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- By Native News Online Staff
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — On Tuesday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 22 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and three more deaths. The total number of deaths has reached 425 as of Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the state of Arizona reported 3,500 new cases of COVID-19, while New Mexico reported 307 new cases, and Utah reported 486 new cases. The Nez-Lizer Administration is preparing for the flu season, which is expected to lead to more challenges in handling COVID-19. The good news is the pace of new cases on the Navajo Nation is slower in comparison to the states where the nation's largest Indian reservation is located.
Reports indicate that approximately 6,437 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 74,045 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 8,639.
Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:
· Chinle Service Unit: 2,158
· Crownpoint Service Unit: 739
· Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 585
· Gallup Service Unit: 1,409
· Kayenta Service Unit: 1,216
· Shiprock Service Unit: 1,360
· Tuba City Service Unit: 794
· Winslow Service Unit: 375
* Three residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.
The Navajo Department of Health has issued Public Health Emergency Order No. 2020-018, implementing two additional 57-hour weekend lockdowns from July 24, 2020 to July 27, 2020 and from July 31, 2020 to August 3, 2020, starting at 8:00 P.M. MDT on Friday and ending at 5:00 A.M. MDT on Monday.
“We have to be prepared for the flu season and we also need to dedicate more resources to secure and distribute flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines when testing is completed, and made safely available. The large majority of our Navajo people are complying with the public health emergency orders and our daily numbers are flattening on a consistent basis. We now have our 26th consecutive day with less than 100 COVID-19 cases and our fifth consecutive day of 50 or less cases reported. We have to keep wearing our masks, practicing social distancing, avoiding gatherings, washing your hands, and staying home as much as possible. This is going to be long fight and we cannot let our guard up now,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.
The Navajo Nation’s Stay at Home Order remains in effect requiring all individuals on the Navajo Nation to stay at home and strictly limit movement, and limit public contact with others. Individuals may leave their place of residence only for emergencies or to perform "Essential Activities.” The daily curfew also remains in effect from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on weekdays.
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.
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. To contact the main Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please call (928) 871-7014.
For up to date information on impact the coronavirus pandemic is having in the United States and around the world, visit the Worldometers website.
For up-to-date information about COVID-19, Native News Online encourages you to go to Indian Health Service’s COVID-19 webpage.
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