Governor: Eateries may open by June 1

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says the state expects to allow dine-in restaurants, salons, gyms, malls and other businesses to reopen by June 1 as COVID-19 numbers continue to improve.

New Mexico is now meeting the majority of its benchmarks for reopening, known as “gating criteria,” and the rate of COVID-19 transmission has hit the state’s target for the first time, the governor and health officials said.

“We’re not quite seeing a decline in cases, but we are feeling good about the stability of what’s occurring in New Mexico,” Lujan Grisham said in a news conference Wednesday.

The announcement came after officials earlier this month allowed retailers and houses of worship in most parts of the state to start operating at 25% capacity. The state’s businesses and residents have been under public health restrictions since late March.

Restaurants will be required to operate at no more than 50% capacity when they open their dining rooms, the governor said.

Laura Leal, who has served as part of a restaurant reopening committee, said during Wednesday’s Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce board meeting she felt the governor has been sincere with the committee as it seeks a definite reopening date.

With the board meeting scheduled before the governor’s announcement, Leal was hopeful the capacity would be greater than 25% because it simply wasn’t worth the investment otherwise. She understands there will be a push toward single-use condiments instead of shared bottles, but wouldn’t agree with a conversion to paper plates because it might as well be takeout at that point.

The top concern, Leal said, is as always the safety of employees and customers, and said it would be difficult for any restaurateur to live with the idea they passed the virus on to somebody else.

“The virus is going to be here for a while,” Leal said. “We’re going to have to live with it, work in a safe manner. We’re going to need your support. It’s going to be a while before we get back to 100%.”

The Santa Fe New Mexican and The Eastern New Mexico News contributed to this report.