Taos County moves to green
Taos County moved Wednesday (Feb. 24) to the ‘green phase’ under the state’s ‘red-to-green’ reopening by achieving a positivity rate of less than 5 percent and a case average of less than 2.64 per day over a two week period.
At the green level, businesses are able to more fully reopen. Essential retail spaces will move from 33 percent capacity to 50 percent capacity, while food and drink establishments will be allowed to operate at 50 percent indoor capacity and 75 percent outdoor capacity. Close contact businesses like hair salons, as well as all other businesses can operate at 50 percent capacity.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office also announced several adjustments to the overall reopening framework, allowing for the partial opening of close-contact businesses, who had previously been unable to reopen in the green phase. Now, facilities like movie theaters and bars are able to open in various capacities, as follows.
Large entertainment venues like movie theaters and concert venues will be allowed to operate at 25 percent indoor capacity, and 50 percent outdoor capacity. Bars – defined as any establishment making more than 50 percent of their annual income from alcohol (not including breweries and wineries, which fall under the food and drink category) – will be able to open at 25 percent outdoor capacity and are allowed to use the indoor spaces for employee operations only. Recreational facilities like swimming pools, bowling alleys and basketball courts can operate at 25 percent indoor capacity and 50 percent outdoor capacity
Houses of worship can now operate at 50 percent capacity, and other mass gatherings are
now limited to 20 people and 120 vehicles. Hotels and other lodging facilities can operate at 75 percent capacity if they are NM Safe Certified, and vacation rentals can now have 10 guests.
Along with changes to the previous framework, the state announced a fourth tier in the reopening plan: turquoise. For a county to move to turquoise, they have to remain in the green level for four consecutive weeks. At the turquoise level, all businesses will be able to open even more fully, with increased capacity for every business category.
Town of Taos Mayor Dan Barrone said that he is proud of the community for doing the work to get from red to green. “I’m really ecstatic about our community really stepping up and getting tested and doing the things we need [to do] to get there,” he said. “It’s a big light at the end of the tunnel… we’re starting to see progress.”
Barrone also touted the town’s vaccination and testing efforts, but that he is pushing the state for more vaccines.
“We’re asking and we continue to ask for more,” he said, saying that the town has “the capability of doing at least double the amount that we’re doing now If we could get the vaccine.” Right now, vaccines are being administered two days a week.
Though the move to green will surely be a relief to residents and businesses alike, Barrone warned people not to let their guard down, saying that Taoseños still must adhere to the public health orders. “Part of the [public health] order says we still need to wear masks. And we still need to socially distance, because this is not quite over yet.”