Agency-Issued Memos
Memo: Updated Public Health Order - February 17, 2022
Memo: Public Health Order Update - August 19, 2021
Memo: COVID-19 Update and Information - July 30, 2021
Memo: New Mexico Lifts Pandemic Ristrictions (July 1, 2021)
Memo: Higher Education Operations in the Red to Green Framework (May 27, 2021)
Memo: Guidance Regarding Vaccines for Educators- March 8, 2021
Memo: State of New Mexico COVID-19 Allocation Plan - January 11, 2021
Memo: COVID-19 Vaccine Registration System - December 30, 2020
Memo: Spring 2021 Campus Reopening Guidance - December 16, 2020
Memo: Red to Green Framework - December 1, 2020
Memo: Stay-at-Home Order - November 13, 2020
Memo: Watchlist - November 10, 2020
New Mexico Higher Education Weekly Case Update
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Weekly totals reflect test results reported to the New Mexico Higher Education Department since Thursday, August 12 .
80 new cases including 36 staff cases and 44 student cases.
Total Positives Since June 2020 (students and employees): 2,560
Total Staff Cases: 782
Total Student Cases: 1,778
Total On-Campus Cases: 514
Total Off-Campus Cases : 1,264
Student Athlete Cases: 408
Total Spring 2021 Cases: 480
Total Fall 2020 Cases: 1,532
Total Summer Cases: 79
New Mexico higher education institutions are required to report positive cases involving their faculty and staff to the New Mexico Environment Department. Per the official memo, reports can be submitted via email NMHED.COVID@hed.nm.gov and through the OSHA portal at https://nmgov.force.com/rapidresponse/s/.
When a higher education institution is made aware of positive cases amongst the student population, reports can be submitted to the New Mexico Higher Education Department via email at NMHED.COVID@hed.nm.gov.
REPORTING COVID-19 CASES
On August 5, 2020, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) filed an emergency amendment requiring employers to report positive COVID-19 cases in the workplace to the NMED Occupational Health and Safety Bureau within four hours of being notified of the case. The emergency rule is in place for 120 days (December 3, 2020), unless NMED proposes and the Environmental Improvement Board adopts a permanent rule prior to the end of the 120-day period.
New Mexico higher education institutions are required to report positive cases involving their faculty and staff to the NMED. Per the official memo, reports can be submitted via email to the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) at NMHED.COVID@hed.nm.gov and through NMED's portal at https://nmgov.force.com/rapidresponse/s/.
When a higher education institution is made aware of positive cases amongst the student population, reports can be submitted to the NMHED via email at NMHED.COVID@hed.nm.gov.
What information does NMED need? The initial notification must include:
- Name of the higher education institution
- Address, city, state and zip code of the higher education institution
- Employer representative contact, email and telephone number
- Number of people employed and number of students enrolled at the higher education institution
- Number of individuals who tested positive
- Identifier for the positive COVID-19 case(s)
- Date of COVID-19 test(s)
- Date each positive individual was last on campus
- Date each positive individual began to self-quarantine
Please do not include names or personally identifiable information. Use the provided Excel template on this webpage
Why was this rule put into place?
When the state learns of a positive case in the workplace, state agencies deploy a “rapid response,” offering guidance and support to employers around testing, disinfection and other actions that need to be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 beyond the infected employee. Most of these rapid responses are led by NMED other appropriate agencies. Frequently, NMED does not learn of positive cases until after the employer is notified by the positive employee, causing a delay in rapid response deployment. The emergency rule, which requires employers to report positive COVID-19 cases among employees within four hours of being notified, will ultimately allow NMED to more quickly respond and prevent spread among employees as a result.
COVID-19 News
The state of New Mexico, including the NM Higher Education Department, stands prepared to address public health concerns and emergency preparedness, including concerns about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Please refer to the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://cv.nmhealth.org for the most up to date statewide information.
Colleges, students contribute to vaccine effort across New Mexico
Students and staff at colleges and universities across the state are working to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and raise awareness about the importance of getting fully vaccinated for personal, campus, and community health.
Click to read more.
Colleges & Universities Help Expand COVID Testing in New Mexico
Five public colleges and universities in Southern New Mexico will offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Health beginning Thursday, November 5.
The partnership is part of the New Mexico Department of Health’s “red to green” testing surge aimed at expanding testing and driving down the positivity rate of counties in the southern part of the state.
Click to read more.