By Mary Alice Murphy
Gov. Lujan Grisham gives COVID-19 update press conference 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Governor gives Covid update 070920
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham began her latest press conference, addressing the COVID-10 pandemic on Thursday, July 9, 2020 by introducing Dr. Nancy Wright, New Mexico Medical Society president, who would speak later in the event.
Lujan Grisham gave the latest statistics, which are posted daily on https://www.grantcountybeat.com. What is not in the daily report are that 154 of the more than 14,000 confirmed cases are hospitalized with 32 on ventilators. As of yesterday, the state had 533 confirmed deaths.
"The trends are going in the wrong direction," the governor said. "Given the rate of increase, at this rate, we would have more than 600 more in the next six weeks. It would more than double if we do nothing."
She noted the state has performed, as of Thursday, 395,881 total tests, "among the top 10 in the country. We want to encourage people to get tested."
Department of Health Secretary Kathyleen Kunkel said the state is also doing rapid response tests in various businesses and industries. "We have in the state more than 100 test sites open every day. Tests processed in the state have a 24-to-48-hour response time. We will always call if you have a positive test. The tests do not cost you, but if you have insurance, you must always provide that information. So many people are wanting tests that we started preparing at 3 a.m. at Balloon Festival Park. Cars started lining up and at 8:40 a.m. we had to start turning away cars. We were still working until 4 p.m."
Lujan Grisham noted that the number of personnel at each of the 100 sites is finite. "With the spike in cases, there is an increasing need for more testing. We are grateful for those showing up every day. We will work to get as many people as necessary to manage the testing productively. There will be changes to the public health order. I'll get to that later. We have seen a 79 percent increase in cases in the past 16 days. We are averaging 199 new cases a day It will be higher into the high 200s this week. Every area except for the northwest is trending upward. We have a lot of new cases in the southwest and the southeast is a new hotspot. More than half the cases are in Bernalillo and Doña Ana counties. We have also seen a significant increase in the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups, because we are seeing more mobility in the younger age groups. We have seen an 18 percent increase in those under 20 years of age in the past week."
Complications from COVID include a recent lung transplant in a woman in her 20s in the Chicago area. More strokes are occurring as a result of the virus, and even asymptomatic young men may become infertile. "This disease affects all ages."
The gating criteria, which had gotten below 1.05, meaning for every 100 cases, 105 cases occur through community spread, has now risen to 1.16.
The state is falling behind on contact tracing because of the increase in cases. In Lea County, there has been an 8.6 percent growth rate in the number of cases in the past seven days. Doña Ana County has twice the average state growth rate of 1.74 percent at 3.4 percent.
So far, hospitals are holding up with enough beds. PPE (personal protective equipment) is holding up at about 7-days-worth on average. The state contracted with Battelle to decontaminate PPE, including N95 masks, so they can be reused. Dr. David Scrase of the Human Services Department said that makeup cannot be used under the N95 masks or it is impossible to decontaminate them.
Dr. Wright said she is a pediatrician practicing in Las Vegas, NM. "We focus a lot on prevention with children, including vaccinations. Wearing a face covering is a great method of prevention of spreading the virus. Science is showing that masks stop transmission from person to person. Dr. Brix (of the federal Covid-19 task force) talked about the early days of HIV. It took up to a year to identify the virus, then another year for tests and several years for treatments. Because it can be years until we have a vaccine for Covid-19, we recommend a change in behavior. It used to be that lighting up a cigarette in public was permitted, but that behavior was changed. It took years to convince parents that their babies needed to be in protective car seats. We have identified the virus strategy and it is to change our behavior, such as standing at a distance from others, no handshakes, don't touch your face and wear a mask. Wearing a mask is the right thing to do."
Scrase said usually an uptick in cases occurs four to five weeks after reopening. "That's why we are seeing an increase in New Mexico. People are confusing a slow reopening to just going back to their normal large gatherings. Avoid the 3 Cs – closed spaces with poor ventilation, close contact settings such as close-range conversations and crowded places with many people nearby. All are risky and where they come together is a very high risk. We cannot reopen without being responsible. Wear a mask that covers your mouth and your nose."
He noted an increase over the past 14 days of 44.6 percent in the 20-39 age groups, with 47.9 percent being Hispanic. In the past seven days, the increase is 45 percent in the 20-39 age group and 48.4 percent are Hispanic.
"It speaks to behaviors of this age group," Scrase said. "We were going in the right direction and they decided they could go back to big parties. We will have long-term chronic issues with the disease. It is incredibly dangerous and damaging. The only way to prevent this is not to get it."
Lujan Grisham said: "Immediately wear your masks. And effective July 13 will be changes back to restaurants not providing inside seating, but only on the patio and outdoors at a 50 percent capacity. They can go to carryout and delivery. They must adhere to COVID-safe practices. You must show up at the restaurant with your masks on, but you can take them off while eating. The businesses are not creating the risks. People are."
Continuing the new public health order, state parks are open only to New Mexico residents. Out-of-state residents will be turned away. No camping and day use only at the state parks.
"If we don't start right now on increased protective personal behavior, we cannot open the schools," she said. "There will be no close contact sports, such as football, soccer or wrestling this fall. We have July to get back to where we were. Kids deserve a slow re-opening, or we might have to close schools again. We know the impact this will have on athletes. If we work hard, we can get back to the sports later. If the schools are not open, there will be no sports. If we let our guard down, the disease will again spread. We have a zero-tolerance policy for risks and risky behavior. Even if you're outside, wear masks. Stay home to the greatest extent possible. Wear masks, socially distance and wash your hands. We have the power to fix this to make it right. New Mexico can lead the country with being No. 1 in compliance."
Questions from a reporter included a clarification on the restaurants. The governor said no inside seating and 50 percent occupancy outside. The same reporter said he had heard about a health care worker being harassed with aggressive behavior when a person was asked to wear a mask.
"That kind of intimidation is outrageous," Lujan Grisham said. "As is threatening a person who has a store open and asks a customer to wear a mask. An off-duty officer saw it but did not report it. We are working with law enforcement on enforcement. The public health order is enforceable. There is no dispute in the medical profession that masks slow the transmission of the disease."
Another reporter said he had heard that Santa Fe had issued 8 citations.
"I wish there was no enforcement necessary," Lujan Grisham said. "But going back to seat belts and car seats, enforcement is what made the behavioral changes happen. It took enforcement to save lives. If you're exercising, even outdoors, wear a mask. If we don't enforce it, it's not fair to those who comply. I predict Americans will have to be more comfortable wearing masks. I think we are shifting behaviors. I expect all New Mexicans to do what is right."
To a question about changes in the public health order. Lujan Grisham said: "I got elected to make decisions. These are not ones I want to make, but I am unequivocally focused on saving lives. I think indoor restaurants are an issue. Gyms, if people are wearing masks and socially distancing, it seems to work. Restaurants are not an environment conducive to reducing risk. If this doesn't work, there will be more restrictions. All I have is masks, socially distancing, business Covid-safe practices and washing hands."
Scrase said: "I think the best method is to get people to comply with the public health order, including wearing masks. Studies show masks work."
Lujan Grisham said with contact tracing, there has been an increase of 16 percent of cases due to being in restaurants. "It is high risk in the restaurant environment."
A reporter from KOB asked if the governor was discouraging protests.
"Young and old people should not be doing protests with COVID," Lujan Grisham said. "But with the First Amendment, I want people to protest. We have no contact tracing showing protests are a problem. Contact tracing is hard because people don't call back. We don't want you to be afraid. We need information to protect you. I want to thank the activists who are participating in our invitation to online engagement. The Council for Racial Justice has done a great job. We will engage with any group except for hate groups."
A reporter from the Associated Press asked what Lujan Grisham would do, if she were commander-in-chief.
"I wouldn't emulate any other state," the governor replied. "We were early in getting PPE supplies. There is no federal effort. Yes, I look at other states and choose the best practices. In Washington State, if you didn't wear a mask in a store, you couldn't check out. We also look at things that didn't work. The CDC has strict guidelines, with a commander-in-chief who says he will ignore them. I would make masks mandatory for the whole country. And I would provide more testing. I would do things incredibly differently. If the next president is this president, I hope he learned things. If it's a new president, I hope he will do it right. We will do a slow, safe re-opening."
A question from the Santa Fe Reporter asked what date is a deadline for opening schools and if gating criteria must be met.
Lujan Grisham confirmed that gating criteria must be met. "Once we have our plans, there are three scenarios: 1) we delay the opening. Kids needs to go to school. It's unhealthy for kids not to go to school. 2) we have no date certain. We can't manage and reopen for certain ages. 3) We would have to do online education. We are having conversations of high school kids never going back to school. We will keep planning. We expect New Mexico will flatten the curve by better personal behaviors, so parents can be certain of the date of opening."
A reporter from KOAT asked about contact sports and when producers can restart filming in the state, and "what is your communication with the Biden campaign?"
Lujan Grisham said she would start with the least important. "Every person who has been asked to participate with Biden is flattered. The only communication I've had with the Biden campaign is about making sure Democrat voters get out to vote."
As for sports, football, soccer and wrestling are cancelled for the fall, she said. "There is no Covid-safe practice for these sports. I don't have the authority over higher-education sports, but we will ask that contact sports be postponed. We were looking at a 14-day quarantine for those coming in to make movies. But it's on pause, not just for companies from California, but we want to expand. As for the United professional team, we are looking at it. It would have to apply to any professional soccer team. So far, all bets are off. Spectators are out. We can't have players practicing here. If they go out of state, we have to figure out testing and quarantining. We are trying to find a solution."
A reporter from the El Paso Times asked about enforcement in Ruidoso and what about those who live in Las Cruces and work in El Paso.
Lujan Grisham said: "I ask employers to let their employees work digitally as much as possible. But if they have to work in El Paso, they are exempt. As for shopping in El Paso, we want you not to do that. Shop in New Mexico. At the airport in Albuquerque, we will be telling those incoming that they must quarantine for 14 days. We need hotels and lodging not to take people from out-of-state. We hope you don't come this year. If we have a vaccine next year, then we want you to come. We don't want you to take the virus to El Paso or bring it from El Paso. We will work to enforce the state park rules. We will turn you around if you are from out-of-state."
A question from Univision asked about enforcing the $100 fine for not wearing a mask. "What about mass gatherings and big events?"
Lujan Grisham said she gets hundreds of complaints about people being in parks in groups and having weddings in restaurants. "We can hold a business accountable. We get complaints about backyard or park parties. We can enforce. You cannot have a mass gathering, even if it's a big family. If you have a family wedding when you're not supposed to and people get sick, frankly shame on you. I thank everyone for the calls and complaints. You can be mad at me, outside of hate speech and personal threats. I can take it. Don't yell at officers or waitresses or commissioners. They serve you. It is not a perfect enforcement behavior. The message is we all have to do it."
From the New Mexico Political Report, the question was about the hotspots and what about club sports.
The governor said it was a hard decision to make. "I know it's painful for parents and kids, but club sports is not a safe way to manage a pandemic. We are seeing more people going back to work, not wearing masks and not social distancing. We don't have a single location hotspot. We know 400 people were at a wedding in Texas and they brought Covid back to Bernalillo County. We are much more mobile, and it spreads. I think the No. 1 factor is Covid fatigue. I know you have it, and we have a long way to go."
Scrase said in general people have become more mobile in New Mexico. Those areas that have more mobility have more spread. "We have the belief that people are not obeying the no more than four people in a group and not wearing masks. Las Cruces and the southeast have seen their numbers increase. We saw an uptick in Lubbock and in El Paso due to people going to the areas and coming back. The problem is that Covid is everywhere."
Geoffrey Plant of the Silver City Daily Press asked about restaurants, like the one in Silver City that opened early, if they defy the ban on inside seating "will they be closed down or what? What are the consequences?"
Lujan Grisham said New Mexico had complicated efforts for managing and enforcement. "I think it will be an issue. I say it's unfair to everyone else who complies. If they don't comply, we will give a cease-and-desist order and penalties."
A Los Alamos reporter said, as a country, "we're done an abysmal job with contact tracing. Is there any way people can help?"
Lujan Grisham said it's the epidemiologists in the Health Department who do the contact tracing. "We do public education campaigns with the flu, hantavirus and such. If you have symptoms, don't go to work. The information must come to the DOH. They tell you if you are positive and do an investigation. They also give you health information and tell you what to do. They ask about your household and who you were in contact with, then that information goes to the contact tracers, who ask more questions. It's a software issue with one program not talking to another. We have to make better investments in public health. Yes, the public can help. We want you trained. We need more people We can all help make sure information is correct and when and where to get tested."
Kunkel confirmed that the department is overwhelmed at the moment.
Scrase reiterated: "If you're sick, stay home. Reduce your contacts."
Lujan Grisham said the average contacts for each positive case is 30 contacts. "Some people are intimidated about talking to us. We are not trying to punish anyone who is trying to do the right thing. We are waging a war against Covid."