With new daily cases increasing as much as 70% over the past week, the governors of Oregon and New Mexico are implementing significant lockdowns in their states to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the Associated Press reports.
The two states, both with Democratic governors, are instituting restrictions on businesses and social gatherings. New Mexico is issuing a two-week stay-at-home order for non-essential workers.
Oregon is closing businesses to the public and mandating that work-from-home schedules be honored as much as possible. Gyms, museums, pools, movie theaters and zoos will be closed, and social gatherings will be limited to six people.
“We are in a life-or-death situation, and if we don’t act right now, we cannot preserve the lives, we can’t keep saving lives, and we will absolutely crush our current health care system and infrastructure,” Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico said.