Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's latest executive order issuing a mandate that all state employees get fully vaccinated or be subjected to Covid-19 testing every two weeks has drawn ire from her Republican counterparts who believe the order is trampling on the rights of public workers.
Those who choose to remain un-vaccinated will have to wear a mask while working indoors except for when they are eating or drinking and state employees that do not comply with the executive order will face disciplinary actions leading to termination, according to the governor's office.
“Right now, it’s very simple: Get a vaccine, or else you will be tested,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham.“ There will be no quarter for this virus within state government offices. I will not tolerate any unnecessary risk within the workforce under my authority, and I strongly encourage other New Mexico government agencies and private sector employers to consider doing the same."
More Michigan residents will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Monday.
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Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce voiced his disdain for the governor's executive order saying the decision makes no sense.
“This is the latest example of Gov. Lujan Grisham overstepping her authority and having government make personal choices for its citizens," Pearce told the Piñon Post.
"The Governor has never had a logical or sensible plan to deal with the pandemic from day one, and this latest knee jerk reaction to deal with COVID-19 is a slap in the face to hardworking state employees."
While Pearce accuses the governor of playing politics and ignoring the science surrounding COVID-19 and the Delta variant of the virus that is highly contagious, Grisham said her executive order is not up for debate because the lives of her constituents are at stake.
“I have absolutely zero appetite for another unnecessary surge of infections, hospitalizations and death,” Grisham said .“This isn’t a debate. The vaccines are safe, and they work. Misinformation to the contrary will lead to illness and death, not to mention full hospitals and economic disruption."
Grisham is urging her constituents to get vaccinated to save the lives of their family and friends and to protect the state's economy by cutting off the virus's opportunity to spread within the community.