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Watch live: Governor provides updates as coronavirus surges in New Mexico

Las Cruces Sun-News - 11/19/2020

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SANTA FE - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is providing an update on the continuing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across New Mexico at 3 p.m. Thursday. Her press conference will be streamed live on Facebook, which you can watch above.

Wednesday saw 2,897 new coronavirus cases in New Mexico, the state's highest daily new case total of the pandemic. It was the second straight day of record-high cases.

Doña Ana County recorded a record high 338 daily new cases Tuesday. Nearly 1 in 20 residents in the county have contracted the highly transmissible disease.

Deaths and hospitalizations have skyrocketed in the state to new highs. Restrictions on businesses were tightened yesterday to close in-person business at large retailers, such as Hobby Lobby, which don't generate a third of sales from essential goods.

Last week, the governor announced a "reset" of restrictions on businesses and other activities in the wake of the worsening pandemic. It included the suspension once again of indoor dining, tightened capacities at businesses deemed essential, the closure of in-person services at businesses deemed non-essential and a two-week shelter in place order.

Lujan Grisham also said she would soon call for a special legislative session with the goal of giving assistance to businesses and workers hurt by the renewed shutdown orders.

Remember to refresh the page often to see updates.

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3:19 p.m. The governor is now recapping for residents what remains closed and what remains open after her two-week "reset" order began Monday.

"This is tough and small businesses struggle," the governor says. "But if we don't do this, we overwhelm the health care system."

Lujan Grisham said New Mexicans are falsely relying on early negative tests that could be false indicators of not being infected. She said that can lead to New Mexicans thinking they're uninfected and exposing more people.

The governor is now asking New Mexicans to avoid gathering with family from outside their immediate household this Thanksgiving. She's also recommending residents try to order a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal from a local restaurant.

Even outdoors, and even small gatherings, are "high risk," the governor said.

Human Services Secretary David Scrase has now taken over.

3:10 p.m. The governor reminds New Mexicans that even non-fatal cases of coronavirus have been shown to leave some with new chronic health conditions.

Now, Lujan Grisham is showing how exponential spread has occurred in the state. In just one week, case totals have risen from 60,000 to 70,000. Deaths have also increased exponentially.

The governor is showing a slide showing the state has added 200 new deaths in just two weeks, previously unheard of.

"Having the infection means it's spreading," Lujan Grisham said. "Spreading the infection means more people will die," the governor said.

"If we don't get this under control as quickly as possible, you're going to see 200 deaths in seven days," Lujan Grisham said.

3:05 p.m. A new record for new coronavirus cases begins our press conference, 3,675 new cases. That brings us to 74,116 total cases in the state.

Twelve more people have died from the disease, bringing the state's total to 1,302. 774 people are hospitalized with 125 on ventilators in the state.

"We've got to do better," the governor says. "This is a deadly virus."

Michael McDevitt is a city and county government reporter for the Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-202-3205, mmcdevitt@lcsun-news.com or @MikeMcDTweets on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Watch live: Governor provides updates as coronavirus surges in New Mexico

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