SANTA FE – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is headed to Washington, D.C., to meet Friday with President Joe Biden, other governors and mayors about COVID-19 relief efforts.

The trip marks her first out of the state since the pandemic began, and it comes just days after the state ended its quarantine requirements for visitors and residents returning to New Mexico.

The governor’s office said Lujan Grisham will advocate for more federal money and for continued increases in vaccine shipments.

Lujan Grisham said during a briefing Wednesday that the state is pushing for federal approval for mobile clinics that would be capable of administering the vaccine in more remote and underserved parts of the sprawling state. The governor and health officials hope the novel effort can serve as a model for other states to expand distribution beyond population centers and large clinics.

The governor is scheduled to return to New Mexico late Friday.

New Mexico is among the top states in the U.S. when it comes to distribution rates, but many residents have become frustrated with the pace of vaccinations because of limited supplies. Nearly 610,000 New Mexicans – about 30% of the total population – have registered online for shots.

The latest data from the state health department shows more than 111,300 New Mexicans have been fully vaccinated, while nearly one-quarter of a million residents have received their first shot.

New infections in New Mexico have been trending downward, and health officials said this week that vaccinations have helped bring the numbers down. However, they stressed that public health practices such as mask-wearing and hand-washing are still important as different variants continue to emerge.

New Mexico has reported nearly 180,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, including more than 540 additional cases on Thursday.