HOUSE MEMORIAL 1

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second special session, 2020

INTRODUCED BY

Gregg Schmedes

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO ADOPT POLICIES OF FOCUSED PROTECTION REGARDING CORONAVIRUS-DISEASE-2019-RELATED PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS AND POLICIES TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE WHILE ENDING LOCKDOWN-DRIVEN POLICIES AND SUPPORTING SCIENCE-DRIVEN STRATEGIES.

 

     WHEREAS, the United Nations children's fund estimates that up to one hundred thirty million people worldwide may go hungry because of lockdowns and other containment measures; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has a high unemployment rate, resulting in decreased health care coverage and ability of residents to acquire healthy food and safe shelter; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico currently has the third-highest child poverty rate in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is a medically underserved state; and

     WHEREAS, both natural coronavirus disease 2019 infection and vaccination will lead to herd immunity; and

     WHEREAS, hospital admissions and emergency room visits for acute mental health crises have increased since the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic began; and

     WHEREAS, the federal centers for disease control and prevention found that one in four young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four have seriously considered suicide this year; and

     WHEREAS, there is only one pediatric inpatient mental health rehabilitative center in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the infection fatality rate for the general population due to coronavirus disease 2019 is two-hundredths percent, while the infection fatality rate for those over age seventy is at least four-tenths percent; and

     WHEREAS, since the implementation of lockdown policies, there have been lower child vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health, leading to greater excess mortality to come; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's lockdown policies and school district decisions have kept most school-aged children out of in-person learning; and

     WHEREAS, leaving lockdown measures in place could cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed; and

     WHEREAS, scientific discovery has revealed which populations are at the greatest risk of serious illness or death from coronavirus disease 2019 infection; and

     WHEREAS, policies of focused protection allow those who are at minimal risk of coronavirus-disease-2019-related death to live their lives normally and build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to adopt policies regarding public health orders consistent with focused protection, reflecting the most compassionate approach to preventing coronavirus-disease-2019-related deaths; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to adopt policies to promote nursing homes to use staff with acquired immunity, perform frequent coronavirus disease 2019 testing of other staff and all visitors and minimize staff rotation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to adopt policies to aid retired people living at home to have groceries and other essentials delivered to their homes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to adopt policies to allow those who are not at greater risk of serious illness or death from coronavirus disease 2019 infection to immediately be allowed to resume life as normal, while engaging in hand washing and staying home if they become ill; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to adopt policies to open schools and universities for in-person learning; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to adopt policies to resume sports, arts, music, cultural activities and extracurricular activities, allowing people who have a greater risk of serious illness or death from coronavirus disease 2019 infection to participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the governor.

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