ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Sen. Martin Heinrich said Thursday that the next two weeks will be critical for New Mexico-- as the state battles a COVID-19 outbreak.
“I’m going to put it real simply and very bluntly: The behavior of all of us today will determine how many people will die tomorrow. That is literally what we are facing," Heinrich said.
Heinrich warned the worst is yet to come for New Mexico.
“The data we are seeing shows that communities across our state are headed into the thick of this public health crisis right now,” he said.Despite the grim outlook, Heinrich said social distancing is working.
"The physical distancing is that we’ve done so far as a state is already making a difference and it is bending the curve," he said.
Heinrich also provided an update about federal money that was slated for New Mexico.
"As many small businesses have applied for assistance in New Mexico, as of yesterday, I was not aware of a single dollar that had gone to our state yet," Heinrich said. "That has changed today. I’m finally getting confirmations of people whose loans have already been approved, finally getting the dollars they were promised.”
However, Heinrich believes the federal government needs to do more to supply crucial life-saving equipment, something he says he’s working to secure for New Mexico.
“Still, we have seen anything but a coordinated federal response. I hope that’s changing, I sincerely do," Heinrich said. "But we don’t have enough PPEs right now, we don’t have enough ventilators right now and we don’t have enough testing supplies right now. We have shortages of drugs, even before they’re tested for treatment, and while all of this is happening, our healthcare professionals keep showing up and keep caring for our community."
Henirich also revealed that the state launched a new website to connect healthcare providers with manufactures and suppliers of medical equipment. Click here to visit that website.
