State quarantine requirements amended to accommodate medical, family needs

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday issued a revised executive order requiring quarantine for individuals arriving into the state of New Mexico, incorporating adjustments for those leaving the state for urgent medical and family needs. 

As neighboring states and other parts of the country have not taken up adequate public health restrictions and guidelines, and in the absence of a coherent federal strategy to slowing the spread of COVID-19, individuals arriving in New Mexico from out of state, whether residents of New Mexico or not, must self-isolate for a period of time sufficient to ensure public health and safety is not jeopardized. 

To assure public health and safety and to minimize the community spread of COVID-19, those individuals must physically separate from others in a residence or place of lodging for at least 14 days from the date of their entry into New Mexico or for the duration of their presence in the state, whichever is shorter.

Included in the executive order are the following new exceptions:

• The mandatory self-quarantine does not apply to New Mexico residents who have left the state to obtain medical care.
• The mandatory self-quarantine does not apply to New Mexico residents who have left the state for less than 24 hours for matters attendant to parenting responsibilities.

The mandatory self-quarantine, as before, does not apply to:

• Persons employed by airlines
• Persons performing public safety or public health functions
• Military personnel and their dependents
• Federal employees
• Persons employed by a federal agency or national defense contractor
• Emergency first responders and health care workers
• Persons arriving in the state pursuant to a court order
• Persons who are employed or contracted by an essential business, as defined in the state’s operative emergency public health order, who are traveling into New Mexico to conduct business activities

All operative requirements of the state’s emergency public health order do apply to those groups of individuals, including the statewide requirement to wear a face covering at all times in public.

Individuals who are quarantined upon arrival into the state may leave the residence or place of lodging in which they are self-quarantining only for the purposes of medical care. 

Self-quarantining individuals should not allow others into the residence or place of lodging in which they are quarantined except for those providing medical care, emergency response or other individuals designated by the Department of Health. Family or household members may visit a quarantined person, but those visitors must then self-quarantine themselves for a period of no less than 14 days.

The executive order underlines that state residents leaving New Mexico for vacation or other leisure activities must quarantine upon returning to the state and makes clear that those residents quarantining after vacation or other leisure activities are not eligible for paid sick leave pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. 

Non-compliant individuals are subject to involuntary quarantine by the New Mexico Department of Health under the Public Health Emergency Response Act.

Executive Order 2020-056  is attached to this news release. It is effective through the duration of the public health emergency declared in Executive Order 2020-004 and any extensions of that declaration.

The state of New Mexico reminds residents: 

Traveling for anything other than business that is absolutely essential to safety and well-being during a global pandemic is an extraordinary risk to yourself, your family, your community and your state. Help stop the spread of COVID-19 by reducing travel outside of the home and outside of the state.

Media Contact

We would be happy to provide additional information about this press release. Simply contact David Morgan at 575-528-5197 (Office) or 575-649-0754 (Mobile) with your questions.

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Requisitos de la cuarentena enmendados para acomodar las necesidades médicas, familiares