Santa Fe declares state of emergency amid surge of COVID-19 cases

SANTA, F.E. – The mayor of Santa Fe has declared a state of emergency amid a surge of COVID-19 cases.

"We thought we had COVID really under control and everybody did a great job of getting us to where we were, and then the Delta variant is the new enemy, and unfortunately it puts us back into the deep end of the pool,” said Alan Webber, Santa Fe mayor.

Now, city employees must prove they’re vaccinated or get tested once a week – or they could face disciplinary action. Masks are also required inside city buildings.

"I really think it’s the right response to what we’re seeing, as this very severe increase in new cases, almost all of them driven by the delta variant, almost all of them hitting people who have been unvaccinated and unfortunately young people who are trying to get on with their lives are more likely to get the Delta variant,” Webber said.

74% of people in Santa Fe County are fully vaccinated, but Webber said the county’s averaging about 20 new cases each day and hospitalizations are also up.

"It would be really unfortunate, almost tragic, if we slip backward into a situation where all the progress and the sacrifice and the hard work, were simply not enough to get us through this next chapter," he said.

The state has already required its employees to get vaccinated or tested weekly as well.