Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Officials show guarded optimism on coming months

CLOVIS — State officials speaking on the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic’s beginning spoke with guarded optimism about the upcoming six months.

Various secretaries with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office held a webinar Thursday afternoon and spoke of the experiences of the pandemic and their thanks to citizens for following COVID-safe practices and signing up for vaccinations.

Human Services Secretary David Scrase said without vaccinations lowering the daily incidence by more than 60%, the state would be going through another spike right now instead of its current downward trend.

“If we didn’t have the vaccine, I would be absolutely terrified,” Scrase said in response to a question about upcoming spring holidays and a return to in-person instruction at public schools. “It’s giving us room to do more. But it’s still a balancing act; it will be a balancing act.”

Remarking on the year of work that has happened during the pandemic, Children, Youth and Families Secretary Brian Blalock said the cabinet took the approach of “no ego, no turf, no territory” to do what was necessary, and said a transition to remote working has shown untold benefits because employees now have expanded capability going forward to get out of the offices and into the community.

Blalock noted that the pandemic was difficult to predict.

“There’s an inner skepticism because we’ve never seen something like this,” Blalock said, recalling early reports from China and Italy. “The data said it could get this bad, even though it was difficult to believe.”

Later that afternoon, the state’s newest COVID-19 daily update confirmed 236 cases for a cumulative total of 187,720 infections. A total of 161,650 of those cases have been designated as recovered by the Department of Health.

So far, about 9% of New Mexicans have contracted COVID-19, based on a 2.1 million population estimate. Scrase said he believed at the start of the pandemic that the number would be closer to 14%, because that’s the average amount with flu season every year.

“I thought it would be worse, believe it or not,” Scrase said.

Scrase said he has concerns with Texas removing mask mandates. When he first heard the news, he thought the state must not have a modeling team. But he found the state modeling team on a web search, and the team said removing mask mandates wasn’t a good idea.

“I wish them well,” Scrase said. “But I think unless their vaccination rate significantly overtakes the increase they will have in cases from the changes they’re making, they could see some serious problems.”

Red to Green: Roosevelt County reached green status, while Curry County stayed in yellow status under the state’s latest “Red to Green” reopening framework on Wednesday.

Since Nov. 30, the state has applied a color-coded designation to each of its 33 counties, based on whether they meet the metrics of 8 daily cases per 100,000 residents or less and 5% test positivity or lower.

Red counties meet neither, yellow counties meet one, green counties meet both and turquoise counties have reached green in consecutive data periods. The state’s public health order assigns different definitions of mass gatherings and capacity restrictions for each level, with turquoise the most relaxed.

Roosevelt, which reached yellow on Feb. 24, entered the green designation with 4.3 daily cases per 100,000 and test positivity of 1.31%. The county was immediately cleared to operate under green restrictions that include 50% capacity at essential retail spaces and most businesses, 50% capacity at houses of worship and dining at 50% indoor capacity and 75% outdoor capacity.

The change in designation also meant Roosevelt County prep sports can allow spectators inside at 25% indoor capacity and 50% outdoor capacity. Also, the mass gatherings definition is increased to 20 people or 120 vehicles.

Curry County stayed in the yellow designation, making test positivity at 2.99% but missing the daily case metric at 9.2 per 100,000. Indoor dining is limited to 33%, and outdoor dining 75%.

Yellow restrictions include 33% capacity at houses of worship, essential retail spaces and most businesses. The definition of mass gatherings remains at 10 people or 80 vehicles. In yellow counties, spectators for prep sports are permitted at 25% outdoor capacity with no spectators permitted in indoor settings.

Quay and De Baca counties both made turquoise designation, along with five other counties. Roosevelt is one of seven green counties, while Curry is one of 18 yellow counties. Guadalupe County was the only county in the red designation, with 25.9 daily cases per 100,000 and 5.1% test positivity.

Friday’s report: The state reported 268 new COVID-19 infections Friday, with just one case in Curry County and none in Roosevelt. None of the six deaths reported statewide came from Curry or Roosevelt counties. Also, only one area long-term care facilities — Clovis Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center — has confirmed a staff or resident positive COVID-19 test in the last 28 days.

Detention center changes: The Roosevelt County Detention Center is resuming visitation for detainees on Monday.

Detainees will be responsible for signing up for visitation and allowed one visitor for 30 minutes on their assigned day. Extensive cleaning and sanitation practices will be conducted between visitors. COVID-safe practices will be followed, to include masking and social distancing. Visitors will be screened before access to the facility is granted. Visitors are allowed to bring in identification and keys only.

The staff and detainee population continue to be tested weekly through the state’s surveillance program. Housing assistance: The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority is accepting applications for its COVID-19 Housing Cost Assistance Program. The program offers grants to cover housing costs for households that have been impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis.

Applicants do not need to be delinquent on their rent or mortgage payments in order to qualify. They do, however, need to certify that they have had a COVID-19-related hardship. The cost assistance program is available to households earning 80 percent or less of their area’s median income and to households of all incomes that live on tribal lands in New Mexico. Complete income guidelines can be found here.

Recipients can receive payments of up to $1,500 a month for as many as three consecutive months. MFA will make payments directly to landlords, servicers, escrow companies and other housing providers on behalf of eligible applicants to cover rental, mortgage, real estate contract or mobile/manufactured home payments.

Applications are at housingnm.org.

 
 
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