Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham held a live-streamed press conference today after announcing confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state had reached 28. Her message was clear: Reduction in interactions with others will continue to reduce transmission, and as such, will help prevent further spread of COVID-19. Due to this, new restrictions have been implemented statewide that will begin being enforced Thursday, Mar. 19 until April 10. Top of the order is that bars, breweries and restaurants are to limit operations to take-out and home delivery only. As many have begun that shift already, it’s now up to a handful of remaining eateries to make adjustments as necessary to comply. Shopping malls, recreational facilities, movie theaters, spas and flea markets are also directed to close. Typical office environments that are not engaged in essential services are to limit operations as best as possible, ensuring work that can be done from home should be. All casinos and horse racing facilities should also close. It’s important to note that this directive does not include tribal casinos, as it doesn’t fall under the state’s purview. It’s also worth noting that many tribal casinos had already begun ceasing operation earlier this week to promote safer environments, with locations like Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino shutting down and re-purposing their onsite kitchens to distribute food to the elderly and in-need. Additionally, hotels, motels and other places of lodging will now need to reduce to 50 percent capacity. The message was clear: Social distancing needs to happen in order to continue keeping confirmed cases low. The situation is not ideal for many businesses, but the longer this goes on, the harder it will be on everyone. With continued best practices in social distancing and cleanliness, this can be under control and back to business as usual much sooner. For those concerned they may have come into contact with COVID-19, the state health hotline number is 1-855-600-3453, or if you prefer visiting it on the web, you can find information at cv.nmhealth.org. For information on how local government is handling things, you can call 1-833-551-0518 or visit newmexico.gov.
New Mexico News
Governor Addresses Social Distancing For Residents And Businesses
2 min read
