Overreaching or unproductive

How long does she use this watch? Does she use a daily suggested workout? Give it a time. After a couple of weeks it should show productive or maintaining status. It's completely normal at the begining because ther is no history of workouts. When you start with no registered chronic load, after two or three days of your normal activities, it will be overreaching according to Garmin's algorithm. But after 4 weeks Garmin will "learn" your baseline. 

After a period of injury she recently started running again. So the watch has been in use for at least a year if not two.

So the baseline would be less active the last year. Which would be in line with your explanation.

However, she's been running for all of April, and fairly regularly. Like 2/3 times a week. Trying to keep two days of rest in between. 

So that should be close to the 4 weeks already at the least. We'll monitor it for the next two weeks or so. 

Would a baseline run help to stabilise the expected load. Or one of the suggested work outs you mentioned? 

8214500 said:

After a period of injury she recently started running again.

Has she paused the training status? 

https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/blog/pause-your-training-status/ 

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=ehG8EQJmVV4LuIXcmO5AD6 

does she wear the watch 24/7 ?

Just ignore it. Garmin's training status algorithms are pretty poor. Encourage your partner to continue to train to feel, she will know if her body is telling her to slow down.

I recommend you to use DSW and HRV monitoring. After a 2-3 weeks she will have productive status or ot least maintaining. And don't push base runs. If you choose DSW based on HR stick to the suggested HR value. Do not push to the upper end of the HR window.