By Susan Montoya Bryan and Cedar Attanasio, Associated Press
Around 15,000 residents previously ineligible for pandemic stimulus checks have started receiving payments from the state. The group includes immigrants in the country without work authorization.
Officials with the New Mexico Human Services Department said the $465 relief payments began arriving this week via direct deposit or checks.
The Legislature allocated $5 million to the fund for those who hadn t received federal payments in April. Agency officials say they were able to identify an additional $2 million on top of that.
Drawing from unspent federal relief funds, New Mexico s relief package was part of a $330 million appropriation that included additional money for New Mexicans already on unemployment or whose benefits had run out. Funding also was earmarked for more COVID-19 testing and support for food banks.
BERLIN Switzerland has started vaccinating people against the coronavirus, a few days before its European Union neighbors start their vaccination campaigns.
The government in Lucerne canton (state) said that a woman aged over 90 at a nursing home in the central Swiss region became the first to receive the vaccine on Wednesday.
Switzerland became on Sunday the first country to approve the vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer for use under normal licensing procedures. The EU followed a day later. Britain, Canada and the U.S. had authorized the vaccine earlier, but in line with emergency procedures.
Switzerland, which has a population of 8.6 million, is not a member of the EU. Its neighbors in the 27-member bloc plan to start vaccinations on Sunday.
Navajo Nation reports 151 new coronavirus cases, seven deaths
Durango, Colorado Fri 77% chance of precipitation
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WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Nation reported 151 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths from COVID-19.
The latest figures reported Tuesday by the Navajo Department of Health bring the total number of cases on the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to 21,327. The Navajo Nation has reported 755 deaths since the pandemic hit.
The Health Department says the first doses of the recently approved vaccine made by Moderna have arrived at the Navajo Area Indian Health Service.
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