{Some of|A few of} the {workers|employees} at {Route|Path} 66 {Diner|Restaurant} in Albuquerque, N.M., which has 47 {employees|workers|staff members}, {gather|collect} outside the {restaurant|dining establishment} Monday, July 13, 2020, {during|throughout}
22 September 2020
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham {gives|provides|offers} her weekly {update|upgrade} on COVID-19 and the state’s effort to {contain|include} it {during|throughout} a virtual {news conference|press conference} from the state Capitol in Santa Fe, N.M., on Thursday, July 23, 2020.
{a protest|a demonstration} {against|versus} Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s order that {restaurants|dining establishments} {shut down|closed down} indoor dining {beginning|starting} Monday, July 13, due to the {increase|boost} in coronavirus cases in the state. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)– New Mexico {has|has actually} {depleted|diminished} its {unemployment benefits|welfare} trust fund and {begun|started} to {use|utilize} federal loans to {keep up with|stay up to date with} claims– {spending|costs} that can {trigger|set off|activate} {higher|greater} taxes if not {repaid|paid back}, {a top|a leading} labor {official|authorities} {said|stated} Tuesday. {Workforce|Labor Force} Solutions Secretary {Bill|Expense|Costs} McCamley {said|stated} that {unemployment|joblessness} trust reserves were {exhausted|tired} on Sept. 8– {and that|which} the state {has|has actually} {spent|invested} about $ 35 million {since then|ever since} in {borrowed|obtained} federal funds to {maintain|preserve|keep} {unemployment benefits|welfare}. New Mexico’s {unemployment|joblessness} rate of 11.4%in August {exceeds|surpasses|goes beyond} {neighboring|surrounding} states as health {officials|authorities} take {gradual|progressive|steady} {steps|actions} {toward|towards} {reopening|resuming} the economy and schools, where most {pupils|students} are still studying from {home|house}. McCamley {said|stated} about 123,000 {people|individuals} were {receiving|getting} {unemployment benefits|welfare} {as of|since} {last week|recently} in a state of 2.1 million {residents|locals|citizens|homeowners}. That’s up from 9,600 active claims in March {before|prior to} the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The {tourism|tourist} and hospitality {industry|market} {has|has actually} been {especially|particularly|specifically} hard {hit|struck}, {along with|together with|in addition to} oil production and {construction|building|building and construction}. In June, {lawmakers|legislators} put a freeze on {unemployment|joblessness} {insurance|insurance coverage} tax rates for {businesses|companies|services|organizations} through {the end|completion} of 2021. McCamley {told|informed} a state {House|Home} committee that the state will {eventually|ultimately} {need|require} to {reduce|decrease|minimize|lower} {unemployment benefits|welfare}, raise payroll taxes or {borrow|obtain} or {refinance|re-finance} federal {unemployment|joblessness} loans. The administration of Lujan Grisham does not support {a decrease|a reduction|a decline} in
{benefits|advantages}, he {said|stated}. {Many|Numerous|Lots of} {recipients|receivers} of {unemployment|joblessness} {insurance|insurance coverage} are {exhausting|tiring} the state’s 26-week {benefit|advantage} allowance and {tapping into|taking advantage of|using} 13 weeks of {additional|extra} federal {unemployment|joblessness} payments, at {no cost|no charge} to the state, McCamley {said|stated}.
He {also|likewise} {said|stated} the administration of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is {contemplating|considering|pondering} {a decision|a choice} on when to {reinstate|renew|restore} a requirement that {unemployment|joblessness} {beneficiaries|recipients} actively {look for|search for|try to find} work– a looming day of reckoning for {residents|locals|citizens|homeowners} still {hoping to|wishing to|intending to|wanting to} be rehired by {prior|previous} {employers|companies}.
“We are going to {start|begin} {once|when|as soon as} again– {depending on|depending upon} the {path|course} of the {virus|infection}– to {start|begin} {saying|stating} OK to {everyone|everybody}, ‘It’s time to {get back to|return to} work,'” he {said|stated}.
Republican {legislators|lawmakers} prodded McCamley for {indications|indicators|signs} of when the {governor|guv} {might|may} {ease|relieve|alleviate|reduce} {current|present|existing} {business|company|service|organization} {restrictions|limitations|constraints} under {an emergency|an emergency situation} health order.
“In our {area|location}, {people|individuals} {want to|wish to} {get back to|return to} work, they{‘re willing| want} to take {a business|a company|a service|an organization} {risk|danger|threat} on {whether or not|whether} they {catch|capture} this” {virus|infection}, {said|stated} GOP Rep. James Stricker, an oil landsman from Farmington.
McCamley {said|stated} the state continues to pursue a science-intensive {decision|choice} {process|procedure} on {reopening|resuming} the economy that {places|puts|positions} a premium on public health and {limiting|restricting} coronavirus infections.
The {current|present|existing} {emergency|emergency situation} health order {limits|limitations} {businesses|companies|services|organizations} {including|consisting of} retail outlets, {private schools|independent schools} and indoor {restaurant|dining establishment} {areas|locations} to 25% of {maximum|optimum} {capacity|capability}, while {hotels and lodges|lodges and hotels} can {seek|look for} {certification|accreditation} for 75% {occupancy|tenancy}. Masks are {mandatory|obligatory|necessary|compulsory} in public, with a 10-person {limit|limitation} on public {gatherings|events} and a 14-day self-quarantine requirement for {travelers|tourists} {entering|going into|getting in} from high-infection rate states that {currently|presently} {include|consist of} Texas, Arizona and California– {but|however} not Colorado.
“The more {people|individuals} can {control|manage} the {virus|infection} with their {behaviors|habits}, the more we are going to {be able to|have the ability to} feel {comfortable|comfy} {introducing|presenting} {risk|danger|threat} into {communities|neighborhoods} and {hopefully|ideally} {people|individuals} are going to get back to work,” he {said|stated}.
New Mexico health {officials|authorities} reported {an additional|an extra} 110 coronavirus cases and {three|3} {additional|extra} deaths on Tuesday, bringing the {total|overall} statewide {number of|variety of} cases to 27,790 and 854 deaths.
The spread rate {has|has actually} increased {slightly|somewhat|a little} {since|because|considering that|given that} early September. {Officials|Authorities} {say|state} the {increase|boost} was {expected|anticipated} after some {restrictions|limitations|constraints} were {lifted|raised} and it’s {likely|most likely} that increased travel around the Labor Day {holiday|vacation} had {a role|a function}.
If the curve {starts|begins} to {creep up|approach} as steeply as it {did in|performed in|carried out in} late June and early July, {Human|Person|Human being} {Services|Solutions|Provider} Secretary David Scrase and state epidemiologist Chad Smelser {said|stated} Tuesday {during|throughout} {a briefing|a rundown|an instruction} that it {could|might} be {cause|trigger} for {concern|issue}.
“{People|Individuals} {moving around|moving|walking around} and {interacting|communicating|engaging|connecting} {person|individual} to {person|individual} {leads to|results in|causes} more transmission,” Smelser {said|stated}. “So whenever you do {reopen|resume}, we do {expect|anticipate} to see more cases. The {question|concern} is– and it’s not {an easy|a simple} {question|concern} to {answer|respond to|address}– when does it {become|end up being} a point at which you {want to|wish to} {further|even more} {restrict|limit} person-to-person interactions.”
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights {reserved|scheduled|booked}. This {material|product} {may|might} not be {published|released}, broadcast, {rewritten|reworded} or {redistributed|rearranged} without {permission|consent|authorization|approval}.
Source: stltoday.com
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