It has been nearly one year since the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted life across the world began. But now, it appears there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

Dr. Tracie Collins, the newly-appointed cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Health, began a video update on NMDOH’s Facebook page on Dec. 15 by saying she has good news.

“The very first doses of the Pfizer vaccine have arrived in New Mexico, with more arriving today and tomorrow [Dec. 16-17],” Collins said, adding the state expects to receive 17,550 doses with this first shipment. NMDOH has plans in motion to issue the doses to over 30 New Mexico hospitals.

“Today we begin to turn the tide...

Fewer lines outside stores

SANTA FE — The state’s emergency public health order on Dec. 16 was amended to accommodate slightly increased capacity inside essential retail spaces, such as grocery stores and certain other large big box retailers that generate a percentage of their revenue from consumable food and drink products, as cold weather grips most of New Mexico.

In accordance with the state’s graduated red-to-green system of measuring the risk of viral spread in specific counties, the changes establish that essential retail spaces:

May operate at 50 percent of maximum occupancy at the Green Level

May operate at 33 percent of maximum occupancy at the Yellow Level

May...

SANTA FE — Attorney General Hector Balderas issued a consumer safety advisory to New Mexican consumers about the increased proliferation of COVID-19 vaccine related scams, as the vaccine rollout begins. Pharmaceutical companies and law enforcement entities across the globe are warning of organized criminal elements that are taking advantage of the vaccine rollout. These scammers are defrauding and enticing people into purchasing fake COVID-19 vaccines. In response to these scams, Attorney General Balderas warned New Mexican families to be vigilant in seeking or receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We will not tolerate fraud and scams in the delivery of this critical vaccine,”...

Week ending Friday, December 11, 2020

Solar Record

The sun has begun a new 11-year cycle of activity, which some scientists predict could be one of the strongest since observations began 270 years ago. Writing in the journal Solar Physics, a team from the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) says Sunspot Cycle 25 will peak with a maximum of about 210 to 260 sunspots, putting it near the top of the most active. But the official NOAA forecast says the new cycle will be about the same as No. 24, which peaked with only 116. Predicting solar activity is very difficult, and the NCAR researchers say that if their prediction is accurate, their new understanding of the...