New Mexico hospitals are starting to return to some pre-pandemic operations, including lifting mask requirements at all the major hospitals.

“We estimated that the rates would be low enough to stop using masks by the middle of April, and we all got together as a state, and we met with the medical advisory team to decide to move together,” Dr. Denise Gonzales, Presbyterian Health Care Services medical director, said to KOB.

There are other changes to bring things back to pre-pandemic operations, like eliminating drive-thru testing and requirements for mandated testing before surgical procedures. Required testing for COVID before being admitted to a hospital has also ended along with limited visitation to hospitals.

Some precautions still remain for the benefit of patients who are extremely ill. “If you are a patient experiencing respiratory symptoms you can expect you will still have to wear a mask, still be placed in isolation and tested for COVID, and the staff seeing, and interacting with you will also wear a mask,” Lovelace Health Systems Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vesta Sandoval said.

Gonzales and Sandoval said it’s important not to forget some of the lessons the public learned during the pandemic, such as staying home when you feel ill, covering your mouth when you cough and maintaining a reasonable distance from others when possible.

“Now that we have had this time, and we have these tools, we can certainly look at what we have to be able to manage COVID, and talk to people and help them understand that this is something we will be dealing with,” Sandoval said. “It will change, it will be up and down, but we are prepared for that.”

Hospital officials said while there is less dependence on travel nurses than last year, the hospitals are still not at full staff.