New Mexico Aims To Boost Virus Testing With Saliva Samples - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
The New Mexico Health Department hopes to expand capacity for COVD-19 testing by offering saliva testing.
Starting Monday, officials said the FDA-approved test is being offered at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque.
The method is recommended for asymptomatic individuals and involves swabbing the mouth to collect a saliva sample.
The tests will be self-collected, but trained personnel will be present when and where these tests are available to ensure samples are properly collected.
New Mexico has seen cases skyrocket in recent weeks and officials have been looking for ways to expand testing options. Hospital officials on Monday also renewed their pleas for people to stay home and refrain from holiday gatherings.
The state on Monday reported an additional 2,259 confirmed cases, bringing the total to nearly 84,150 since the pandemic began. The death toll has reached 1,400.
The state for the past week has been averaging close to 12,000 tests per day but officials have said that would need to double in order to get a better handle on limiting spread.
New testing sites have opened up, but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham warned during a recent briefing that there aren't enough medical professionals to administer tests as more New Mexicans request them.
State agencies have put out the call for volunteers to help with duties such as opening test kits, running test results to medical personnel and managing traffic at testing sites.
State officials on Monday also acknowledged the lag in the turn-around time for results. Whether positive or negative, they're planning to notify people via text and email to close the gap.
Netflix To Expand Production Hub In New Mexico - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Netflix is pledging an additional $1 billion investment in its production hub in New Mexico.
The company joined government officials Monday in announcing its plans. About 300 acres would be added to the existing campus on the southern edge of Albuquerque, making it what officials say will be one of the largest film production facilities in North America.
Aside from construction jobs, the project is expected to result in 1,000 production jobs over the next decade.
A total of $24 million in state and local economic development funding will be funneled toward the expansion, and industrial revenue bonds will be issued by the city of Albuquerque to help reduce some taxes for Netflix.
The footprint of the production hub will grow with a private land purchase and a lease involving state trust land.
The Albuquerque Development Commission and City Council still must give their approval.
As part of the proposed investment, Netflix has committed to providing training programs in partnership with the New Mexico Film Office, local universities and industry organizations.
Netflix also has committed to supporting Native American, Latino, Black and other underrepresented content creators and filmmakers.
Netflix is in production in New Mexico on the original films "The Harder They Fall" and "Intrusion" and is expected to soon begin filming "Stranger Things 4" in Albuquerque.
Netflix first marked its presence in New Mexico in 2018, when it announced it was buying Albuquerque Studios and pledged $1 billion in spending over a decade. At the time, government officials saw the move as a transformative victory for a state that has struggled to lessen its reliance on federal funding and oil and gas development.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos pointed to the proximity to Los Angeles, the crew base and local talent as reasons for the continued investment.
Over the last 20 years, the film and television industry has become an economic force in New Mexico, with direct spending topping $525 million in the last fiscal year.
State Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes said the partnership with Netflix should send a signal that New Mexico is the place to be for film and television production. She said it's also setting the stage for future generations to enjoy job opportunities in the state.
Since coming to New Mexico in 2018, Netflix said it has spent more than $200 million, used more than 2,000 production vendors and hired more than 1,600 cast and crew members.
New Mexico Governor Calls For $1,200 Payment To Unemployed - By Cedar Attanasio and Morgan Lee AP/Report For America
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling for $1,200 cash payments to workers who have qualified for unemployment since the pandemic began.
New Mexico lawmakers were drafting legislation Monday aimed at providing about $300 million in direct economic aid for the unemployed, small businesses and emergency housing subsidies.
They're set to meet Tuesday in a special session in hopes of delivering an emergency aid package before Thanksgiving.
The proposals, which include everything from providing $5 million to food banks to $15 million in emergency housing aid, are aimed at providing a jolt of relief to a state economy reeling from a surge in pandemic infections and deaths.
A renewed stay-at-home order has halted in-person activity at nonessential businesses through at least Nov. 30 and limits capacity at grocery stores, drug stores and hardware stores.
The statewide unemployment rate was 8.1% in October, well above the 6.9% national rate. New Mexico depleted its unemployment insurance fund in September and has begun borrowing money from the federal government to fulfill claims to residents who have lost their jobs.
The proposed one-time $1,200, equal to the amount distributed by the federal government earlier this year, would go to a broad swath of workers put out of work by the pandemic this year.
The governor is also calling for $100 million in direct grants to small businesses that would not have to be repaid.
New Mexico Lawmakers To Weigh $300 Million In Virus Relief - By Morgan Lee and Cedar Attanasio Associated Press
New Mexico lawmakers are drafting a virus relief bill that will be considered Tuesday during a one-day legislative session called by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The bill aims to inject about $300 million in direct economic aid for the unemployed, small businesses and emergency housing subsidies. Money may also be allocated for increased COVID-19 testing capacity to speed up results.
Lawmakers say the proposed spending will be made possible by federal relief funding previously assigned to New Mexico.
But the spending may mean the state will need to tap reserve funds later to prop up next year's budget.
The statewide unemployment rate was 8.1% in October, well above the 6.9% national rate. New Mexico depleted its unemployment insurance fund in September and has begun borrowing money from the federal government to fulfill claims to residents who have lost their jobs.
The Statehouse will be closed to the public as a precaution against virus transmission, with some lawmakers participating remotely. Webcasts are scheduled for floor debates and possible committee hearings in the Democratic-led Legislature.
Lawmakers are considering approving spending on vaccine storage and distribution infrastructure. Republicans in the House minority also are interested in approving spending to shore up testing capacity and speed up test results.
New Mexico is among four states selected by drugmaker Pfizer for a pilot program to refine its plans for deploying a COVID-19 vaccine before it receives authorization from federal regulators.
More than $1 billion in federal relief funds have shored up New Mexico's finances, with $750 million assigned to the state general fund during a June special session.
Lujan Grisham's administration allocated $178 million to city, county and tribal governments and related small-business grants. Local governments are racing
Navajo Nation Reports Peak High Of 383 New COVID-19 Cases – Associated Press
The Navajo Nation is reporting 383 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, an all-time high for the vast reservation.
Tribal health officials on Sunday announced the latest daily figure of new cases as well as five more coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of known cases now stands at 15,039, including 42 delayed reported cases.
The death toll for the Navajo Nation is now up to 631. Tribal health officials said 147,793 people have been tested for COVID-19 since the pandemic started and 8,131 have recovered.
The Navajo Nation is currently under a three-week stay-at-home order. Officials are urging households not to have anyone over during the Thanksgiving holiday.
New Mexico Reports Record 33 More COVID-19 Deaths, 2,468 New Cases– Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press, KUNM
Health officials in New Mexico on Sunday reported 2,468 new COVID-19 cases and 33 additional deaths. That increases the state's totals to 81,896 cases and 1,383 known deaths since the pandemic began.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the 33 deaths reported Sunday are the most confirmed in a single day in New Mexico since the pandemic began, surpassing the previous record of 28, set just Tuesday.
The newly reported cases include over 100 in Lea, McKinley, Sandoval, San Juan, Santa Fe and Valencia Counties; over 200 in Doña Ana County; and over 700 in Bernalillo County.
The Navajo Nation reported 168 new coronavirus cases and three new virus-related deaths on Saturday. The huge reservation has had a total of 14,612 cases and 626 deaths.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
Cut Off: School Closings Leave Rural Students Isolated - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press / Report For America
The switch to remote learning in rural New Mexico has left some students profoundly isolated — cut off from others and the grid by sheer distance.
In the village of Cuba, New Mexico, population 800, the school system is sending school buses to students' homes over an hour away to bring them assignments, meals and a little human contact.
The buses are a lifeline for families in the school district, of whom nearly half are Hispanic and half are Native American, including many Navajo-speaking English-language learners.
On the fringe of the Navajo Nation, many families have no electricity, let alone internet. It is yet another way in which the pandemic has exposed the gap between the haves and have-nots in the U.S.
For students without home internet, the buses bring USB drives loaded with assignments and video lessons from teachers. Some students eventually asked for paper packets because of the difficulty in charging laptops.
With COVID-19 cases spiking in New Mexico to their highest levels yet, it is unclear when the district will begin offering in-person classes again.
Some New Mexico Essential Business Close Due To Virus Spike - Associated Press
Some essential businesses such as grocery stores have been shut down because of a substantial increase in coronavirus cases in New Mexico.
A new edict announced Thursday allows the state Department of Health to shut down workplaces for two weeks if they have four or more coronavirus cases in a 14-day period.
More than 20 essential businesses across the state were shut down as of Friday, of which nearly half were grocery stores or major retailers.
KOAT-TV reports the closures include two Walmarts in Albuquerque, a Walmart in Santa Fe, a Target in Santa Fe and an Albertson's in Roswell.
Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh said closures create long lines of waiting customers outside remaining stories, which must operate at reduced capacity. He told the Albuquerque Journal "It's a pain to put it mildly."
New Mexico Department of Health spokesperson Marisa Maez said the state has discretion when considering which businesses to close, and considers whether a store provides essential goods. She said the current closures are not considered critical because they are in communities with"considerable alternatives."
Officials: 100 People Arrested In Southeastern New Mexico Roundup - Associated Press
Law enforcement officials say officers arrested 100 people in southeastern New Mexico as federal, state and local agencies conducted a “roundup” over several days.
U.S. Marshal Sonya Chavez said Friday the arrests made in Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties were part of a national effort to apprehend people who were suspected of committing violent crimes and sought on felony arrest warrants.
The Roswell Daily Record reported that the 15 participating agencies included the New Mexico State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security, sheriff's departments and the Roswell Police Department.
Kyle Williamson, special agent for the DEA's El Paso Division, said those arrested included 17 people allegedly connected to an alleged methamphetamine trafficking organization that operated in the Roswell area.
Chavez said three similar operations have taken place in the past 18 months in the Las Cruces and Albuquerque areas.
Panel Recommends 4 For Appointment To New Mexico High Court - Associated Press
Three current judges and one retired judge have been nominated for appointment to fill a New Mexico Supreme Court vacancy.
A nominating commission on Thursday met remotely to evaluate seven candidates for the vacancy being created by the Dec. 1 retirement of Justice Judith K. Nakamura.
The four nominees include state Court of Appeals Judges Julie J. Vargas and Briana Hope Zamora, Sixth Judicial District Court Judge Jennifer Ellen DeLaney and retired 12th Judicial District Court Judge James Waylon Counts.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will pick one of the four to replace Nakamura.