The daily recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (4/18/20 edition)

Note: This daily recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free daily email. Sign up here. See all of our COVID-19 coverage here. With 7 new COVID-19-related deaths and 115 new cases, New Mexico now has 51 COVID-19 related deaths and over 1,700 total confirmed cases. See our breakdown here. There are positive […]

The daily recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (4/18/20 edition)

Note: This daily recap of COVID-19 news from New Mexico is available in a free daily email. Sign up here.

See all of our COVID-19 coverage here.

  • With 7 new COVID-19-related deaths and 115 new cases, New Mexico now has 51 COVID-19 related deaths and over 1,700 total confirmed cases. See our breakdown here.
  • The Navajo Nation announced 85 new positive cases on Friday, for a total of 1,127 total cases. With three more deaths, that brings the Nation to 44 total confirmed COVID-19-related deaths.
    • Of the confirmed case, 426 are in New Mexico, an increase of 48 over Thursday’s announcement.
  • The Farmington Daily-Times collected responses from leaders in Indian Country to the resources that are part of the CARES Act. Read the story here.
  • A federal judge denied a temporary restraining order that an Albuquerque church sought against the state after the state added churches to the list of entities subject to the state’s ban on mass gatherings.
  • The governor won’t call for a special session until it’s safe for legislators to meet, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The governor has repeatedly said this.
  • UNM Hospital administrators threatened to discipline medical workers who protested the lack of personal protective equipment, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
  • New Mexico In Depth found that just under 20 hospital employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Or at least, that’s how many they were able to find, since many hospitals wouldn’t disclose the information.
  • Rio Arriba County officials are donating unused beds from an old nursing home to hospitals throughout northern counties, the Rio Grande Sun reported. From the story:
    • Española Hospital received 34 beds, Holy Cross Hospital in Taos received 20 and 15 are set aside for Rehoboth McKinley Hospital in Gallup, though officials are trying to figure out how to transport the beds to Gallup.
  • Dozens of officers with the Albuquerque Police Department have been quarantine after coming into contact with someone with COVID-19, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
  • Anyone, regardless of if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19, can get tested at Lovelace Medical Center in downtown Albuquerque.
  • The State Department of Health is now providing data on positive tests by zip code on its COVID-19 dashboard
  • The pandemic could lead to an undercount in rural areas of New Mexico in the census, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reported.
  • Tesuque Casino announced they will furlough 180 workers, according to Albuquerque Business First.
  • KUNM looked back at the last four weeks of COVID-19 coverage.
  • The state epidemiologist said that Doña Ana County is doing well when it comes to social distancing, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
  • The City of Las Vegas altered its curfew hours and changed the penalty for breaking it, the Las Vegas Optic reported.
  • A lot of people are ordering delivery. One restaurant owner said in an open letter that GrubHub is a bum deal for restaurants. The Santa Fe Reporter has the letter.
  • The State Supreme Court extended the suspension on jury trials in criminal and civil cases through May 29 because of COVID-19.
    “The Court believes it is prudent to continue the suspension of jury trials to help protect public health and control the spread of COVID-19,” Chief Justice Judith K. Nakamura said in a statement.
  • The New Mexico Senior Olympics will not hold their games planned for this June in Las Cruces. All entry fees will be refunded, the New Mexico Senior Olympics Board of Directors said in a statement Friday.

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