SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico will extend an emergency public health order through May 15 as it convenes mayors and businesses leaders to consider the first minor changes to restrictions on economic activity, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state health officials announced Wednesday.
The first-term Democratic governor said the state will forge its own path toward stamping out infections through increased testing to uncover asymptomatic cases, rapid contact tracing to notify and isolate residents who were exposed, and new testing methods that can detect antibodies.
She warned that the state is not yet ready to lift most restrictions on nonessential businesses and that a large-scale reopening of the economy is still far away. New Mexico is likely to insist that people wear masks in public until broad immunity is established through a vaccine - a solution unlikely to arrive this year.
Lujan Grisham said her administration will continue to enforce uniform statewide health guidelines, without exceptions for several counties with no confirmed cases. That is a response to increasing evidence that the virus is spreading among people without symptoms and is still highly infectious, she said.
“The virus is in every community,” she said. “We are not going to be pressured by nuances in other states. We are going to focus on what’s right for New Mexico.”
Vulnerable populations such as the elderly will be directed to stay home and take extra precautions.
“We’re doing it right. We’re saving lives,” Lujan Grisham said from the state Capitol in a news videoconference. “Stay the course.”
Local governments that encourage and allow nonessential businesses to reopen would be in violation of the state order, she said. They might succeed in attracting customers to local businesses with good intentions - only to reignite the spread of the coronavirus.
Human Services Secretary David Scrase said the state is wary of replicating multiple waves of infection and fatalities that the United States witnessed with the spread of the Spanish flu a century ago as initial social restrictions were eased.
There are now 64 testing sites statewide, and the goal is to get a more complete picture of the virus’ prevalence.
The state’s current health order suspends most nonessential businesses, limits gatherings no more than five people, and places limits on the number of people who can enter businesses such as grocery stores.
New Mexico has more than 2,200 confirmed coronavirus cases, and 71 people have died. The cases have been centered in Bernalillo, McKinley, Sandoval and San Juan counties. In McKinley County alone, there were several dozen new cases reported Wednesday.
Lujan Grisham also said it would be counterproductive for residents of New Mexico to begin self testing through over-the-counter kits - leaving health authorities to guess infection rates and the path of the virus. Testing also will be key in making decisions about how and when to restart the state economy, she said.
“It is crucial to making smart, productive decisions about both economic recovery and protecting our population. These things have to be done together. You don’t get to choose one or the other,” she said.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
Scrase shared a number of graphs Wednesday, indicating that Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties were beginning to flatten their curves. However, there were still concerns about the counties in the northwest.
Mental health and substance abuse programs also will be getting an infusion of funding as part of the U.S. government’s relief efforts related to the outbreak. Members of the state’s congressional delegation say a $2 million grant has been awarded to the Human Services Department to pay for behavioral health services.
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