Mask fatigue apparently has kicked in across New Mexico, where one in three people admitted they don’t wear face protection to stem the transmission of COVID-19, even though it has been ordered.
“We have no timeline announced for when restrictions will be loosened, but historically it has been associated with low transmission and low case counts,” a New Mexico Department of Health spokesperson said in an email to KRQE.
The station recently conducted a survey of about 4,500 state residents. Nearly two-thirds (63%) said they wear a mask as required; 37% said they do not.
The number of new COVID cases associated with the Omicron variant is fading across the country. The seven-day average of new cases in New Mexico appears to have peaked on Jan. 24, when it hit 7,668, The New York Times statistics show. But New Mexico officials still urge people to wear masks.
Some places are taking action, in light of the refusal to wear masks. New Mexico State University decided in late January that food could not be sold at indoor athletic events because people weren’t wearing masks around the vending areas.
“Right now, our case counts continue to be really high, and with the highly transmissible Omicron variant comprising nearly 100% of the infections, now is not the time to stop wearing masks,” the health department spokesperson said to KRQE. “In fact, we are urging folks to upgrade to more protective masks if possible.”