SANTA FE — He might have to mask up in New Mexico, but Santa Claus won’t be stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently issued a proclamation declaring the rotund gift-giver an essential worker and exempting him from the state’s social distancing and travel-related guidelines.
The whimsical proclamation also said health care workers have determined the North Pole has not recorded any cases of COVID-19, adding that Santa Claus and his reindeer are incapable of spreading or contracting the coronavirus.
On a more serious note, the Lujan Grisham administration also issued public health guidance for the holiday season this week that urged New Mexicans not to travel for Christmas gatherings or to gather with non-household members.
Neither the proclamation nor the guidance are legally binding, though a state public health order remains in place through at least Jan. 13.
“The good cheer and glad tidings of the holidays are so important this year,” Lujan Grisham said in a Wednesday statement. “I know we’re all excited to celebrate the holidays we’ve missed because of the pandemic — next year, the moment it’s safe to do so.”
