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See all of our COVID-19 coverage here.

• On Thursday, DOH reported 202 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death related to the disease. Read more here.
• The state Public Education Department provided an update on the plans to allow some elementary schools to open to limited in-person instruction through a hybrid model. Read which counties made the cut and what the plans are here.
  • See also the reports by the Santa Fe New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal.
  • The Santa Fe Reporter looked at what Santa Fe Public Schools is doing to continue schooling during the pandemic. Remote learning will continue in the district until at least late October.
  • Doña Ana County was not on the list of counties with a “green” status that would have allowed hybrid learning to go forward, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
    • Meanwhile, a fourth employee at Fairacres Elementary School in Las Cruces tested positive for COVID-19, the Sun-News reported.
  • The Los Lunas Schools Board of Education voted to keep remote learning going until the end of the current semester in December, the Valencia News-Bulletin reported.
  • KOB-TV has the list of districts and charter schools that are in counties that have low enough COVID-19 incidents to go ahead and have approved plans from the state PED to go to hybrid learning.
  • Private schools say they have seen an increase in applications and enrollment during the pandemic, KRQE-TV reported.
  • The father of an Albuquerque Public Schools student with autism said that remote learning has not been helpful for his son, as APS says small in-person instruction will be allowed for some special education students, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
• The state amended its self-quarantine mandate for travelers to allow those from states who have hit certain testing thresholds. Sorry, Arizona, Texas, Utah and Oklahoma—the only neighboring state that qualifies is Colorado. Read more here.
  • Also as part of the order, some hotels can increase their occupancy limit, Albuquerque Business First reported.
• Tourist dependent areas are hoping for an economic boost after the loosened quarantine rules, KOB-TV reported.
• The Albuquerque Journal wrote about the state’s plans for a coronavirus vaccine, possible as soon as November—but expecting widespread use months after the vaccine is available for health care workers and nursing home residents.
  • KOAT-TV spoke to some local doctors, including Dr. Barry Ramo, about the possibility of vaccines coming in October, and they expressed skepticism.
• Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham again encouraged New Mexico voters to vote by mail this year because of the pandemic, KRQE-TV reported.
• On Thursday, Navajo Nation health officials reported 24 new COVID-19 cases and no newly announced deaths related to the disease.
• Universities in New Mexico avoided large COVID-19 outbreaks, so far, like those in other states, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
• The Navajo Times reported on the extension of weekend lockdowns and daily curfews for the Navajo Nation.
• The Town of Taos, meanwhile will let its nightly curfews expire on Sept. 8, the Taos News reported.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge hit to the state’s economy, including the oil and gas industry in southeast New Mexico, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reported, citing an economic summary from the state Economic Development Department.
• Earlier this week, the Rio Rancho Observer wrote about the efforts by Rio Rancho Public Schools to work toward reopening schools to in-person instruction.
• The Rio Grande Sun wrote about the Española mayor’s unhappiness with the governor’s remarks about a lack of mask usage that she said she saw in the northern New Mexico city.
• The Farmington Daily Times wrote about the grants that small businesses in the area would be able to apply for as part of the funds distributed by the state Department of Finance and Administration.
• Santa Fe has one of the first drive-up dispensaries in the state, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
• Nexus Brewery is going to ask community members to invest in an expansion, saying that the pandemic made it difficult to go through a bank. KRQE-TV has the details.