- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Saturday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 14 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and four recent deaths. The total number of deaths has reached 493 as of Saturday. Reports indicate that 7,060 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 91,856 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases is 9,545.
Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:
- Chinle Service Unit: 2,297
- Crownpoint Service Unit: 796
- Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 749
- Gallup Service Unit: 1,535
- Kayenta Service Unit: 1,297
- Shiprock Service Unit: 1,485
- Tuba City Service Unit: 928
- Winslow Service Unit: 454
* Four residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.
The Navajo Nation will have another 32-hour weekend lockdown beginning on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 9:00 p.m. (MDT) until Monday, Aug. 24, at 5:00 a.m. All businesses and tribal parks will be closed for the duration of the weekend lockdown.
"Here on the Navajo Nation, we have gone 23 consecutive days with less than 50 new daily cases, but we have to remain diligent. As we enter the weekend lockdown, we urge Navajo residents to stay home and avoid nonessential travels. Our contact tracers find that more of our Navajo Nation residents are contracting COVID-19 when they travel to cities such as Phoenix, Albuquerque, and others. The safest place to be is home," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said.
Health officials state that individuals who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with more durable immune systems and lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. Eating a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein, and antioxidants are vital for maintaining your overall health.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Tunica-Biloxi Chairman Pierite Hosts Roundtable with Tribal Leaders and Trump Administration Officials
$38 Million in Cobell Settlement Funds Are Still Available
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
