New Mexico Register / Volume XXXI, Issue 10 / May 19, 2020
EXECUTIVE ORDER
2020-026
RENEWING THE
STATE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY INITIALLY DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER
2020-004, OTHER POWERS INVOKED IN THAT ORDER, AND ALL OTHER ORDERS AND
DIRECTIVES CONTAINED IN EXECUTIVE ORDERS TIED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
On December 31, 2019, several
cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause were detected in Wuhan City, Hubei
Province, China, and reported to the World Health Organization (“WHO”). The underlying virus giving rise to those
reported instances of respiratory illness was later identified as a novel
coronavirus disease which has been referred to “COVID-19.”
By the time the first COVID-19
cases had been confirmed in New Mexico, on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 had already
spread globally and throughout the United States. At that time, more than 100,000 people had
been infected globally and there were more than 1,000 cases in the United
States, spread out over 39 states. The
President of the United States declared a national state of emergency for
COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
On March 11, 2020, I issued
Executive Order 2020-004, which declared a state of public health emergency
under the Public Health Emergency Response Act and invoked powers provided by
the All Hazards Emergency Management Act and the Emergency Licensing Act. That public health emergency was declared
for a period of 30 days. The President
approved a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of New Mexico on April 5,
2020. On April 6, 2020, I renewed and
extended the public health emergency through April 30, 2020.
Cases of COVID-19 and deaths
related to COVID-19 continue to proliferate at an alarming pace. The WHO reports more than 3 million worldwide
infections and more than 200,000 related deaths. According to the United States Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), more than 1,000,000 people have been
infected in the United States, including confirmed cases in every state, with
more than 57,000 related deaths. The
numbers of reported cases and deaths are continuing to increase exponentially
throughout many parts of the world and in many parts of the United States. It is also highly likely that there are many
unreported cases and deaths. The numbers
have also risen dramatically in our State since I declared a public health
emergency. As of April 29, 2020, the New
Mexico Department of Health reported at least 3,213 confirmed cases of COVID-19
in New Mexico and at least 112 related deaths.
There are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 30 of New Mexico’s 33
counties. Despite proactive measures
taken by the State and our citizens, these numbers are increasing at a
significant rate and COVID-19 is expected to continue its spread in New Mexico.
Public health organizations have
implemented emergency measures intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. For example, on January 20, 2020, the CDC
activated its Emergency Operations Center in response to the COVID-19
outbreak. The WHO declared a Public
Health Emergency of International Concern shortly thereafter. Nearly all or our sister states have declared
a state of emergency and implemented significant measures and deployed
substantial resources to fight the spread of COVID-19. New Mexico has taken aggressive measures to
reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to mitigate its potentially devastating
effects. I have been in frequent contact
with federal and state agencies and officials who are coordinating their
efforts and resources to fight COVID-19.
Various state agencies have been
at the forefront of our State’s response to COVID-19, particularly
the New Mexico
Department of Health. Due to the
continued spread of the COVID-19, it is necessary for all branches of State
government to continue taking actions to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and to
reduce its attendant physical and economic harms.
Therefore, for the reasons
above, I, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of the State of New Mexico, by
virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
State of New Mexico, hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. In consultation with the New Mexico Department of
Health, I have determined that the statewide public health emergency proclaimed
in Executive Order 2020-004, and renewed in Executive Order 2020-022, shall be
renewed and extended through May 15, 2020.
2. All other powers invoked, directives, and orders
contained in Executive Order 2020-004 remain in effect.
3. All other Executive Orders with a duration that was tied
to the COVID-19 public health emergency shall continue with the same effect.
This
Order supersedes any previous orders, proclamations, or directives in
conflict. This Executive Order shall
take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until May 16, 2020 unless
renewed or until the Governor rescinds it.
ATTEST:
DONE AT THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
THIS 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2020
/ S
/ WITNESS
MY HAND AND THE GREAT
MAGGIE
TOULOUSE OLIVER SEAL OF
THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
SECRETARY
OF STATE
/ S /
MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM
GOVERNOR