fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation reported 1,620 of its tribal citizens have recovered from COVID-19, as the total cases nears 5,000. On Wednesday evening, the Navajo Nation reported another 102 new cases of COVID-19 reached 4,944. 

The total number of deaths has reached 159 from the deadly virus as of Wednesday.

Preliminary reports from nine health care facilities indicate that approximately 1,620 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with more reports still pending. Given the total cases, the recovery rate stands at 32.77 percent.

Navajo Nation cases by Service Unit:

  • Chinle Service Unit: 1,213
  • Crownpoint Service Unit: 508
  • Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 242
  • Gallup Service Unit: 849
  • Kayenta Service Unit: 773
  • Shiprock Service Unit: 819
  • Tuba City Service Unit: 425
  • Winslow Service Unit: 84

*31 residences are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit

“We have to keep doing what we’re doing by wearing protective masks, complying with the weekend lockdowns, staying home, and practicing social distancing. Now is not the time to let up our guard. We are seeing some very good indications that the numbers are flattening, but please remain diligent and continue to take care of your elders. We are overcoming this pandemic, but the war on this monster called COVID-19 is not over,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

On Wednesday, the Navajo Nation issued Public Health Emergency Order 2020-012, ordering another 57-hour weekend lockdown beginning on Friday, May 29 at 8:00 p.m. until Monday, June 1 at 5:00 a.m. This will be the eighth weekend lockdown that also requires the closure of all businesses on the Navajo Nation.

On Wednesday, the Nez-Lizer Administration distributed food, bottled water, and cleaning supplies to 434 Navajo families in the communities of Huerfano, Counselor, and Nahodishgish in New Mexico. Overall, the administration has reached 66 chapters across the Navajo Nation so far.

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.


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 at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. 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 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. 

More Stories Like This

Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. Briefs
US Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs

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.

Levi headshotThe 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

 
 
About The Author
Levi Rickert
Author: Levi RickertEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Levi "Calm Before the Storm" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at [email protected].