Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus Update – December 23rd, 2020

today23 December 2020 68

Background
share close

This week on Grant County Coronavirus Update, GMCR’s Jamie Newton interviews Jeff Fell, Silver City’s Emergency Services Manager and Assistant Fire Chief. Jeff explained his role as a communicator and facilitator of networking and cooperation among the various emergency services that work together to protect and serve the public – firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical services – with emphasis on adaptations of procedures and precautions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, and how citizens can support emergency personnel to protect our community.

Coronavirus Update is a local radio show that provides the latest information you need to know on local community strategies to slow the spread of the Coronavirus and protect yourself, your family and our community during this public health crisis. Brought to you by Gila/Mimbres Community Radio, Gila Resources Information Project, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Grant County and National Center for Frontier Communities.

Send us your updates to info@grantcountycoronavirusupdate.org

RESOURCES

NM Dept of Health COVID-19 Hotline 1-855-600-3453 or visit cv.nmhealth.org

Coronavirus Information Hotline at 1-833-551-0518 or visit newmexico.gov

NM Crisis & Access Line, 24/7, 1-855-662-7474; nmcrisisline.com

Donations to Community COVID-19 Response – Grant County Community Foundation

Grant County Coronavirus Update website – grantcountycoronavirusupdate.org

Grant County, We Need You.  COVID-19 Video Message – link

Grant County Commissioner Alicia Edwards COVID-19 Video Message – link


Coronavirus Update is broadcast live on Gila/Mimbres Community Radio 89.1 FM Silver City on Wednesdays at Noon and rebroadcast Wednesdays at 6 pm and Thursdays at 8 am

Or listen to today’s interview in the player below…

Right click and select “Save Link As” to download


TODAY’S NEW MEXICO COVID-19 HEADLINES

New Mexico health officials said Tuesday they are hoping to boost the number of people getting tested for COVID-19 through a new program that will provide free, at-home test kits to anyone who requests one.

Through a partnership with Vault Medical Services, the saliva tests can be ordered online at  learn.vaulthealth.com/nm/. All that’s needed is an email address and photo identification. 

State officials said the new at-home option expands what they described as one of the most wide-reaching testing programs in the nation. The state Health Department has been operating in-person testing locations in every county since early in the pandemic, including in spots that have connectivity issues.

The state is now averaging more than 14,000 tests a day, and that’s expected to grow with the new program. In all, more than 1.8 million tests have been conducted since the beginning of the pandemic.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement that expanded testing will help drive down positivity rates because health officials can better understand the scope and spread of the virus. The positivity rate is among the benchmarks the state considers when determining whether the risk level is decreasing and counties can begin to relax public health restrictions.


Health officials reported an additional 1,272 confirmed COVID-19 cases Tuesday, pushing the statewide total to more than 132,000 since the pandemic began. Another 23 deaths also were reported, bringing the state total to more than 2,200.

In Grant County, the Department of Health reported 130 new COVID cases since last week for a total of 785 cases. 

In Grant County there are 278 reported COVID cases recovered, leaving 507 active  cases in the county as of Tuesday. There have been 9 reported deaths in Grant County. The most recent death was announced on December 16th.  A female in her 70s. The individual had underlying health conditions.

Click here for a breakdown of COVID-19 by county and demographic information

Top health officials said during a briefing that New Mexico appears to be on the downside of the latest surge as the seven-day rolling average of confirmed cases has been declining. While test positivity remains high, it’s lower than it was just a couple of weeks ago. (Source)

“We think the drop that we’re seeing in cases is related to the reset and people being careful over Thanksgiving,” Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase said, referring to tougher public health restrictions that were imposed in mid-November.

Officials still are worried about Christmas and the potential for a post-holiday surge if people choose to gather with family or friends. 

As a reminder, the state of New Mexico’s emergency public health order strictly prohibits mass gatherings, defined as a group of more than five individuals who do not regularly reside with one another. New Mexicans should stay home except for outings absolutely necessary for their health, safety or welfare. Persons arriving in New Mexico from “high-risk” states are required to physically separate from others in a residence or place of lodging for at least 14 days from the date of their entry into New Mexico or for the duration of their presence in the state, whichever is shorter.

If you choose to attend a holiday gathering with others, you significantly raise the risk of not only contracting the virus yourself but spreading the virus to friends and loved ones.

If you still decide to take unnecessary risks and attend or host a traditional holiday celebration, adopt the following safeguards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Wear a mask.
  • Strictly limit the number of guests in attendance.
  • Talk with guests ahead of time to set expectations for safely celebrating together.
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces and items between use.
  • If celebrating indoors, make sure to open windows.
  • Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
  • If sharing food, have one person serve food and use single-use options, like plastic utensils. Encourage guests to bring their own food and drink.
    Instruct guests to monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days after the event.
  • Self-isolate after the gathering with others – symptoms can develop over the course of 2 weeks; even if you do not feel sick, or feel sick immediately, you can spread the virus.

Click here for the state of New Mexico public health guidance, warnings for Christmas holiday

To everyone who is staying home during the holidays, we know this is a difficult choice — thank you!  You are saving lives in our community. Prevention is the best remedy. 


ECONOMIC RELIEF NEWS

Congress on Monday night passed an economic relief package that will provide a round of $600 stimulus payments to most Americans and partly restore the enhanced federal unemployment benefit, offering $300 for 11 weeks. The agreement also contains provisions related to student loans, rental assistance and medical bills.

Individual adults with adjusted gross income on their 2019 tax returns of up to $75,000 a year would receive a $600 payment, and heads of households making up to $112,500 and a couple (or someone whose spouse died in 2020) earning up to $150,000 a year would get twice that amount. If they have dependent children, they would also get $600 for each child. (Source)

State officials are warning that just because congressional leaders reached an agreement to add $300 per week to state unemployment payments and extend unemployment claims, it could take time before those funds reach people in New Mexico. And late Tuesday, President Trump threatened to veto the agreement putting it in limbo. (Source)


FOOD PANTRY SCHEDULES

The Food Pantry at the Gospel Mission located at 111 South Texas Street in Silver City is open for drive thru only on Wednesdays 8:30 am – 9:30 am. Emergency  Dry Food Boxes are available once a month to individuals upon request.   There is also a Daily soup kitchen: Breakfast takes place from 9:00-10:00 Mon-Fri and Lunch occurs every day from 12-1 pm. Showers and clothes are also made available to those in need.  Call 575 388-5071 for more information.

St. Francis Newman Center Food Pantry located at 914 W. 13th St. Silver City is open every Monday at 4 pm. Cash assistance for rent, utilities, bus passes and prescription drugs is also provided.  Call 575-388-4933 for more information.

If you are a senior or disabled adult and cannot access groceries, please call the state’s Senior and Disabled Adult Food Hotline at 1-800-432-2080. Leave a message with your name, telephone number and city that you reside in and you will be contacted within 2 hours of your call.  

The Commons regular food pantry distribution will be next Wednesday, December 30th from 4pm-6pm and the First Saturday of 2021, January 2nd, from 10am to 12pm.  The Commons is located at 501 East 13th Street, next door to Knights of Columbus. For more information please contact The Commons at 575-388-2988 or visit the website https://thecommonsgrantcounty.org


COATS FOR KIDS

Today at 2pm “Coats for Kids” will be distributed at the Armory in Santa Clara.  Coats for kids of all ages, sizes and genders will be available.  All coats have been sanitized and dry cleaned. Santa will be on site helping with the distribution. Please wear a face mask. DJ Romeo will be providing Christmas music.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE NEW MEXICO POVERTY LAW CENTER

Know your rights as a worker during the pandemic. You have rights to paid sick leave and family leave during the Covid 19 crisis. Find information  about your rights, programs to help families, and advocacy to ensure that all New Mexicans have access to critical services at New Mexico Poverty Law  Center. For Eviction Rights, Worker Rights, and Support Programs go to www.nmpovertylaw.org/covid-19-resources

THE SILVER CITY LIBRARY IS NOW LENDING INTERNET HOT SPOTS

Internet hotspots are available at the Silver City Library for checkout to adult patrons with cards that are in good standing and no longer in the six-week probationary period. The hotspots may be borrowed for one week at a time. Call the library at 575-538-3672 to reserve a hotspot!


MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Please remember,  you are never alone, but dealing with stay-at-home orders, political discussions, job loss, or not being able to spend time with the people you love and care about can wear on your emotions. Your feelings are valid. It’s normal to feel sad, anxious, or upset about the future. 

Reaching out to professionals who are familiar with how you are feeling can improve your life. In New Mexico, you can talk to trained staff: call 1-855-NMCRISIS (662-7474) 24 hours a day/7 days a week. You can confidentially reach out to talk to someone anytime and anyplace. 

If you feel like you want to hurt yourself, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Call 911 if you are in an EMERGENCY SITUATION. If you feel like you are going to hurt yourself, this is an emergency.

If you just want someone to hear you out

 Call the Peer-to-Peer Warmline at (855) 466-7100

They are available to talk every day from 3:30p – 11:30p MT

They are available by text from 6:00p – 11:00p MT


Do you need to get tested for COVID? Are you experiencing

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Here is the local COVID testing schedule. 

The Grant County Public Health Office provides free testing every Tuesday from 8:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. and every Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm. 

Appointments can be scheduled by registering at cvtestreg.nmhealth.org/ 

CVS Pharmacy Drive-thru in Silver City is making self-swab tests available to individuals meeting CDC criteria, in addition to state and age guidelines. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com

Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) testing is now available  Monday through Friday 830 am to 230pm (closed 12-1pm for lunch) in both Silver City  at 1007 Pope Street, and at their Lordsburg clinic on 530 De Moss Street.  Call 1-575-388-1511 for an appointment. 

At-home, self-administered COVID-19 saliva tests, with accurate laboratory-confirmed results returned within 24-48 hours of receipt of the sample.

The free tests are available to New Mexico residents regardless of exposure risk– whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic, and whether they have come into close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 positive individual or not.

To order a test, and for more information, visit learn.vaulthealth.com/nm/.

The state Department of Health reminds New Mexicans of the following:

  • Please be patient after receiving your COVID-19 test. As cases rise, so does demand for testing. After you receive your COVID-19 test, monitor yourself for symptoms. If you are having symptoms or tested because of an exposure, you should assume that you are infectious and self-isolate even if your symptoms resolve. You can spread the virus without knowing you are positive and without having symptoms.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, even if you are asymptomatic do not leave your home to do errands, work or to see friends. If you are infected with COVID-19, you must not leave your home unless you are seeking out emergency medical care.
  • Finally, if you need emergency medical care, call 9-1-1, not the Department of Health information hotline.

Written by: GMCR KURU 89.1 FM

Rate it

Previous post

Earth-Matters-GMCR

Earth Matters

Earth Matters / End of Year Show

On this weeks show, Earth Matters co-hosts Donna Stevens of the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance, Allyson Siwik of Gila Resources Information Project, and Kevin Bixby of Southwest Environmental Center get together for their traditional end-of-year show to review the top environmental stories of 2020 and priorities for 2021. Right click and select "Save Link As" to download

today22 December 2020 74 1


Gila Mimbres Community Radio KURU 89.1 FM – 519 B North Bullard Street Silver City, NM 88061

0%