Heinrich Update On COVID-19 Response, Legislative Efforts
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) held a teleconference Thursday with New Mexico-based reporters to discuss the latest on efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the call, Sen. Heinrich discussed the Senate passage of a major, bipartisan emergency COVID-19 response bill that will provide immediate and badly-needed relief to New Mexicans grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.
The $2 trillion package includes key provisions to support New Mexico, including:
- Direct payments to individual New Mexicans and a major expansion of unemployment
Emotional Healing: Navigating The Unknown
Dr. TED WIARD
Golden Willow Retreat
Editors Note: This is part of a series by grief specialist Dr. Ted Wiard, dedicated to helping educate the community about emotional healing.
We have been discussing the topic of grief and how it is a natural and normal healing process from any type of loss. Grief is the process of redefining one’s self after loss into the new situation and definition of who that person is now.
In previous columns we have discussed the first five phases of grief – since that time, we have watched the entire world shift in unsuspecting ways for different people, but in that shift, there Read More
Free Community Learning Opportunity In Days Of COVID-19
Richard Skolnik
COMMUNITY News:
Richard Skolnik of White Rock is the instructor for Yale’s Essentials of Global Health, on Coursera. ( https://www.coursera.org/learn/essentials-global-health )
The course is a comprehensive introduction to global health. It is based on a similar course that Richard taught to Yale undergraduates for five years. It is intended for lay people with no or limited experience in global health. It is appropriate for students in the upper years of high school and adults.
COVID-19 has spawned considerable interest in a range of global health topics and members Read More
EPA Continues Efforts To Help Increase Availability Of Disinfectant Products For Use Against Novel Coronavirus
EPA News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took steps to provide additional flexibilities to manufacturers of disinfectants and other pesticides.
EPA intends for these flexibilities to increase the availability of products for Americans to use against the novel coronavirus. After meeting with stakeholders last week and discussing supply chain challenges posed by the pandemic, EPA is allowing manufacturers to obtain certain inert ingredients—or inactive ingredients like sodium chloride or glucose—from different suppliers without checking Read More
Public Food Distributions During COVID-19 Pandemic
THE FOOD DEPOT News:
SANTA FE — During the COVID-19 public health crisis, The Food Depot is adding a drive-thru food distribution in Española beginning April 1.
“The goal is to continue providing essential hunger relief to our most vulnerable community members in our service area. We continue to review our logistics, resources and strategies, and adjust where we can have the most impact,” Jill Dixon, director of development of The Food Depot, said.
Food will be distributed the first and third Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon (or until the food runs out) at Ohkay Owingeh Casino’s parking Read More
Chart 11: COVID-19 Daily Cases By County In New Mexico
Chart shows between March 11 and March 26 the daily cases of COVID-19 by county in New Mexico. Courtesy/Eli Ben-Naim
Chart shows the cumulative cases of COVID-19 by county in New Mexico. Courtesy/Eli Ben-Naim
Chart shows number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in New Mexico. Courtesy/Eli Ben-Naim
Chart shows number of COVID-19 cases per county across New Mexico. Courtesy/Eli Ben-Naim Read More
Governor Seeks Deployment Of Army Hospital To N.M.
STATE News:SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has formally requested that the U.S. Defense Department deploy a staffed 248-bed U.S. Army combat support hospital (CSH) to Albuquerque as a proactive measure intended to enhance the state’s treatment capacity.
“This CSH is urgently needed to support the State of New Mexico’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatens to overwhelm our existing medical treatment facilities and resources,” Lujan Grisham wrote Wednesday in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
The governor made the request under a federal law that authorizes
New Mexico State Police: Working To Keep Citizens Safe During COVID-19 Outbreak
State Police requests public and businesses to comply with Emergency Public Health Order. Courtesy/NMSP
NMSP News:
New Mexico State Police requests the help of the public and New Mexico businesses in complying with the Emergency Public Health Order.
The Order requires all non-essential businesses to stop operating, and State Police, in conjunction with local law enforcement, will ensure that businesses adhere to its directives.
We believe the great majority of businesses will continue to voluntarily comply in the interest of public safety. However, in the event businesses are not compliant, Read More
New Mexico COVID-19 Cases Now At 136
STATE News:
SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials announced 24 today additional positive tests for COVID-19.
Per the New Mexico Department of Health, the most recent cases are:
Seven new cases in Bernalillo County:
- A female in her 20s
- A female in her 30s
- A male in his 40s
- A male in his 50s
- Three males in their 60s
One new case in Chaves County:
- A female in her 50s
Three new cases in Doña Ana County:
- Three males in their 20s
Two new cases in Sandoval County:
- A female in her 60s
- A male in his 70s
Six new cases in San Juan County:
- A female in her teens
- A female in her 30s
- A male in his 30s
- A female in her 40s
- A female
Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Del Norte Credit Union Adjusts Daily Operations Due To Possible Exposure; Temporarily Closes Los Alamos And White Rock Branches
DNCU News:
SANTA FE — Del Norte Credit Union (DNCU), New Mexico’s hometown financial cooperative announces important updates surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to spread across the country.
DNCU has adjusted operations to comply with CDC and The New Mexico Department of Health recommendations to protect their staff, members, and communities.
Although there has not been a confirmed case of COVID-19, effective today, March 26, 2020, Del Norte Credit Union is taking the following actions out of an abundance of caution:
Their locations at 40 Rover Blvd. in White Rock and 1000 Read More
Statewide COVID-19 Response Fund Launches Today
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced today a new fund established by the New Mexico Coalition of Community Foundations to help New Mexico respond to and eventually recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The All Together NM Fund will be used to address immediate needs and offer long-term support for the recovery work that lies ahead.
Pledges of more than $1.1 million from Ian and Sonnet McKinnon; Intel; Pattern Energy; Blattner Energy; and Tri State Generation and Transmission Association will seed the fund, which will be administered by the Santa Fe Community
El Parasol Los Alamos Is Open For Business!
El Parasol Los Alamos is open for business at 1903 Central Ave. and 20th Street. Photo by Leanne Arvila
El Parasol is serving a full menu including its local favorite green chile cheeseburger and side of fries. Courtesy photo
EL PARASOL News:
El Parasol Los Alamos is open for business!
The restaurant at 1903 Central Ave. is open:
- 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and
- 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Orders can be placed at the drive-thru window, in the lobby entrance or by calling 505.661.0303.
El Parasol Los Alamos also is offering curbside delivery during the Covid-19 crisis and payment Read More
Superintendent Shares Plan If School Ends For This Year
Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus
Los Alamos Public Schools
LAPS News:
Los Alamos Public Schools Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus today sent the following letter to parents and families:
Dear LAPS Parents and Families
In light of the PED Secretary’s announcement today that “there is a strong likelihood that school will be closed for the remainder of the year”, we have a plan to help you and your children.
It is called innovative LA learning.
The idea is to keep the minds of LAPS students engaged with creative, age-appropriate and constructive activities. While this is a time of uncertainty and challenge, Read More
Los Alamos Family Council Response To COVID-19
By JORDAN REDMOND
Executive Director
Los Alamos Family Council
Trying Times
Hello friends of Los Alamos Family Council.
These are interesting times filled with new experiences for everyone. I wanted to share with you how Los Alamos Family Council will be operating its programs during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Youth Activity Centers
The Youth Activity Centers are operated on behalf of Los Alamos County through a contract. Our operating hours are determined by Los Alamos County and we will remain closed until otherwise instructed. Assuming that restrictions will be lifted in Read More
Life After 50: Warriors And Angels
By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
Los Alamos Retired & Senior Organization
My Love Warriors staff at the Los Alamos and White Rock senior centers and our Donor Angels, have made week two of our shut down as uplifting as a pandemic could be during hard times.
While I write to keep the community updated, I also write, I assume in a therapeutic way, and we might not realize it, to document our living history.
We instantly started a program called Senior Services, to allow my staff to shop for our members and pick up prescriptions. We also allowed community members to donate funds for the Read More
Catch Of The Week: COVID-19 Phishing Via LinkedIn
Screenshot of a COVID-19 phishing message. Courtesy/Becky Rutherford
By BECKY RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
COVID-19 phishing scams… so hot right now. Check out the latest and greatest, straight from my inbox (First screenshot of the phishing message above. Second screenshot is posted at the bottom of the story).
LinkedIn is a great way to build your professional network and make connections, but this is not the kind of connection I want to make. Yes, this is relatively obvious, but let’s go over the signs that this is malicious:
Do I know the sender? Am I expecting information about a government grant Read More
Skolnik: In An Outbreak, Delays Kill
By RICHARD SKOLNIK
Los Alamos
As our governor has correctly and repeatedly said, the US federal government is still failing to address COVID-19 with sufficient urgency. In an outbreak, every day of delay leads to cases and deaths that should never occur. In due course, history will correctly attribute many of these deaths to government indifference, delays, and incompetence.
In states like New Mexico, more people filed for unemployment last week than at any time in history, including the great depression. Jobless claims for the US as a whole rose from 70,000 to over 280,000, as COVID-19 began Read More
LANL Limits Onsite Operations Consistent With CDC; State
While Los Alamos National Laboratory is not closed, the Lab is limiting onsite operations consistent with guidance from the CDC and the State of New Mexico. The vast majority of LANL employees are working from home. Onsite, the Lab is maintaining a minimum staff to support limited, key national security activities that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has deemed mission-essential. This is a view of a LANL parking lot showing a reduction in the normally high number of vehicles. Courtesy/LANL Read More
Chart 10: COVID-19 Daily Cases By County In New Mexico
Chart shows between March 11 and March 25 the daily cases of COVID-19 by county in New Mexico. Courtesy/Eli Ben-Naim
Chart shows the cumulative cases of COVID-19 by county in New Mexico. Courtesy/Eli Ben-Naim Read More
New Mexico COVID-19 Cases Now At 112
STATE News:
- A male in his 20s
- A female in her 40s
- A male in his 40s
- A female in her 70s
- A female in her 80s
- A male in his 70s – deceased. As previously reported Wednesday by the Department of Health, this individual died Sunday, March 22. The state laboratory confirmed a positive COVID-19 test late Tuesday, March 24, after receiving it the same day.
