SENATE MEMORIAL 29

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2022

INTRODUCED BY

Leo Jaramillo

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 PANDEMIC.

     WHEREAS, rapid innovation was the driving force behind Los Alamos national laboratory's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic; and

     WHEREAS, new research goals, mitigation successes and beneficial collaborations grew from the early critical days of 2020 when Los Alamos national laboratory pivoted to help respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic; and

     WHEREAS, Los Alamos national laboratory responded to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by applying its considerable capabilities in the fields of science, technology and engineering; and

     WHEREAS, through significant investments in coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic mitigations and ongoing research and development, important advancements that benefited the global population were made to address the pandemic; and

     WHEREAS, in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, Los Alamos national laboratory invested twenty-four million two hundred thousand dollars ($24,200,000) in fiscal years 2020 and 2021; and

     WHEREAS, twenty million four hundred thousand dollars ($20,400,000) was spent on research and development projects, three million dollars ($3,000,000) was spent on coronavirus disease 2019 testing and processing and eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000) was spent on technology evaluation and demonstration; and

     WHEREAS, through its response, Los Alamos national laboratory:

          A. modeled coronavirus disease 2019 infection data using biosurveillance;

          B. analyzed mobility data to forecast coronavirus disease 2019 transmission rates;

          C. analyzed mutations of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019;

          D. used computing to forecast emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants;

          E. modeled expected hospital usage;

          F. evaluated the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 mitigation efforts;

          G. provided web-based, publicly available data about the coronavirus disease 2019; and

          H. assessed hundreds of potential coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic scenarios for national and regional decision makers; and

     WHEREAS, the formation of a special office for coronavirus disease 2019 helped with communication, coordination and prioritization of the vital, life-saving contributions to the urgent response of Los Alamos national laboratory;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the significant contributions of Los Alamos national laboratory in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic be recognized; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the director of Los Alamos national laboratory.

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