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- By Levi Rickert
57-Hour Weekend Lockdown in Effect
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation has recorded another 172 cases of the coronavirus, bringing the tribal nation's total to 3,912 as of Saturday evening.
The death toll on the Navajo Nation has also increased, reaching 140 on Saturday, 13 reported since Friday, according to data from the Navajo Department of Health in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service.
A total of 23,791 COVID-19 tests have been administered with 17,409 negative results. In March, health care experts projected that the Navajo Nation would see its peak in new cases in mid-May.
Preliminary reports from a few health care facilities indicate that approximately 544 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with more reports still pending.
“We are seeing a spike in new cases and this is largely due to the aggressive testing that is taking place across the Navajo Nation. A series of large scale testing events is helping to identify those who are COVID-19 positive and that’s a good thing. We also have 544 people that have recovered from the virus and that number will grow as we receive more reports. We are testing our people here on the Navajo Nation almost fives times greater than the rest of the country. So let’s not panic or be overly-alarmed by the daily numbers, but let’s be diligent and recognize that we cannot let up now. Please abide by the weekend lockdown and the stay-at-home order that remains in effect seven days a week. We are beating COVID-19 together,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said on Saturday.
The Navajo Nation’s 57-hour weekend lockdown remains in effect until Monday, which includes the closure of all businesses to deter traveling and to keep people home and safe from the COVID-19 virus. The order states that residents can leave their homesites only in cases of safety, health, or medical emergencies. The Health Operations Command Center urges anyone who feels they might have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 to immediately contact their medical provider.
For more information including reports, helpful prevention tips, and more resources, please visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. To contact the main Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please call (928) 871-7014.
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To Donate to the Navajo Nation
The official webpage for donations to the Navajo Nation, which has further details on how to support the Nation’s Dikos Ntsaaígíí-19 (COVID-19) efforts is: http://www.nndoh.org/donate.html.
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For More Information
For more information including reports, helpful prevention tips, and more resources, please visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.
For up to date information on impact the coronavirus pandemic is having in the United States and around the world go to: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/?fbclid=IwAR1vxfcHfMBnmTFm6hBICQcdbV5aRnMimeP3hVYHdlxJtFWdKF80VV8iHgE
For up-to-date information about COVID-19, Native News Online encourages you to go to Indian Health Service’s COVID-19 webpage and review CDC’s COVID-19 webpage.
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