Los Alamos County Manager Steven Lynne announced Tuesday that County staff will shift to telework status where possible for the near future, due to the significant increase in COVID-19 cases and the impact on County operations. 

“Our department directors have been working with our Human Resources division and the County COVID Committee to prioritize the safety of both County staff and the public, while also ensuring as minimal of an interruption to County operations and services as possible,” Lynne said, “I continue to be pleased at the responsiveness and customer service we are able to provide to the community throughout the pandemic, but we need to continue to be diligent and thoughtful as we consider the full impacts this latest spike has caused.” 

Lynne said employees may be called back to work on site over the next few weeks, but in the short term the direction to employees includes: 

• Employees who have the ability to work from home (telecommute) will do so. 
• Employees providing essential services who have a job that requires them to be in the field, such as public safety or utilities’ workers, will report to work as scheduled. 
• Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been in direct contact of a person with COVID-19 will follow the CDC and New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) guidelines for quarantine and isolation. 

“I will continue to monitor the situation locally and at the State level,” he said, adding that there are still many considerations to be addressed in the interest of keeping employees and the public safe, and as new information about the Omicron variant is learned.  

“I would like to highly encourage our residents to continue to follow the Governor’s public health order by always wearing a mask indoors, practicing social distancing, washing their hands regularly.” In addition, Lynne asks the public to enter County buildings only if necessary. “We have moved many of our processes on-line over the length of the pandemic and those changes have been well-received by the community. Using the website or making a phone call instead of a face-to-face visit is preferred during this time.” 

The Customer Care Center will still be available to assist the public with general County inquiries and Utilities issues: 

• One lobby-facing window is open, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Callers may leave a voice mail once prompted, if the customer would prefer a call-back 
• Customers can drop payments in the outdoor drop box at the Municipal Building or mail payments to minimize contact 
• Contact info: 505-662-8333, CustomerCare@lacnm.us, https://ladpu.com/Utilities-Portal 

Other services and programming may be curtailed. Lynne encourages the public to call the Customer Care Center or visit the impacted services web page on the County website before visiting to confirm services, availability, and hours.  

In addition to shifting staff to telework status, the County is also working to provide additional testing options within the County. 

“If we can provide a daily option with a faster turn-around, we can improve our response time and minimize exposure,” said Emergency Manager, Beverley Simpson. “Additional testing options will also make it easier for community members to get tested in a timely manner.”  

Lynne stated “These are just a few steps being taken as we continue to address the latest spike in COVID-19 cases, and I would ask for the community’s continued patience and support as we work through each situation. I also encourage everyone to subscribe to the County COVID-19 Newsletter to the Community for current news and updates, case data and resources.” To subscribe, click here: https://losalamosnm.us/cms/one.aspx?pageId=9101255 

For the most current information regarding COVID-19, visit the county website at https://lacnm.com/COVID.