San Juan County lawmakers are urging the San Juan Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) to support local healthcare staff against the governor's mandate requiring vaccination. 

On Aug. 17, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that all workers at healthcare facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, juvenile justice facilities, rehabilitation facilities and state correctional facilities would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, or provide a medical or religious exemption.

In response, New Mexico state Reps. Rod Montoya (R-Farmington), James Strickler (R-Farmington) and Ryan Lane (R-Aztec), and Sens. William Sharer (R-Farmington) and Steven Neville (R-Aztec) sent a letter to SJRMC asking for their support against the vaccination mandate.

"San Juan County legislators today asked the San Juan Regional Medical Center to support healthcare workers in pushing back against MLG's hardline mandatory vaccinations," the New Mexico House Republicans wrote in an Aug. 26 tweet.

In the letter, the legislators state that this new mandate is causing them great concern about the safety of healthcare workers and that it will create more of a shortage of healthcare workers than already is prevalent in New Mexico.

The letter is just one of the latest reactions to the governor's mandate that has caused staffing concerns, especially in rural areas.