Rep. Robert Godshall is calling out Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham after she didn’t include business closures in a social media post listing the things that matter most to New Mexicans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only 60% of small businesses in the state that were open prior to the pandemic are still open, according to KRQE.
“40 percent of businesses closed, that matters to some people,” Godshall wrote in a July 9 tweet in response to Grisham’s.
Numbers being tracked by the New Mexico Tourism Department though a new economic recovery dashboard reveal how the pandemic has resulted in dire consequences for local businesses.
KRQE shed light on a small business performance report which found even while counting businesses that are new or have reopened, nearly 40% fewer small businesses are open compared to January 2020, specifically in food service and accommodations, which are down 60%.
The tourism department did say that there are some positives for the state as hotel occupancy rates have recently been the highest since the pandemic at nearly 65% and visitor spending is improving on average, KQRE reported.