New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) is criticizing the United States’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic, noting the problems her state is facing while working to mitigate the spread of the virus.
During an interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” Grisham scolded the U.S. for its response to the coronavirus outbreak, as she described it as the “worst abdication” of “responsibility to protect Americans.”
Grisham discussed the country’s presumably non-existent national strategy for testing and lack of “public health investment” as she revealed the challenges she is been facing in her state.
“There is no national strategy,” Grisham said on Sunday. “I still spend most of my days chasing testing supplies for our state. It is the worst abdication of a national response and responsibility to protect Americans I have ever seen in my government career.”
The governor also called out President Donald Trump as she accused him of dropping the ball and waiting too late to act at the beginning of the pandemic.
She also noted the president’s latest push to reopen schools while canceling his own convention due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, saying it “makes no sense whatsoever.”
See Grisham’s remarks below:
Pressed by @gstephanopoulos whether it's time for further measures with COVID cases rising, NM Gov Lujan Grisham blasts the federal response: "It is the worst abdication of a national response and responsibility to protect Americans I've ever seen." https://t.co/o405cfh1Ad pic.twitter.com/Hl7Z5kq920
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 26, 2020
The Democratic governor also shared her concerns about New Mexico’s coronavirus statistics. According to Grisham, the data shows a relatively low case count, but from a per-capita perspective, the state’s case count and death toll are elevated.
“While we have one of the lowest positivity rates in the country, which we worked diligently at having, what’s going on around the country affects everyone in the country,” Grisham said. “We are moving and traveling.”
Grisham also revealed another factor that could be contributing to the coronavirus outbreak in the state’s correctional facilities as she noted that immigrant detainees are being moved and transported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to Grisham, the government agency has transported detainees without testing or adhering to the state’s guidelines for social distancing and virus mitigation.
“We are at the mercy of what’s going on around the country,” she said.
With an estimated population of nearly 2.1 million, New Mexico currently has more than 19,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, over 2,500 patients have been hospitalized with coronavirus, with 144 currently being hospitalized, and a death toll of 614, according to the state’s Department of Health.
Due to the state’s rise in cases, Grisham, like multiple other governors, has opted to pause phased reopening and embrace virtual learning until at least Labor Day.
