Coronavirus

There are about 4,000 to 5,000 homeless youth in Bernalillo County alone, making them especially vulnerable during this coronavirus outbreak. 

The state decision to close school until April 6, means those kids will also lose the security that education provides them.

Let's Talk New Mexico 3/23, 8a: The coronavirus outbreak has everyone talking and thinking about the same thing, so each morning this week, we'll be coming to you live with special call-in shows all about local responses to COVID-19. We want to hear how you're holding up. What questions or concerns do you have about the way New Mexico agencies are addressing this public health crisis? How are you staying safe and caring for your community during this time of social distancing? Email letstalk@kunm.org, tweet at us with #LetsTalkNM, or call in live during the show at (505) 277-5866. If you're outside of the ABQ Metro area, the number is 1-877-899-5866. 

The popcorn machine is silent in the lobby of the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill. Owner Keif Henley was supposed to show the movie “Phoenix Oregon” over the weekend. But for now, he’s closed.

Movie theaters around New Mexico have shut down in response to a public health order by the governor to halt the spread of coronavirus. For small, independently owned venues, and the films they show, this could be economically devastating.

“Oh, it's terrible like you'd expect it to be,” Henley says. “You know, we're not really making much revenue.”

The New Mexico Department of Health on Mar. 13 restricted visitation to nursing facilities, whose residents are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. New Mexicans with loved ones who they can’t see now say communication, both from the facility and with their relatives, has been mixed.

Since the coronavirus reached the U.S. after being first detected in China last year, there’s been a spike in cases of xenophobia and discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans across the nation. Albuquerque’s newest city councilor Lan Sena met with local Asian American community leaders this week to hear concerns and offer support. 

  Let’s Talk New Mexico 3/19, 8am: New Mexico has two sportsbooks -- a way for people to legally bet on sports, that is, until the sports world was put on hold due to the coronavirus. On this week’s Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll talk about sports gambling and the potential long term impact of having no games and empty stadiums.

The New Mexico Department of Health Sunday, Mar. 16, announced amendments to the public health order to slow the spread of COVID-19. The changes involve new rules for restaurants, including staying at or below half occupancy, having no more than six people at a table, and positioning the tables at least six feet apart. Local restaurants in Albuquerque’s International District are working to comply with the order while weathering a significant drop in business.