well below the criteria of 8 per 100,000. Its test positivity rate was 1.01%, also well below the benchmark of 5%.

Quay County recorded 4.3 daily average cases and a 1.56% test positivity rate during the previous assessment period.

Quay County’s turquoise rating for a second consecutive period allows businesses to stay reopened to near-normal levels. A total of 13 counties landed in the turquoise rating last week, nearly double from the previous period.

About two-thirds of the state’s counties landed in the turquoise or green zone during the latest assessments. No counties were in the red zone.

Sparsely populated Harding County, because of one case reported last week, went from the turquoise to yellow zone.

Guadalupe County, which was the only New Mexico county in the red zone during the previous assessment, improved to the green zone.

The next assessment will be on April 7.

Human Services Secretary David Scrase said during a health briefing Wednesday it made adjustments to its red-to-green methodology to six low-population counties that include Harding, De Baca, Guadalupe and Union.

He said sparsely populated counties were subject to more instability in the data. Scrase said the adjustment prevented Harding County and its one case over that time from plummeting from the turquoise to the most-restrictive red zone. It fell to the yellow zone instead.

Scrase said more adjustments were likely to the red-to-green methodology as fewer people take COVID-19 tests in the wake of more vaccinations.

Here are the health restrictions for counties in the turquoise zone, including Quay:

Essential businesses (non-retail): No capacity restrictions but operations must be limited to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions;

Essential retail spaces: 75% of maximum capacity (indoor and outdoor);

Food and drink establishments (if NM Safe Certified): 75% of maximum capacity for indoor dining; 75% of maximum capacity for outdoor dining;

Close-contact businesses: 75% of maximum capacity; no restrictions on outdoor spaces;

Large entertainment venues: 33% of maximum capacity for any indoor/enclosed space on premises; 75% of any outdoor space on premises;

Recreational facilities: 50% of maximum capacity of any indoor/enclosed space on the premises; 75% of any outdoor space on premises;

Bars and clubs: 33% of maximum capacity of any indoor/enclosed space on premises; 75% of any outdoor space on premises, where applicable;

All other businesses: 75% of maximum capacity indoors; no restrictions on outdoor spaces;

Churches: May hold religious services, indoors or outdoors, or provide services through audiovisual means, but may not exceed 75% of the maximum capacity of any enclosed space on the premises;

Places of lodging: No maximum occupancy restrictions for those that have completed NM Safe Certified training; 50% of maximum occupancy for all others; 15 guests maximum for vacation rentals;

Mass gatherings limit: 150 persons, or 200 vehicles.