Dear Governor Lujan Grisham

I am a small business owner in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Several local business have been struggling with the historical challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused.

Many owners and members of the general public agree with the following opinions and I feel it a duty to contact you and plead with you to consider mandating a complete closure of restaurants so that insurance aid can help us survive this disaster. Without this order to close completely, we are bleeding out financially and may not recover after the pandemic is over.

The newest restriction for 50% capacity at restaurants/bars is a measure that provides no relief for employers, employees, or the general public.

I have observed that restaurant employees in Los Alamos and Santa Fe have taken extra steps to clean their premises and protect themselves and patrons during this pandemic, but there is no way to keep any public space completely sterilized.

Mandating restaurants to go to half capacity doesn’t protect customers or staff from COVID-19. Owners and their employees don’t want to be there, facilitating the spread, but they also can’t afford NOT to be there.

Without a mandate to close small businesses, they are unable to apply for relief from their insurers and the State of New Mexico and the federal government are not stepping in to help prevent a certain financial catastrophe. Restaurants operate on very slim margins, and temporarily closing the doors for all WILL mean permanently shutting the doors for some; however it can prevent all from going down. They need your help to ensure they will have jobs to go back to.

Please close these small businesses NOW, so they can reopen in the near future.

Thank you for your proactive work during this national crisis. I hope New Mexico continues to be ahead of the curve to save American lives and their futures.

Sincerely,
Emily Mockler-Wood & Blumenthal Family
Los Alamos