(SANTA FE)—The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (DVS) has postponed all agency-related public events in the immediate future—following today’s New Mexico Department of Health’s (DOH) public health order temporarily prohibiting mass gatherings in New Mexico in response to the COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus pandemic reaching the state.

The public health order defines “mass gatherings” as events that bring together 100 or more people in a single room or connected space such as auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, conference centers, and theaters. Exempt from the order are airports, other mass transit, shopping malls, shelters, retail and grocery stores, offices and businesses, courthouses, all educational institutions, child-care centers, health care facilities and other congregate care facilities and places of worship.

The following DVS-sponsored or DVS-assisted events to postponed until further notice are:

Date               Event                                                                         Location

Mar. 18           Military & Veterans Entrepreneurial Summit       Las Cruces/Las Cruces  Convention Center

Mar. 26           Ohkay Owingeh Vietnam War 50th Anniversary  Ohkay Owingeh Hotel & Commemoration Ceremony Casino

Mar. 27           Santa Fe Veterans Benefits Claims Clinic              Dept. of Workforce Solutions (Pacheco St.)

Apr.   8           DVS 2nd Quarterly Briefing                                      Albuquerque Veterans Memorial

Apr.   9           Bataan Remembrance Day Ceremony                   Santa Fe/Eternal Flame Monument

Apr. 13-17      NACVSO Accreditation Training Conference       Santa Fe/Higher Education Department Bldg.

Apr. 25-          Native American Training                                        Isleta Resort & Casino

May 1             Institute Conference

The status for events scheduled for May and beyond are currently still listed as a “go”—but may be subjected to change pending further actions by DOH and the Governor’s office.

“I hope our veterans and their families understand the reasoning behind the postponements of these events,” said DVS Secretary Judy Griego. “DVS will follow the lead of the Department of Health and the Governor’s office, and will certainly look to reschedule some of these postponed events if possible.”