Whether COVID or DWI, preventing death is worth pursuing

I have spent my career fighting to reduce preventable deaths. It has been my life’s work educating communities across New Mexico and the country about the dangers and consequences of drunk driving, one of the most tragically common causes of preventable deaths in the United States. Through education and public awareness, less than half as many people die in DWI crashes today than they did 20 years ago.

The fight against the coronavirus is ultimately a battle to reduce preventable deaths. And like the fight to end drunk driving, the struggle to beat COVID-19 relies upon all of us taking personal responsibility and protecting ourselves and our fellow New Mexicans. That’s why I support Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. She understands that to win this war of attrition, every single New Mexican must continue to work together by listening to the science and following social-distancing guidelines to overcome this once-in-a-century pandemic.

Thanks in no small part to the leadership of Gov. Lujan Grisham, New Mexico has made great strides toward winning this war. Transmission rates - one of the key indicators to determine how to reopen the state - are falling in most of the state. Rapid testing and contact tracing, encouraging social distancing and asking New Mexicans to stay home are some of the pillars of our statewide response that has finally put our state in a position to begin a cautious and balanced reopening. But ultimately, without everyday New Mexicans continuing to heed the advice of our state’s public-health experts, we may soon find ourselves struggling to keep open.

There is no doubt that doing what it takes to combat the coronavirus is taxing. Like many New Mexicans, after months stuck inside I’m eager to get back to normal; socializing with friends and going out to dinner with my family. But as Dr. Scrase (our New Mexico Dr. Fauci) has said, we must adjust to living in a COVID world for the time being. This means now more than ever - even as small businesses begin to reopen - that we must dedicate ourselves to following the governor’s social distancing guidelines to ensure we slow the spread.

Here in southern New Mexico, this imperative is even more urgent. While the rest of the state has had transmission rates of each case tick down last week, southwestern New Mexico is the only region in the state that saw an uptick in our transmission rate this week. With nearly 250 confirmed cases in Doña Ana County alone, we must remember that this fight is far from won. As businesses, churches and New Mexicans adjust to the first phase of our gradual reopening, remember that today’s gains are hard won and easily lost. COVID-19 cares little for the sacrifices of yesterday. It is here in our community, lurking, and waiting for an opportunity to come back roaring.

The steps Las Cruces needs to take to get through this crisis, like preventing deaths from drunk driving, require an agreement from community members to follow the same set of rules in order to keep our friends and families safe. This means staying home unless it's necessary, and when you do leave, always wearing a mask. By taking these simple but critical measures, we can all do our part to protect our friends, neighbors and families, as well as get us one step closer to reopening our state and back to normal.

Joanne J. Ferrary serves as state representative in House District 37