New Mexico's update keeping the state closed until mid May, some more thoughts

Category: Letters to Editor Letters to Editor
Published: 23 April 2020 23 April 2020

Dear Editor:

I have read the NM COVID-19 update, and I have also read the Governor's rationale for keeping non essential businesses closed. And there are some weak spots.

First, the Governor says by keeping non essentials closed, we reduce the number of places where people might get infected. The problem with that argument, especially in low density areas such as Silver City, is it begs the question "why have several (in our case four: Walmart, Albertsons, Food Basket, and COOP) primary food stores open"? The Governor's argument would suggest only one should be open, so three should be closed. This is a paradox caused by applying high density area logic to low density places. And that is symptom of diverse opinions from low and high density areas not being involved in the decision. Small businesses employ well over half of the workers in NM.

Now, looking at the US map of affected states (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html), we find New York and Arizona are both shown as COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION: WIDESPREAD. And we also see that New Mexico is classified as COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION: DEFINED AREAS. Looking at the New Mexico map we see that except for Dona Ana county, COVID-19 is primarily in the northern part of the state.

In other words we have one solution for two vastly different areas. That is a failure of problem solving, and I deduce a failure of diversity. Which leads to another key point.

Second, while one should not be like the mythical lemming and blindly follow others, I have observed that two states with widespread transmission, New York and Arizona, one with a Democratic Governor, the other with a Republican, have come to a common conclusion. Both AZ and NY have allowed elective surgery to now proceed as of May 1 provided COVID-19 hasn't swamped the hospitals who want to go back to elective surgery, and other conditions are met, such as PPE and other resources. And our hospital need at least the option of resuming elective surgery. No, we have a Governor whose approach applies a high density standard to a low density area, and I have to say that smack of being somewhat autocratic, and weak in the problem solving department.

I have to believe NY and AZ have experts informing their decision. Why not at least learn from NY and AZ? We don't have to be lemmings, but we should seriously consider their actions.

While I believe NM has done a very good job, I also believe the Governor should include equal numbers of small business and medical facilities from the low density areas as well as the high density ones, and consider a different approach for each demographic area.

Thank you for reading my ramblings.

Simon Wheaton-Smith
Grant County and Silver City resident

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