Dr. Scrase predicts New Mexico will be mostly Green or Turquoise by end of May

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Dr. David Scrase, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Health and Human Services Department, has an optimistic outlook of the state’s battle with COVID-19.

Despite several counties regressing in the state’s county-by-county reopening plan, Scrase said he believes the next few weeks will be a lot better.

"We will be in almost completely Green and Turquoise state by the end of May, at the latest," Scrase predicted.

The state is planning on loosening criteria that is used in the Red to Green Framework foo reopening. Currently, it looks at the test positivity rate and cases per 100,000 people.

Several changes are being discussed:

• Increasing the number of cases and the test positivity rate
• Including the vaccination rate
• Keeping counties in Turquoise longer once they reach it

Officials said the amount of COVID-19 cases in New Mexico has plateaued, but they expect it to decline.