Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus Update – March 19, 2020

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Coronavirus updates for Grant County for March 19, 2020. Our guest today is Gilbert Helton of the Grant County Office of Emergency Management. We’ll be talking about Grant County’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, how to conduct business with the county given closure of the county administration building and coordination efforts.

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 coronavirusupdategrantcounty@gmail.com

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


CVU is broadcast live weekdays at Noon and
rebroadcast following Democracy Now! at 6pm and 8am

Or listen to this episode at your convenience via this link…[forthcoming]
CVU / Coronavirus Update – March 19, 2020


As  March 19 @ 12 noon

There are 35 positive cases of coronavirus disease in New Mexico according to the NM Dept. of Health. There have been no deaths due to the coronavirus in NM. Grant County currently does not have any positive cases of coronavirus (cv.nmhealth.org)

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Department of Health issued the following new testing and travel guidance related to COVID-19: (Press Release) 

​​It is essential that New Mexico maintains sufficient amounts of medical supplies, including personal protective equipment for health care staff and COVID-19 test kit materials.

  • It is critical that all New Mexicans know that those without symptoms of COVID-19 infection – those symptoms being fever, cough, or shortness of breath and/or muscle cramping – do not need testing for COVID-19. 
  • The test needs to be prioritized for those with symptoms of COVID-19 infection: fever, cough or shortness of breath. Please trust New Mexico’s valued medical professionals who are working so hard to protect and treat the New Mexico public and only get tested if you are currently exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

ENTERING MEDICAL FACILITIES

  • ​It is critical that those who DO have symptoms of COVID-19 do NOT enter medical facilities without first contacting them, especially emergency departments.
  • There is no specific treatment for COVID-19 and most cases will resolve on their own. In fact, 80% of cases are mild. Unless you have serious, emergent symptoms, you should not enter emergency departments. Because it puts others unnecessarily at risk. ​

TRAVELERS: SELF-ISOLATE FOR 14 DAYS

  • In order to mitigate the widespread community transmission of COVID-19, the New Mexico Department of Health asks all persons traveling into New Mexico from outside the state to self-isolate for 14 days and monitor themselves for any symptoms. If the individual has or develops any respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) or fever, they need to call 855-600-3453 and press option 2.

New Mexicans who report symptoms of COVID-19 infection, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, should call their health care provider or the NMDOH COVID-19 hotline immediately (1-855-600-3453).

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state is strengthening today its previous public health order to include additional mandatory closures and guidelines to stem the spread of COVID-19 in New Mexico. The new public health order is a means of temporarily limiting person-to-person contact in New Mexico. The overriding guidance to New Mexicans is to avoid contact with others in all scenarios except those essential to public health, safety and welfare. (Press release) 

The order takes effect today and prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people, as well as:

  •   ​Restaurants, bars, breweries, eateries and other food establishments must close to dine-in customers; take-out and home delivery are permitted
  •   ​Indoor shopping malls must close
  •   ​Recreational facilities, health clubs and resort spas must close
  •   ​Theaters must close, including movie theaters
  •   ​Flea markets must close

 Important stipulations within the order include:

  •   ​​Typical business environments that are not engaged in the provision of an essential service should limit operations to the greatest extent possible and minimize employee contact.
  •   Hotels, motels and other places of lodging shall not operate at more than 50 percent of maximum occupancy.

Today’s order, in an effort to limit hoarding, directs grocery stores and other retailers to limit the sale of over-the-counter medications, durable medical equipment, baby formula, diapers, sanitary care products and hygiene products to three packaged items per individual.

Silver Health Care will be assisting people who have symptoms of COVID-19 at clinics starting on Thursday March 19. People are asked to please first call the Silver Health Care Triage Hotline at 575-956-1320. The schedule is 4 – 5pm Monday through Friday at the Silver Health Care Bayard Clinic and 4 – 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Main Clinic in Silver City. 

Hidalgo Medical Services is screening for COVID-19 per CDC recommendations telephonically, via TeleHealth and through their clinics. Please call HMS first toll-free at  (888) 271-3596 and you will be directed to the appropriate location. HMS will also be conducting home visits for the most vulnerable patients. Please contact HMS for more information. 

Gila Regional Medical Center’s website states on its COVD-19 page at grmc.org: Please only seek care if you truly need more supportive care than you are able to provide yourself at home. If you feel you are having severe symptoms of COVID-19, such as shortness of breath or chest pain with fever and think you may have been exposed to COVID -19, please notify staff immediately upon arrival to the Emergency Department and call GRMC’s Emergency Department at 538-4000 before arrival. 

To ensure a safe environment for patients and visitors amid the outbreak of coronavirus, Gila Regional Medical Center has updated the patient and visitor policies for all of its locations and no visitors will be allowed at this time. Visit the Gila Regional Medical Center website at grmc.org for exceptions to this visitation policy.

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 New Mexico Crisis and Access Line is available to help throughout the coronavirus emergency situation, and anyone feeling overwhelmed should call 855-NMCRISIS or visit nmcrisisline.com for help and tips.

There are a number of places providing meals for Grant County kids throughout the school closure period.

Cobre Consolidated Schools will be providing breakfast and lunch to its students the week of March 16 – 20 from 11:30 – 12:30 at Bayard Post Office, Viola Stone Park in Santa Clara, Hurley Post Office and Mimbres Post Office. Meals are pick-up only and they cannot be eaten on site. Children must be present to pick up meals. For updates, check the Cobre Consolidated Schools facebook page.

Silver Consolidated Schools will be providing grab & go meals beginning today. For Spring Break, non-perishable, “grab and go” meal distribution will begin on March 17, 2020 from 10AM to 12PM for the remainder of Spring Break week at the following locations:

G.W. Stout Elementary Loading Dock (off Silver Street)
Tyrone Community Center (off of Malachite Avenue)

Information is forthcoming for the schedules starting Monday March 23.
For updates, check Silver Consolidated Schools website at silverschools.org

In addition, the following local entities have stepped up to provide “grab and go” meals in Grant County:

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd
(615 North Texas Street, Silver City)
Lunch will be provided March 17 and 19 for Sixth Street Elementary Students and Families
Contact the Church for exact times and procedures at 538-2015

Harvest Church (1500 North Hudson Street, Silver City)
Will be providing Dinner: 5PM-6PM all during shutdown
Contact Harvest Church for more details regarding pick up at 538-3619

For Cliff Students, Duck Creek Café will be providing meals (during Spring Break/Shutdown)
Monday-Tuesday 8AM-1PM
Wednesday-Thursday 8AM-7PM
Contact the restaurant 535 – 4800 or go to their Facebook page for details

Los Victor’s Mexican Restaurant (901 North Hudson Street, Silver City)
Will provide Free Meals to kids with Adult Purchase of ONE Item
(For families who may not be able to pay so children are able to eat, a donation has been made to cover the adult purchase for a limited time)
times are 11AM-2PM until students return on April 6, 2020
Call restaurant for more details at 575-538-4399

Revel Restaurant (304 North Bullard Street, Silver City)
Meal pick up from 11-4 Weekdays during shutdown for children 14 or younger
Call the restaurant for exact details and requirements at 388-4920 or check Revel’s Facebook page for more information.

Utilities

PNM announced that due to the coronavirus the company is temporarily suspending disconnections for non-payment as well as waiving late fees. To learn more, visit PNM.com/help.

The Town of Silver City is also suspending disconnections of water service for non-payment. For more information, visit the Town’s website at townofsilvercity.org for its coronavirus response.

Comcast announced that to help connect more low-income families to the Internet during the coronavirus outbreak, they are offering any new Internet Essentials customer two months of complimentary internet service, effective immediately. They are also increasing the speed of the program’s internet service for no additional fee. To sign up, applicants should go to www.internetessentials.com.

Latest Information from Area Grocery Stores:

Silver City Walmart – New hours are 7 am to 8:30 pm. 

Silver City’s Food Basket has started a grocery delivery service for Seniors and High Risk individuals.  There is a $50 minimum purchase per order, with no additional delivery charge. You can pay via cash, debit or credit card. Call 538-2819, 534-9006 or 538-2956 before 2 pm to place an order. 

Albertsons started today allowing seniors to shop during a reserved time from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The grocer also initiated efforts to limit hoarding per Governor Lujan Grisham’s order that takes effect today. All customers including seniors will be limited to 1 package each of toilet paper, Clorox, milk, bread, paper towels, cases of water, and hand sanitizer. Albertsons store hours are 7am to 10 pm.

Latest Cancellations and Closures

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Visitors Center and Museum are closed. However, the monument itself remains open and national park service rangers will be on hand in parking lots to answer questions.

 The Silver Consolidated Schools will not hold its board meeting Monday, March 23.

The Billy Casper Wellness Center GYM and POOL will be closed to the public. Services continue for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy.

The Future Forge Makerspace is postponing all current classes, workshops and other public events to encourage measures of social distancing. More information on Facebook @FutureForgeMakerspace.

La Esperanza Vineyard and Winery has announced that it will be closed until further notice.

Written by: Allyson Siwik

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Coronavirus updates for Grant County for March 18, 2020. Our guest today is pediatrician Dr. Barbara Mora of Silver Health Care. We’ll be talking about how to protect our kids and families from exposure to the coronavirus, what to do if your kids get sick, and talking to kids about the pandemic. Coronavirus Update is a local radio show that provides the latest information you need to know on local […]

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