‘All we can do is plan for it’
No cases reported in New Mexico and just two tested, but governor says state preparing for possible outbreak
Be prepared, not panicked.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham repeated that phrase like a mantra when describing how she and health officials are doing all they can to ensure the state is ready to tackle a coronavirus outbreak and minimize its spread.
“We are working diligently to prevent having cases here,” Lujan Grisham told reporters Wednesday as she was signing health care-related bills into law. “We also want to be realistic. When you have an infectious disease of this nature — this virus — in the neighboring states, the likelihood is that all states in the country will be affected in some way.”
Both Texas and Arizona have confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus. An outbreak on the West Coast led the state epidemiologist to say the virus was likely to spread to New Mexico.
As of Wednesday, the U.S. had more than 150 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 16 states affected, according to the New York Times. Ten people have died in Washington state and one in California.
New Mexico still has zero reported cases and only two tests have been conducted for the virus, Lujan Grisham said. One patient tested negative and the other is awaiting results.
The state Department of Health created a lab in Albuquerque to conduct coronavirus tests so it could have more control setting criteria for the testing, State Epidemiologist
Dr. Michael Landen said earlier this week. Before that, hospitals and the state health agency had to follow strict guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of limited test kits.
Lujan Grisham said she spoke this week with Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the U.S. coronavirus task force.
She learned the federal government will reimburse states for screening and testing patients and, upon request, will supply respirators and other equipment for infectious disease control.
“We are working diligently with the feds to make sure if we need more [equipment], we have access to more,” Lujan Grisham said. “That’s part of being prepared. To say today, that under the worst possible circumstances, we would have everything at our fingertips that we need.”
All states are required to have an infectious disease plan, Lujan Grisham said. That includes supplying medical providers with the proper guidelines and working with hospitals to ensure they have enough beds to accommodate a serious
outbreak, she said.
Health officials run through tabletop drills to practice responding to various outbreak scenarios, she said.
New Mexico began preparing for the coronavirus sooner than many states, Lujan Grisham said. New Mexico also has the advantage of a centralized health authority to offer guidance on screening, testing and prevention, unlike larger states such as New York, where protocols can vary in each county, causing complications, she said.
It’s important to disseminate public health messages, including on the state website, and handle the threat with a science-based response, Lujan Grisham said. Basic safeguards such as washing your hands regularly and staying home if sick should be emphasized, she said.
“All we can do is plan for it,” Lujan Grisham said. “You provide good meaningful information and hope that we don’t have continued, widespread transmission of this virus.”
The state Department of Health created a lab in Albuquerque to conduct coronavirus tests.