The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) encourages all individuals to get tested for COVID-19 if:
- You have COVID-19 symptoms including cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and/or loss of taste or smell.
- You don’t have symptoms but were in close contact or are a household member of someone who has tested positive and are in their infectious period. This is recommended regardless of vaccination status.
- You don’t have symptoms, but you are unvaccinated and live or work in a high-risk congregate setting such as long-term care facilities, detention centers, and correctional facilities.
- You are a patient scheduled for surgery or hospital admission, even if you’re fully vaccinated. Some medical facilities may require testing prior to surgery or admission.
For New Mexicans who are able to do so, the Department encourages the use of Vault at-home tests for surveillance testing: https://learn.vaulthealth.com/nm/. New Mexicans can order tests to be delivered to their home at no cost. To be able to use the Vault tests, a person needs access to the internet, an email address, and a photo ID.
New Mexicans can also access COVID testing at Curative sites and other locations, which can be found through the NMDOH website: https://findatestnm.org/. The NMDOH urges New Mexicans to avoid going to health clinics, hospitals, or urgent care for testing unless they are symptomatic and have been exposed to COVID-19.
Unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to register and self-schedule their vaccinations at vaccineNM.org to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.