May 27, 2020

Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (5/27/20 edition)

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. The state of New Mexico announced 107 new cases of COVID-19, including a spike in cases in Torrance County and the Torrance County Detention Facility among those held by U.S. […]

Matthew Reichbach

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.

The state of New Mexico announced 107 new cases of COVID-19, including a spike in cases in Torrance County and the Torrance County Detention Facility among those held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. See the details here.
Election officials are preparing to process more absentee ballots than they’ve seen in any previous primary election. See the story here.
KRQE reported that the governor may have broken the public health emergency order by ordering jewelry from Lilly Barrack; an employee got the jewelry from the store, brought it home and someone picked it up for the governor.
New Mexico’s newest amendment to the state public health emergency order will allow dining on restaurant patios and other outdoor areas in most of the state. See our story here.
Tuesday, Navajo Nation health officials reported 48 additional cases of COVID-19 and one additional death. The new cases bring the total number of cases on the Navajo Nation to 4,842, with a total of 158 deaths related to the disease. About 1,585 individuals are designated as recovered from COVID-19.
- A bill in front of the Navajo Nation Council would cancel primaries according to the Farmington Daily Times.
The Mescalero Apache tribal government announced three new positive cases of COVID-19; the southern New Mexico tribe now has seven confirmed cases and one death.
The University of New Mexico submitted a nine-page guide for a “hybrid fall semester,” the Albuquerque Journal reported.
New Mexico’s Department of Health bought N95 masks at well above the regular price, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. The State Auditor said he would look into the purchase, which was done through an emergency procurement declaration.
The Doña Ana County commission passed a measure to require masks in public. While the rule echoes a portion of the statewide public health order, it would allow the county sheriff’s office to enforce the ordinance.
The state of New Mexico agreed to pay about $1,400 in back wages to an employee who was initially not granted sick leave from the Human Services Department to care for her children, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
An Islamic group donated supplies to the Navajo Nation, the Farmington Daily Times reported.
State police cited a Clovis barber for breaking the public health order, The Eastern New Mexico News reported.
Monroe’s in Albuquerque withdrew from the lawsuit challenging the state’s ability to levy fines of $5,000 to businesses that violate the state’s public health order, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Some city parks in Las Cruces reopened, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 1,000 counterfeit COVID-19 test kits, the Deming Headlight reported.
The operator of New Mexico’s lone drive-in theater told KOB-TV that he hopes work out a plan with the state to reopen.