April 27, 2020

The daily recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (4/27/20 edition)

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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.

  • State officials announced 66 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, as well as six deaths. Due to a “technical lapse” the state released a “partial” update Sunday afternoon on the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by a type of coronavirus. Read our story here.
  • Medical workers from California arrived to help out with the Navajo Nation, which is one of the hardest hit areas of the country.
  • The Albuquerque Journal looked at how the state’s models turned optimistic last week. Read the story here.
  • There are now 1,716  COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation and a total of 59 deaths, an increase of 176 cases since Friday. 
    • There are now 618 cases located in New Mexico, an increase of 101 since Friday. McKinley County now has the most cases on the Navajo Nation, overtaking Navajo County, in Arizona, over the weekend.
    • The Navajo Times wrote about 28 year old Valentina Blackhorse, former Miss Western Navajo for 2015-2016, who passed away just one day after testing positive for COVID-19. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created for Valentina’s funeral expenses.
    • The Navajo Board of Election Supervisors has delayed the filing period for candidates while the election board and the election administration determine protocols for the election that protect public safety and align with the public health emergency orders issued by the Navajo Department of Health, the Farmington Daily Times reported.
    • The Navajo Nation was under a 57-hour weekend curfew for the third week in a row to slow the spread of the COVID-19. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez extended the weekend curfews to May 17, according to the Farmington Daily Times
  • Two Albuquerque city councilor want the mayor to open up some shuttered businesses soon, including liquor stores, hair salons and golf courses, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
  • The Albuquerque Journal looked at the City of Grants as its mayor prepares to allow businesses to reopen, in defiance of the state public health emergency order.
  • Many substitute teachers are not getting paid during school closures, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
  • COVID-19 is making things worse for immigrants, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
  • U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland appeared on MSNBC last week and spoke about the problems from COVID-19 in Indian Country. See the video here.
  • A federal judge will issue a decision on whether Alaska Native corporations are eligible to receive funds from the CARES Act earmarked for tribal entities, the Associated Press reported.
  • Santa Fe city employees are getting ready for furloughs, as the COVID-19 response continues to ravage local governments’ budgets.
  • The outbreak has changed Santa Fe’s court functions radically, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
  • The state extended its suspension of in-person visits for inmates.
  • The Village of Ruidoso is preparing for a possible 40 percent reduction in revenue, the Ruidoso News reported.
  • An investigation into the La Vida Llena assisted living facility by the office of New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has found the facility, which now accounts for one in six deaths in the state related to COVID-19, did not mandate employees use personal protective equipment, and that staff were even discouraged from using it as late as early April, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
  • KOAT-TV spoke to Peter Trevisani, the owner of New Mexico United, about the governor’s economic recovery council, which first met on Friday.
  • The Albuquerque Journal also explored what information can be gleaned from ZIP code-level data about COVID-19 cases in New Mexico. Experts warn that the raw data is preliminary and can be misleading. 
  • The delay in the census could lead to a delay in redistricting, the Associated Press reported.
  • The Carlsbad Current Argus looked at the composition of the 15-member Economic Recovery Council that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced last week. Two of the 15 council members are based south of Albuquerque. 
  • The Daily Lobo explored the misinformation and political signalling that may have fuelled the recent “anti-quarantine” protests in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
  • A column in the Las Cruces Sun News looked at the struggles of home life for parents with children who are attending classes online. 
  • KUNM looked at how sports are being impacted by COVID-19. Listen here.

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