VIDEO: ABQ Walmart still has long lines days after Gov. MLG relaxes store capacity restrictions

On Friday, outside of the Walmart at 2701 Carlisle Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, there were long lines reported in the late afternoon, despite Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham relaxing her public health orders from 75 people total in each grocery and big-box store to 25% capacity.

The video shows New Mexicans still waiting outside in the cold, including the elderly, disabled, and those medically fragile.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor has mandated harsh lockdowns, which have shuttered countless businesses — many for good. They have also forced children to switch to distance learning, which excludes children who cannot afford internet access or education.

Then, just ahead of Thanksgiving, Lujan Grisham mandated the strict 75-person capacity for groceries, resulting in hours-long breadlines, which may have inadvertently exposed more people to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, after the Governor is no longer being considered for a position in former Vice President Joe Biden’s fictitious presidential cabinet, she began loosening the tight leash she has on the people of New Mexico.

After she relaxed the health order, Lujan Grisham said, “With colder weather here, we want to ensure that people aren’t gathering in lines for an unsafe length of time, especially in communities where there are fewer retail options for essential needs. We are grateful to the numerous companies and stores across New Mexico that have made every effort to keep their customers, employees and communities safe.”

But despite the bread crumbs from the Governor’s office, the breadlines continue, and as the year ends, temperatures are continuing to drop. The Governor’s office has not provided scientific evidence to warrant her lockdowns. However, as long as New Mexicans submit to her edicts, the suffering will continue.