COVID-19 case updates
New Mexico health officials reported 22 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the state's total to 65. Bernalillo, which leads the state in its number of cases, had 11 new positives, including a male infant. Another child—a 9-year-old boy—tested positive in McKinley County. Santa Fe County had three new cases, all male, in their 30s, 40s and 50s. As of Monday morning, the state says it has tested 5,386 people for the virus. You can find SFR's ongoing COVID-19 reporting here.
Unemployment spikes
The state's strict restrictions—a public health order last week closed restaurants for sit-down service and banned all gatherings over 10 people—spiked unemployment. Department of Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley tells the New Mexican the division received 11,000 unemployment claims just through last Thursday; that's compared to 800 the prior week before the restrictions were enacted.
Advocates decry immigrant access
While Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has issued assurances that undocumented residents should not fear seeking help from state government during the COVID-19 crisis, advocates say officials are not doing enough to help. The state finally last week added Spanish translations for its virus-related resources, and publicly promised no information provided during testing would be shared with anyone but health workers. Advocates say undocumented immigrants' lack of access to medical and sick leave is "not only unfair, it is also unsafe and puts us all at risk."
Help for artists
On Friday, the City of Santa Fe and the Lannan Foundation announced a new fund to help artists impacted by the current health emergency. Lannan contributed a $10,000 seed grant for the Culture Connects Coalition Artist Relief Fund, and a $15,000 challenge grant was also announced. Starting next month, artists will be able to apply for $500 to $1,000 grants. Arts and Culture Department Director Pauline Kamiyama tells SFR the next step is more fundraising.
Election adaptation
State Democrats have transitioned campaigning for the June 2 primary to virtual activities. Town halls, trainings and other activities have launched on a new online hub, with some candidates in the 3rd Congressional District announcing a series of online events. The state Republican Party's website also says it will conduct activities in the virtual realm, although none were listed. State election officials are encouraging voters to request absentee ballots, which will be sent out on May 5, and can be requested here.
Call in, take-out
Hungry? Us too. SFR has an ongoing list of restaurants offering take-out and curbside options during the statewide closure for food establishments. These have proven popular with residents: Alisha Romero, manager at Chow's Chinese Bistro in Midtown, tells SFR the business had to lay off two servers and a dishwasher, but that calls for take-out have had big surges. If you know of a restaurant we missed or haven't gotten to yet, please let us know by dropping a line to thefork@sfreporter.com.
Art from home
You can't visit museums right now, but you can check out some of their holdings online. New Mexico Museum of Art has a searchable art museum. The Museum of International Folk Art has a dedicated YouTube channel, as does the National Hispanic Cultural Center. SITE Santa Fe also has a digital archive of its previous lectures. And if your homebound kids are using this time to make art, the New Mexico Museum of Art wants to see it: the museum has a call out for students' art, which they say they will be sharing on social media.
Get cooking!
Outside Magazine says now is not the time to "go keto, or get to race weight, or do a juice cleanse." (The Word had no intention of doing any of these things, but it's good to know she's not expected to). Rather, Outside says, social isolation provides an opportunity to try out challenging recipes, make use of the pantry and if you're stocking up (Not hoarding! Just preparing), doing so strategically. Its guide to cooking and eating during a pandemic provides helpful hints for both.
Go the library
Don't actually go, of course, but make use of the Santa Fe Public Library's online resources. These include streaming movies, music, magazines, language programs and more. If you don't have a library card, not to worry: the library is taking applications online. The New Mexico State Library offers live, online tutoring and homework help in English and Spanish through the BrainFuse platform on El Portal.
Now that it’s spring…
Today will be breezy and partly sunny, with highs near 57. We've got a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 pm, then a chance of just showers between 9 pm and midnight. Sunny and breezy (it is spring now, after all) remains the modus operandi this week, although Thursday's forecast calls for more chances of rain.
Thanks for reading! The Word crawled away from her desk yesterday and did an online yoga class through local studio YogaSource and can now move her head side to side again. Keep us posted on other local offerings as we navigate these surreal times together.
