The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance has relaxed the mask requirements for fully vaccinated people, saying they no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations. This guidance does not apply to health care settings.
San Juan Regional Medical Center and San Juan Health Partners clinics will continue to follow all current COVID-19-safe recommendations, including the use of personal protective equipment for caregivers and mandatory masks for everyone who enters facilities.
COVID-19 is still spreading in the community and is a threat to public health. There are still dozens of people hospitalized at San Juan Regional Medical Center who are very ill with COVID-19. While some areas of San Juan County have high vaccination rates, including the Navajo Nation, only about 30% of eligible people in eastern San Juan County have received their vaccine.
Full vaccination does not take effect until two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine in a two-dose series (Pfizer and Moderna) or two weeks after the single dose (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.
In accordance with the CDC and the state of New Mexico, everyone who is eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccine is encouraged to do so and to talk friends and family about doing the same. The vaccine is now available for people 12 and older (Pfizer).
New Mexicans may register for a vaccine at www.vaccinenm.org.
