June 4, 2020

Recap of New Mexico COVID-19 news (6/04/20 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. NM Political Report did not have an edition of the COVID-19 recap on Wednesday because of election coverage on Tuesday night well into the early hours of Wednesday morning. The […]

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.

NM Political Report did not have an edition of the COVID-19 recap on Wednesday because of election coverage on Tuesday night well into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The state saw a massive uptick in cases at the Otero County Prison Facility on Tuesday: 116 new cases, the majority of the state’s 227 confirmed cases reported that day. Wednesday, the state announced another 122 confirmed cases and eight additional deaths.
- The Santa Fe New Mexican wrote more about the spike in cases at the Otero County Prison Facility.
Navajo Nation health officials announced 128 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation and seven additional deaths related to the disease. This brings the total for the Navajo Nation to 5,661 confirmed cases and 259 deaths related to the disease. Approximately 2,029 individuals have recovered.
- Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said there won’t be another weekend-long curfew, though the daily 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will still be in effect, the Navajo Times reported.
HSD Secretary David Scrase spoke to KRQE-TV about future phases of the state’s COVID-19 recovery, including reopening schools in the fall.
The pandemic didn’t dampen voter enthusiasm in Grant County, the Silver City Daily Press reported.
JetBlue hasn’t stopped its flights between Albuquerque and New York City yet, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Silver Horizon in Albuquerque will offer free groceries to seniors throughout the month of June, KRQE-TV reported.
The New Mexico Commission on Access to Justice will offer civil legal resources to those impacted by COVID-19 for things like evictions, home foreclosures and more, KRQE-TV reported.
Northern New Mexico College’s courses will remain online for the fall semester, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce will allow “tiny” businesses to pick up packages with PPE.
Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen signed onto a letter to congressional leadership asking for financial support for state and local government.
“State and local governments are on the front lines in combating COVID-19 and protecting our citizens. The health crisis we’re in has been devastating and has taken a tremendous toll on New Mexicans statewide, but it’s been particularly hard on our Native American communities in the northwest region of the state,” said Senator Papen. “The ensuing economic hardship in front of us is unlike any challenge we’ve faced in decades, and we’ll need every economic tool in the toolbox to make the state whole again. But every state is different and has unique needs. Additional funding giving state and local community leaders the flexibility and discretion to apply monies where most desperately needed is what we are asking for today. I am proud to join my fellow presiding officers to ask Congress to provide this much-needed funding for our states and cities.”
The Albuquerque Journal wrote about the troubles New Mexico had with its unemployment system in recent months as unemployment skyrocketed nationwide.
New Mexico United will send learning-from-home kits to the Navajo Nation, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
Allen Theaters will open drive-in theaters during the pandemic, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. The chain will open one in Las Cruces and one in Farmington, either through July or until movie theaters are allowed to reopen.