New Mexico Public Health Association Issues Letter To Governor On Covid-19 Response

By JUSTIN GAROUTTE, MPH
Co-Chair, NMPHA Policy Committee

Representing public health professionals leading the fight against COVID-19, the New Mexico Public Health Association (NMPHA) is grateful to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and her staff for providing decisive, data-driven leadership and maintaining the stay-at-home order while entering Phase One of reopening.

The NMPHA calls for equity in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we urge the Governor to remain steadfast in her resolve to protect all families in New Mexico. As defined by the World Health Organization, “Equity is the absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically”.

Reopening the state too soon risks thousands of lives, especially among working class communities of color. We must continue to follow the science and only advance in steps to reopen when and in ways that ensure we can prevent adverse, long-term health consequences, a surge of infections, and unnecessary deaths.

This public health crisis is placing an unprecedented strain on New Mexico and our neighboring Native communities. The most effective thing we can continue doing to protect ourselves, our families, and our friends is to stay at home, wear masks when in public spaces, and follow all state guidelines for physical distancing.

Again, thank you Governor Lujan Grisham for keeping our families safe. #stayathome #publichealth #newmexicotrue

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