New Mexico Eases COVID-19 Restrictions, Northwest/Navajo Outbreak, And Observing Ramadan

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Laura Paskus continues her series of interviews with journalists around the state as they cover COVID-19 in their communities. Diego Lopez is a reporter with the Cibola Citizen in Grants. City leaders are clashing in the western New Mexico town as the mayor has demanded businesses be allowed to reopen, despite the governor’s public health order. Navajo Nation leaders and health officials are working around the clock fighting COVID-19 while providing relief to tribal citizens with food, water, firewood and other supplies. There have been more than 100 deaths in the outbreak, but many people have recovered or are in the recovery process. Correspondent Antonia Gonzales talks with a Navajo citizen who shares his COVID-19 recovery story and a Navajo journalist whose recent piece in the New York Times highlighted some reasons why the virus is spreading so rapidly across Navajo land. Senior producer Matt Grubs looks at COVID-19’s impact on the Northwest part of the state. The Gallup lockdown has kept Grants’ Cibola General Hospital busy. In Farmington, San Juan Regional Medical Center has seen an uptick in cases just this week. San Juan’s CEO and a chief nursing officer at Cibola General discuss the impact on both hospital operations and the doctors and nurses who are treating those infected by the novel coronavirus. Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community in the Islamic faith, began April 23 with Muslims worldwide knowing this would be an observance unlike any they’d experienced. Correspondent Megan Kamerick speaks with three Muslims in Albuquerque to learn how they are adapting to this new reality and observing principles of service and community while staying apart. Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss COVID-19 updates, including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s newest decisions. The Line also looks at current and long-term effects of COVID-19 on the New Mexico tourism industry.