SANTA FE, New Mexico — Federal relief funds will be used to offer back-to-work bonuses of up to $1,000 for New Mexico residents who find a job in the coming weeks and stop receiving unemployment insurance benefits. The Department of Workforce Solutions said it expects up to 15,000 people will take advantage of the program
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — The federal government has sent out three rounds of stimulus checks to help people during the pandemic, but despite their political popularity, there’s no proposal on the table to deliver a fourth round. Congress, which would have to approve the money, is unlikely to consider more spending on direct payments as the
Continue Reading
WASHINGTON, DC — Unemployed Americans will be able to sign up for hefty subsidies for 2021 coverage on the federal Affordable Care Act exchange starting July 1, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The benefit, part of the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion rescue package enacted in March, allows anyone who receives or is approved to receive unemployment
Continue Reading
EL PASO, Texas — El Paso public health officials announced Saturday that they would begin scaling back on the reporting of Covid-19 deaths and infections in the community. Instead of daily updates, as has been done throughout the pandemic, officials said they would transition to a once-weekly accounting of fatalities and cases. A spokesperson for
Continue Reading CNN staff If you’re planning to travel to Mexico, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. The basics Mexico is open to travelers. There is no need to provide a negative PCR test or quarantine on arrival, though most resorts ask guests to fill out
Continue Reading
EL PASO, Texas — El Paso public health officials on Friday reported no new Covid-19 deaths in the county, leaving the pandemic fatality total at 2,641. For the week as of Friday, there have been eight deaths reported – seven were announced on Tuesday and one on Thursday. All other days this week saw no
Continue Reading HOUSTON, Texas — An ultrasound technologist who says she was fired by a Houston hospital because she wouldn’t get vaccinated against the coronavirus told CNN on Wednesday, “I don’t want to work for people like that. Don’t take away my choice.” LaTricia Blank worked at Houston Methodist hospital for eight and a half years. She
Continue Reading
WASHINGTON, DC — A U.S. Centers for Disease Control advisory committee on Wednesday said it found a “likely link ” between rare heart inflammation in young adults and the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, the news agency Reuters reported. So far, there have been more than 300 confirmed cases of the condition, known as myocarditis.
Continue Reading
UPDATE, June 22: The funeral procession and services took place Tuesday afternoon for Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Paul Mooney, 52, of El Paso, who recently died in the line of duty after contracting Covid-19 while battling cancer. His body was transported from Sunset Funeral Home Northeast, located at 4631 Hondo Pass, to Abundant
Continue Reading HOUSTON, Texas — More than 150 Houston Methodist Hospital employees were officially out of a job Tuesday, 10 days after a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the hospital by employees who opposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate as a condition of employment, a hospital spokesperson said. The 153 employees either resigned in the two-week suspension period
Continue Reading
UPDATE, June 22: The State of New Mexico has now released the names of first four winners of the Vax 2 the Max Sweepstakes, and they include a 23-year-old woman from Dona Ana County. The confirmed winners of the Friday, June 18, drawing are: Taylor Brooke Provencio, 23, of Chamberino in Doña Ana CountyLinda Tobkin,
Continue Reading
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — State health officials said Tuesday that a young Doña Ana County girl was among four new deaths occurring in New Mexico stemming from Covid-19. The New Mexico Department of Health indicated the girl was under the age of ten, but didn’t identify which community in Dona Ana County she was
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — The White House Covid response team announced Tuesday the U.S. will not hit President Joe Biden’s goal of getting 70% of all adults ages 18 and older vaccinated with at least one shot by the symbolic July Fourth holiday. Earlier this month, Biden had called for a national “month of action” — an
Continue Reading
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Summer school is officially underway for some Borderland students and mask mandates are no longer being enforced. That gives kids the option to show up to school without a face covering. However, many school-aged children are still not eligible to get the vaccine. Local experts suggest parents should still send
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced seven coronavirus-related deaths and 24 new cases Tuesday morning. The latest fatalities included: 1 – man in his 40s1 – woman in her 40s1 – man in his 50s1 – woman in her 50s1 – man in his 60s1 – woman in
Continue Reading
EL PASO, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott has opted Texans out of all additional federal unemployment aid as of the end of this week. In May, Abbott announced that after June 26, Texas would opt out of extra federal assistance for unemployed Texans as a result of the pandemic. Abbott also cut off another initiative, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance,
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — Mexican consulate officials, Ciudad Juarez maquiladoras representatives and El Paso County leaders were participating in an international meeting in downtown El Paso on Monday evening to talk about the logistics involved in getting more than 30,000 maquiladoras employees vaccinated against Covid-19 before the U.S. ports of entry reopen. The discussions emerged
Continue Reading
EL PASO, Texas — The United States has extended Covid-19 restrictions on non-essential border crossings with Mexico until July 21, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “To reduce the spread of #COVID19, the United States is extending restrictions on non-essential travel at our land and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico through
Continue Reading
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — New Mexico State University students can leave their face masks at home if they’re vaccinated by this fall, but Las Cruces Public Schools students are still awaiting guidance. New Mexico Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase told KOB-TV in Albuquerque that the state of New Mexico is still awaiting guidance
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health reported three new coronavirus cases and did not announce any new virus-related deaths Monday morning. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll remained at 2,633. El Paso health department data shows that 61.7% of eligible El Pasoans are now fully vaccinated, with 74.1% having
Continue Reading
UPDATE, July 6: The city of El Paso on Tuesday officially reopened some of its senior centers. The city’s ten senior centers will open once a week, either Tuesday or Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon to allow older adults to socialize and participate in activities such as bingo and loteria. (Scroll down in this
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — Public health officials on Sunday said there were no new Covid-19 deaths to report in El Paso County and just nine additional coronavirus cases. As a result, the pandemic death total remained at 2,633. The last deaths reported were on Saturday, when three people were added to the fatality tally –
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — Public health officials on Saturday reported three new Covid-19 deaths in El Paso County, with the youngest victim being a man in his 20s. The other two victims were also men, both in their 50s. The latest fatalities due to the coronavirus brought the county’s pandemic death toll to 2,633. Health
Continue Reading El Paso, Texas — With Covid-19 vaccines being so readily available, it seems like anyone can get one if they wanted to – however, not every community has the resources or information to do so. Organizations like Border Network for Human Rights want to change that. The organization went to Chihuahita Park in the El
Continue Reading LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — The state of New Mexico’s pandemic-related public health restrictions will be completely lifted as of July 1, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Friday. She made the declaration as health officials crunched the state’s vaccination numbers. The governor said she set New Mexico’s ‘opening day’ for two weeks from now to
Continue Reading
SANTA TERESA, New Mexico — A vaccination event held this week at the New Mexico state facility at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry provided the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine to anyone, regardless of residency. The only requirement was that you needed to cross into the U.S., which meant mostly truck drivers were able
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden on Friday marked the United States administering 300 million Covid-19 shots in 150 days, urging unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves to protect themselves against emerging variants of the virus. In a speech at the White House on Friday, Biden called 300 million shots in 150 days “a
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced one new coronavirus-related death and 33 new cases Friday. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll increased to 2,630 with the latest death of a woman in her 70s. There are also 16 additional suspected Covid-19 deaths currently being investigated by the health
Continue Reading WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is devoting more than $3 billion to advance development of antiviral pills for Covid-19 and other dangerous viruses that could turn into pandemics. The pills would be used to minimize symptoms after infection. They are in development and could begin arriving by year’s end, pending the completion of clinical
Continue Reading
SANTA FE, New Mexico — A key deadline looms for reopening New Mexico as Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wanted to have at least 60% of residents fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Thursday so the state could move forward with plans in the coming weeks to lift some of the last public health restrictions for retailers, restaurants
Continue Reading