New Mexico Register / Volume XXXI,
Issue 17 / September 15, 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 ONGOING 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. As of August
27, 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") reported over 5.7 million people have been infected in the United States, with over 175,000 related deaths, and the New Mexico Department of Health has report over 24,900
positive COVID-19 cases and 764 related deaths 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 sho11ly thereafter. All
of 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 impacts. 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. The
hard work of a variety of state employees has made a difference in our fight
against COVID-19. Due to the continued
spread of COVID-19, it is necessary for all branches of State government to
continue taking actions to minimize transmission 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, 2020-026, 2020-030, 2020-036,
2020-053, and 2020-55 shall be renewed and extended through September 18, 2020.
2. All
other powers, directives, and orders invoked 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 2020-016; Executive Order
2020-020; Executive Order 2020-021; Executive Order
2020-025; Executive
Order 2020-037 ; Executive Order 2020-039; and Executive Order 2020-056.
This Order supersedes any previous orders, proclamations, or directives in conflict. This Executive Order shall take effect August 29, 2020 and shall remain in effect until September 18, 2020 unless renewed or until the Governor rescinds it.
ATTEST: DONE
AT THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
THIS
28TH DAY OF AUGUST 2020
MAGGIE TOULOUSE
OLIVER WITNESS
MY HAND AND THE GREAT
SECRETARY OF
STATE SEAL
OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
MICHELLE
LUJAN GRISHAM GOVERNOR