Despite Odds Stacked Against It, New Mexico's Vaccination Rate Is Near The Top

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/16/ [login to see] /despite-odds-stacked-against-it-new-mexicos-vaccination-rate-is-near-the-top
Shoppers and diners are slowly returning to Albuquerque's trendy Nob Hill neighborhood.

It's a welcome sign to Mike and Kathy Holmberg of Arizona, who are on their first visit back to New Mexico since the start of the pandemic. They typically spend summers here in the mountains where it's cooler. But the couple also noticed New Mexico feels much more cautious than Arizona. Restaurants here still require customers to give their name and phone number for contact tracing. Businesses still operate under strict capacity limits.

"You see most people wearing masks yet, most businesses are requiring it," Mike Holmberg says. "Arizona's a lot more wide open."

The Holmberg's, who are fully vaccinated, say they feel safer here. Neighboring Arizona is still near the top in the nation for cases per capita but closer to the bottom when it comes to vaccinations.

In fact, New Mexico has emerged as a lone standout among Sunbelt states that tend to have the lowest vaccination rates in the nation. Generally, the restrictions are far tighter than in surrounding states run by Republican governors.