As indoor mask requirements return and the delta variant spreads, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told KOB4 that business restrictions would be placed only as a last resort.
Though no options are off the table, Lujan Grisham said she is confident the new mask and vaccine requirements will mitigate the spread enough that capacity restrictions will not be necessary.
"If everyone is wearing masks indoors, and businesses are working with us, and most of them are – thank you for doing that, businesses – and our vaccine policies are working, we're seeing vaccine surges," the governor told KOB4. "We're even seeing in healthcare that 50% of the number of folks who wouldn't previously get vaccinated have already initiated vaccines. So it's working. Businesses should see that those tough decisions were aimed at protecting businesses in the state."
Though many have taken the initiative on getting the vaccine, additional requirements ensure workers in high-contact settings receive it in order to continue working,
Expanded COVID-19 vaccination requirements enacted in August called for all healthcare workers in congregate settings who do not qualify for an exemption to have received his or her first shot by Aug. 27.