Councilors, commissioners talk solutions

Answers to the problem of community spread of COVID-19 through McKinley County and Gallup have been hard to define and even more difficult to realize.

An April 14 emergency meeting of the Gallup City Council and Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney was held online to determine how to address the threat of community spread from people panhandling to buy alcohol at area convenience stores.

“We don’t want to do anything that penalizes law abiding citizens,” McKinney said.

But finding answers to how to flatten the curve in Gallup is a challenge. The mayor and city councilors listened to more than 12 people giving two minutes of public comment...

Employees in law enforcement and at our local jails say they are doing everything they can to stay safe on the job and protect the inmates they serve amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After government officials announced the first cases of novel coronavirus in New Mexico and Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham issued a stay-at-home order in March, officials in McKinley and Cibola Counties have had to adjust how they do their daily jobs.

Unlike other jurisdiction that have released inmates due to contamination risks, one MeKinley County official says the risks outweigh the benefits.

“There’s no way we could just turn the doors and empty the jail,” said County Attorney Doug Decker, spokesman...

Potential ban of certain alcohol sales also on table

Due to a spike in recent positive cases of COVID-19, the McKinley County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting April 13 to discuss establishing a potential curfew to aid in slowing the spread of the illness.

Another factor to slow the spread of cases is potentially banning the sale of alcohol during the curfew, in part due to the concern of inebriated individuals testing positive for COVID-19 and then walking through Gallup with no place to stay and isolate, and thus risking exposing others to the illness.

But, this argument was rebutted during the meeting because county data showed most of the alcohol sales in Gallup...

Two more hotels join the effort to help

Na’ Nihzhoozhi Center Inc. detox center closed its doors April 14 due to an outbreak and the spread of COVID-19 among employees and clients.

The shelter, located in the same building, which holds from 20-30 people, remains open for now.

Gallup City Manager Maryann Ustick says the detox center staff was exposed to a person who was positive for COVID-19. The individual visited the center three separate times and exposed as many as 170 people.

“When they found out, they tested as many people as they could. But they are still looking for others [who were] exposed, but can’t find them,” she said

The NCI staff was tested. Some members are...