State delays easing COVID-19 restrictions (New Mexico)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | June 19, 2020 | Colleen Heild

[CedarDave]

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s top medical official in the fight against COVID-19 said Friday state officials are putting off for at least two weeks a plan for greater reopening of businesses and other activities.

In recent days, state officials have reevaluated whether to take the next step in the gradual relaxing of some business restrictions. But New Mexico had a “major setback” in a surge of new virus cases recently, and the state’s intensive care beds “were more than 100% full,” said Dr. David Scrase, cabinet secretary for the state Human Services Department.

On June 8, New Mexico had been among 14 states that recorded their highest ever seven-day average of new coronavirus cases. And the state per capita has the lowest number of ICU beds in the country, making it vulnerable if an increase in seriously ill COVID-19 patients occurs, Scrase said.

“So we decided to go another two weeks,” Scrase said during a webinar update in which he fielded questions from the news media.

State officials on Friday announced 112 new cases and eight more deaths.

Scrase said there’s been some confusion about the governor’s public health order requiring masks.

“You might think that if you’re exercising … you don’t have to wear a mask.” But he said, that’s not correct in all cases.

He said he recently took a hike in the Sandias and noticed that 90% of hikers he encountered on the trail weren’t wearing face coverings.

[CedarDave]

Headline should be "Dem Gov continues tight noose policy." The new cases of covid-19 are due to both increased testing (especially in the high case areas in and around the Indian reservations) and the very high cases reported from federal prisons in southern New Mexico on the border just north of El Paso.

As for wearing a mask hiking in the Sandia's - It's both hot and you're breathing heavily, and you're naturally isolated from the person in front and back (if too close you'd trip over each other, for gosh sakes!!).

[stars & stripes forever]

People have died wearing COVID-19 masks when exercising.

[CedarDave]

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[9422WMR]

Somebody needs to go check those 100% full beds. I’m doubting that statement.

[pigsmith]

“You might think that if you’re exercising … you don’t have to wear a mask.” But he said, that’s not correct in all cases.

It's correct in my case because I like to breathe when I exercise - but HEY!! Please, feel free to take another hike.

[TigersEye]

Without knowing how many ICU beds there are the 100% full statement is meaningless.

[mewzilla]

You're not the only one, especially after reading this...

More patients in New Mexico ICU beds, not all due to COVID-19

It's not the WuFlu. It's Grisham's lockdown.

[mewzilla]

See my reply at #7.

[TigersEye]

That figures. The beds are filled with people Grisham is killing with her lockdown.

[Joe Boucher]

Losing your bidness cause of this skank?
Drop off a skunk, possum, armadillo, cayotte, hell, any damned stinky wild critter on her property
Either that or an American made dump truck full of chicken shit on her land

[CedarDave]

Very good catch, mewzilla.

[CedarDave]

We have a chance this fall, if New Mexicans are pissed off enough, to change the composition of the legislature as both house and senate seats are up for election. The Gov’s office won’t be up until 2022.

The primary election held last week knocked off most of the last moderate/conservative Dems who were holding the line on taxes, 2nd amendment and voting changes and the so-called “progressives” elected by the Dems are nothing more than hard-core radical leftists.

Two of those voted out held firm in this weeks special session to prevent the Governor from directing that general election ballots (not ballot applications) be mailed to everyone on the election rolls (which have not been purged for years). Anybody at the address could receive two, three or more ballots. An example would be a family whose young adults have moved away and maybe the father has died.

Anyway, this was defeated (we think, as the legislature is still in special session) and if the Pubs are smart they will target those Dems who have been left behind as the radicals take over the party.

[CedarDave]

The primary election held last week two weeks ago ...

[shanover]

People have died wearing COVID-19 masks when exercising.

I have to wear a mask working ten hours. It overheats the body and slows function and re-breathing air is not pleasant.

[WildHighlander57]

Are the ICUs full in NM?

This article says that is the case in FL:

https://www.newsweek.com/multiple-florida-hospitals-run-out-icu-beds-coronavirus-cases-spike-1511934

[Wright Wing]

Totalitarianism at its finest. NM doesn’t even have half the total deaths NJ has had in one day. Keep voting for these tyrants.

[Jim Noble]

I’ve been doing COVID full time since February.

I have mixed feelings about the restrictions. I’d like to hear from the “antis“ (most people here) about how much of a price you’re willing to pay to loosen, AND what you think the political consequences of an explosion of new cases (if it happens) for the Fall and the election.

I have said here before that no one knows with certainty what will happen with loosening, and I stand by that. I don’t believe the risk of significant worsening is >50%, but I also don’t think it’s <20%.

[Jim Noble]

I’ve been doing COVID full time since February.

I have mixed feelings about the restrictions. I’d like to hear from the “antis“ (most people here) about how much of a price you’re willing to pay to loosen, AND what you think the political consequences of an explosion of new cases (if it happens) for the Fall and the election.

I have said here before that no one knows with certainty what will happen with loosening, and I stand by that. I don’t believe the risk of significant worsening is >50%, but I also don’t think it’s <20%.

[laplata]

And in 2 weeks she’ll put it off for another 2 weeks.

[rigelkentaurus]

But rioting, looting, assaulting innocent people is still a go in Albuquerque!