Eddy County now turquoise on color-coded New Mexico COVID map update

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The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) said Eddy County met COVID-19 gating criteria Wednesday for the “turquoise” category, as daily cases were reported at 6.70 out of 100,000 and the positivity rate was 2.41 percent.

The ‘low risk’ category of turquoise means that the county maintained its downward trajectory for a four week period, and public emergency health orders are somewhat more relaxed.

Eddy County was one of seven counties —Torrance, Lincoln, Chavez, Curry, Hidalgo and Rio Arriba — which improved to the turquoise level.

“This progress is not only achievable but sustainable, so we’re excited about that,” said New Mexico Health and Human Services Secretary David R. Scrase, MD, Helath and Human Services secretary .

Scrase said those counties in the turquoise category are very likely to remain there, though three rural counties’ data slid downward. San Juan County went from turquoise to yellow this week.

Cibola, San Miguel and Harding improved from yellow to green in the gating criteria.

Eddy County first entered the “green” level March 25, when positive cases were reported at 4.00 per 100,000 and the positivity rate was 1.33 percent. That data improved to 7.20 out of 100,000 cases with a positivity rate of 2.13 percent.

Before that Eddy County was in the “yellow” category, as daily cases were reported at 16.70 out of 100,000 and the positivity rate declined to 3.79%.