New Mexico Register / Volume XXXI,
Issue 11 / June 9, 2020
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 as “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. On April 30, 2020, I
renewed and extended the public health emergency through May 15, 2020.
Cases of COVID-19 and deaths related to COVID-19
continue to proliferate globally, nationally, and locally. The WHO reports
more than 4.2 million worldwide infections and more than 292,000 related deaths.
According to the United States Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (“CDC”), more than 1.3 million people
have been infected
in the United States, including confirmed cases in every state, with more than 83,000 related deaths. The numbers of reported
cases and deaths
are continuing to increase
dangerously throughout the United
States and in many parts of the world. It is also highly likely that there are many unreported cases and deaths.
Despite some hopeful signs in recent weeks, the numbers
have also risen steadily in our
State since I declared
a public health emergency. As of May 14, 2020, the New Mexico
Department of Health reported 5,503 confirmed
cases of COVID-19
in New Mexico and at least 242 related
deaths. Unfortunately, the number of deaths in our State has more than doubled since the last extension
of the public health
emergency approximately two weeks ago. 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, the increases in cases and
deaths present a significant risk 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 Orders 2020-022 and
2020-026, shall be renewed and
extended through May 31, 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
or that was not explicitly stated shall continue with the same effect, including
any orders appropriating emergency funding and the following
orders: Executive Order 2020-012;
Executive Order 2020-013; Executive Order 2020-016; Executive Order
2020-017; Executive Order 2020-020;
Executive Order 2020-021;
Executive Order 2020-024; and Executive Order 2020-025.
This Order supersedes any previous orders,
proclamations, or directives in conflict.
This Executive Order shall
take effect immediately and shall remain
in effect until June 1, 2020 unless renewed
or until the Governor rescinds it.
ATTEST: DONE AT THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICE
THIS 15TH DAY OF MAY 2020
MAGGIE TOULOUSE OLIVER WITNESS MY HAND AND
THE GREAT
SECRETARY OF STATE SEAL OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM GOVERNOR