Back to normal? Carlsbad embraces open-air dining as governor lifts COVID-19 restrictions

Kristi Naylor said she was happy to get some semblance of normalcy, eating around a table outside at the Pecos River.

She and her family stopped in to PJ and B’s Rio Café Wednesday morning, the first day the restaurant could reopen for dine-in service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Naylor said she hopes restrictions on restaurants would continue to be eased in the coming weeks, as the virus’ spread weakened and life in Carlsbad and around the world could begin returning to normal.

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“It’s nice to be able to not worry about getting in trouble for socializing,” she said. “We had to go to Lubbock this weekend just to eat out. They need to open everything. It’s ridiculous."

Within hours of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham allowing restaurants across New Mexico to reopen for outside dining, Carlsbad residents appeared at restaurants throughout the city for their first bite of a public meal in months.

Lujan Grisham ordered in March that all dine-in restaurants close to slow the spread of COVID-19, forcing many to resort to curb-side or delivery offerings or shut down altogether.

More:New Mexico eateries prepare to reopen on June 1, adapt to COVID-19 health measures

To Naylor, the restrictions could prove detrimental to the local economy.

“A lot of our restaurants are mom and pops,” she said. “It’s important for the economy. You take it for grants. It needs to open up or people are just going to do it.”

On Tuesday, the State announced a “soft reopening” for dine-in restaurants, provided they offered patio-only, outside service.

New Mexico was “on target” to reopen indoor service on June 1, at 50 percent capacity, read a news release from the governor’s office, and state health officials continued to monitor the spread of the pandemic.

More:New Mexico local businesses defy governor's COVID-19 health orders

“Our priority throughout this public health crisis has been the safety and health and well-being of New Mexicans, and this modification of the emergency public health order aligns with that mandate while providing an opportunity for restaurants to begin preparing for a wider reopening next week,” Lujan Grisham said.

“We continue to see sustained, consistent progress in our fight against this virus, which is a credit to the New Mexicans who have amended their behavior to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe.”

Donavan Mager, communications director at Nuclear Waste Partnership – the contractor that oversees the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad – took his team out on Wednesday to PJ and Bs for a sunny lunch and much-needed reunion.

More:Carlsbad's economy could be on the mend as COVID-19 restrictions eased, and oil recovers

He said all of NWP’s communications staff worked from home for the past two months.

They donned protective face masks when going inside to place their orders and sat several feet apart while eating at a table overlooking the river.

“You’ve just got to be smart about what you’re doing,” Mager said. “We’re in an open-air environment, but you’ve got to follow the guidelines. It doesn’t take much to put a mask on when you go inside.”

More:Get back out there: New Mexico trails to hike as COVID-19 restrictions lifted

The outdoor lunch was a welcome respite from working under quarantine, Mager said, and a sign that New Mexico is moving past the pandemic.

“I think anybody, at a certain point, realizes you’ve got to take precautions, but it’s good to get together as a team,” he said. “It’s clear this will be with us for a while. We’re just trying to see what the new normal will be.

As of Tuesday, Eddy County had 19 cases of COVID-19 confirmed, including New Mexico’s first death from the virus.

More:Carlsbad schools hope to reopen in the fall, seeking community input on COVID-19

But those numbers were much lower than northern counties like McKinley with 2,236 case and Bernalillo with 1,362.

The low number of positive was what gave Samantha Sanchez the courage to have a sandwich and Guadalupe Mountain Brewing Company, taking advantage of its patio seating for the first time in months.

“It’s about time,” she said. “Summer rolls around and everyone wants to be outside. I don’t think (COVID-19) is as big of an issue in this area. It’s hard to want to abide by the rules when there haven’t been that many cases. They should have done this a long time ago.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.