Car Dealerships in Albuquerque, NM Want to be Considered ‘Essential’

With the growing concerns over the coronavirus, the state and federal government has decided that the best possible course of action is to require a mandatory lockdown, where everybody is urged to stay home. Only employees with essential functions, such as food workers, medical workers, and health workers, are allowed outside.

Given this, car dealerships in Albuquerque, NM are asking the government to consider their business as ‘essential’ services and, thus, should be exempted from the ‘shelter in place’ rules.

Why Kia Dealers in Albuquerque, NM are ‘essential’ services

According to a letter sent to President Donald Trump on March 17 by car dealerships and trade groups, they are asking to be considered essential as they are the ones providing vehicle service and parts to ensure the safe transportation of essential workers.

The letter emphasized that vehicles still need to be operational and properly maintained amidst the pandemic since millions of car owners are government workers, healthcare providers, first responders, and employees of other ‘essential’ businesses. It is also inevitable that some of these workers will need to buy new or used cars just to get to work since public transportation had been halted.

The letter further explains that motor vehicles are critical to secure the public’s need for “food and other necessities of life”. To that end, vehicle repair and maintenance, as well as sales facilities, should be considered essential operations. After all, the nation still needs people that can professionally do safety recall and critical maintenance repairs, and provide loaner vehicles whenever necessary.

Essential or Not? Car dealers faced confusion amidst the pandemic

Though most auto dealers and service repair stations remain open during the lockdown, they still want the government to formally call them as essential services in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The federal government has yet to decide if car dealerships can be considered as essential. Nevertheless, many states have already adopted their own rules as to whether a dealership can stay open or not.

For now, the state has tight restrictions on buying either old or new cars. Dealerships can sell cars through the internet or through virtual selling, but they must not allow customers in their showrooms. This meant that vehicle deliveries, document signatures, and other such nature must occur at the customer’s place of residence or business, whichever applies. Delivered vehicles are also heavily sanitized before being sent to customers. Some car dealerships even offer to deliver test drive vehicles right at the customer’s doorstep for their convenience.

However, if you are looking to repair your vehicle, you are in luck, as automobile repair services have already been deemed as essential by the state government. Kia dealerships in Albuquerque NM are hoping that things might change for the better if the federal government steps up and declares car dealerships as ‘essential’ once and for all.

Need to know more whether you can buy a car or get your vehicle serviced in your state? Check out Fiesta Kia for more helpful tips.

COVID-19: How to Make a Mask in Albuquerque NM With Pictures

If you haven't been covering your face when you leave your home, the time has come to start. Since the supply of facemasks is in high demand you may need to know how to make a mask in Albuquerque NM. At Fiesta Kia, we've followed the guidelines set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we'd like to share with you what we've learned.

The masks should be worn in areas where social distancing is difficult, such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Wearing a cloth mask will help slow the spread of the coronavirus. It could help protect people around you, if you happen to be infected with COVID-19 but aren't showing symptoms yet. Some people infected with COVID-19 never show symptoms or don't get very sick, especially if they're young. Basically, these masks are mainly to help others, not you-though if used properly, a cloth mask may help you avoid touching your face and infecting yourself while you're out of the house.

Before starting how to make a mask in Albuquerque NM, the CDC states that cloth face coverings should:

• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to the shape

How to Make a Mask in Albuquerque NM: DIY T-Shirt Mask (No Sewing Required)

This no-sew option is easy to make, but note that these are made using fabric that has been folded to make it several layers thick and fits snugly to your face. You shouldn't use a thin bandana or scarf haphazardly wrapped around your mouth in a single layer. 

You'll need:

• Tightly knit cotton material, like a T-shirt. (A scarf works; the fabric should be big enough to fold several times and cover your nose and mouth.)
• Two rubber bands or hair ties

How to make it: 

1. Cut the bottom 7 to 8 inches off of a T-shirt (cutting horizontally), so that you have a strip of material.
2. Lay the material out flat in front of you, and turn it 90 degrees so that what used to be the bottom hem of the shirt (it's usually double stitched) is facing left or right.
3. Fold it from the bottom to the middle and from the top to the middle. Repeat this step a second time.
4. Loop a rubber band or hair tie around each end (left and right), leaving a few inches of fabric, so each side looks like a candy wrapper.
5. Fold the excess material over the band, with each side meeting in the middle, adding another layer to the mask.
6. Put a band over each ear, making sure the material fits snugly to your face. The pressure on your face should keep the material and rubber bands in place.

DIY Bandana-and-Coffee-Filter Mask

If a bandana is the only fabric you have at home, the next how to make a mask in Albuquerque NM uses a coffee filter in the middle of it to provide some protection. For this one you'll need: 

• a bandana, 
• a cone coffee filter
• 2 rubber bands or hair ties

How to make it:

1. Fold the bandana square in half.
2. Cut the coffee filter horizontally across the middle, as pictured here.
3. Place the wide section of the filter in the middle of the folded bandana.
4. Fold the bottom of the bandana up to the middle, covering the filter, and fold the top down over it again.
5. Loop a rubber band or hair tie around each end (left and right), leaving a few inches of fabric, so each side looks like a candy wrapper.
6. Fold the sides over the band so they meet in the middle and tuck them together.
7. Put a band over each ear, making sure the material fits snugly to your face. The pressure on your face should keep the material and rubber bands in place.

Source: CDC

DIY Sewn Cloth Face Mask

If you want to know how to make a mask in Albuquerque NM and make it a more "real" looking face covering that may feel more comfortable and last longer you'll need:

• Two 10"x6" rectangles of cotton fabric (Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch)
• Two 6" pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties)
• Needle and thread (or bobby pin)
• Sewing machine

Directions:

1. Stack the two rectangles of fabric.
2. Fold the longer, 10-inch sides 1/4 inch down and sew them together.
3. Fold the shorter, 6-inch sides 1/2 inch over and sew at the edge, leaving a small space open for the elastic to loop in.
4. Thread the elastic through the opening you left in step 3. Tie or sew the ends together.
5. Tuck the knots inside the opening. Gather the short sides together and stitch the elastic into place.

 

DIY Cut T-shirt Face Mask

You can also make a quick cloth face covering that does not require sewing. For this, you will need a T-shirt and scissors.

 

Source: CDC

Now that we've reviewed how to make a mask in Albuquerque NM, we hope you can relax somewhat about what you can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Remember N95 masks should continue to be reserved for healthcare workers due to a critically low supply.

COVID Indoor Activities near Santa Fe NM: Ideas to Keep Kids Entertained

Get creative with COVID Indoor Activities near Santa Fe NM to avoid going stir crazy and remain the recommended six feet apart for social distancing.

COVID Indoor Activities near Santa Fe NM: Check List

Everyone knows these are challenging times with the burden of COVID-19 and life gets crazy when we are limited from leaving our home. On the positive side, this is a chance to get caught up on home projects, finish up on organizing, connect with family and friends on social media, or teach children those skills that you've been putting off until you had extra time. You have extra time now, use it to check some things off your list.

 

Social distancing approved COVID Indoor Activities near Santa Fe NM does not mean social isolation. This is an opportunity to spend more quality time with loved ones since attending large group gatherings are forbidden. Conduct those conversations with your family that you've been trying to find the time for and reconnect with your family. Have a pillow party movie night and pick and old movie that you haven't seen in a long time to reminisce about times of the past. Get the family together to play a game of cards, board games, charades, or interactive games available on your smartphone. If you live alone, you can use this time to call those you haven't spoken to in a while to catch up. You can work on a hobby, craft, sew, utilize technology to play a single player game or compete against a family member or a friend. Begin a new hobby or start an exercise routine. If you already have an exercise routine add something new like yoga. 

Easy Indoor Activities

Use this time to read that book that you've been putting off. Plan and celebrate an un-birthday party with cake, ice cream, games, music, and lip syncing. Find new recipes to try, plan a weekly or monthly menu, prep meals, get the kiddos involved in adding new recipes that they will eat. We all get bored with preparing and cooking the same ole recipes. Allow the children to cook dinner of their choice with supervision. Don't forget there's always video chatting to stay connected as well with family and friends. 

After a couple of days engaging in COVID Indoor Activities near Santa Fe NM venture outside for a family picnic, slip and sliding, wash and detail your vehicles we all know they need it.  

Our team at Fiesta Kia follows the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendations for hand hygiene to prevent transmitting germs. To avoid spreading germs the ideal hand hygiene includes hand washing regularly or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with more than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol to guarantee proper hand hygiene. Fiesta Kia is a one stop dealership, providing financing, service, and maintenance. We also use authentic parts and start of the art equipment.