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- By Native News Online Staff
GALLUP, N.M. — On Sunday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham extended the lockdown under a state of emergency for the City of Gallup to Thursday, May 7 at noon. The lockdown was scheduled to be lifted today at noon.
Gov. Grisham issued Executive Order 2020-027 last Friday closing all roads into Gallup and all businesses from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Gallup Mayor Louie Bonaguidi sent a letter (attached) to Gov. Lujan Grisham, dated May 3, 2020, requesting the extension of the state of emergency in the city. Mayor Bonaguidi acknowledged the use of the state’s Riot Control Act was a drastic, but necessary, action to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Gallup is a border to the Navajo Nation, which has become the epicenter of COVID-19 cases in Indian Country. As of Saturday, there have been 2,292 COVID-19 cases in Navajo Nation, with a death toll for novel coronavirus at 73.
Last Friday, Navajo Nation leaders expressed their full support of the governor’s executive order.
The lockdown extends government efforts to enforce social distancing and interrupt the transmission of the coronavirus from person-to-person.
The Gallup city police, McKinley County sheriff’s department, New Mexico State Police and the Department of Transportation partnered to patrol and enforce the closure of Gallup roads.
1,144 positive cases of COVID-19 were reported in McKinley County Sunday evening. The county has the most positive cases in New Mexico.
While the Navajo Nation leadership supports the lockdown, the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission urges Navajo citizens to report any mistreatment or racial profiling during the lockdown. To find a complaint form on the Commission website at www.nnhrc.navajo-nsn.gov. For those who may have questions or concerns may contact the Commission at their temporary number at 505-488-3189.
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