- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — For the seventh consecutive day, there no Covid-related deaths on the Navajo Nation on Saturday. The death toll stands at 1,262.
Additional good news was there were only two new Covid-19 positive cases reported on Saturday.
Reports indicate that 16,477 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, and 260,477 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 30,357.
Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:
- Chinle Service Unit: 5,550
- Crownpoint Service Unit: 2,926
- Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 3,612
- Gallup Service Unit: 4,813
- Kayenta Service Unit: 2,692
- Shiprock Service Unit: 5,093
- Tuba City Service Unit: 3,678
- Winslow Service Unit: 1,974
* 19 residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.
On Saturday, the state of Arizona reported 480 new cases, Utah reported 413, and New Mexico will report its weekend numbers on Monday.
“We have several cases of COVID-19 variants reported in different regions of the Navajo Nation, which are more transmissible. This means that the variants can spread from person to person at a higher rate than the original strand of the virus. Please exercise extreme caution and do not hold large in-person gatherings. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last year, but we are not out of this pandemic yet. When you wear a mask, you are protecting yourself and others. Your mask is your armor in fight against COVID-19. Please stay home as much as possible, avoid large in-person gatherings, wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands often,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said.
Health care facilities across the Navajo Nation continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines during drive-thru events or by appointment. If you would like to receive the vaccine, please contact your health care provider for more information for your Service Unit.
For more information, including helpful prevention tips, and resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19, visit the Navajo Department of Health's COVID-19 website: http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. For COVID-19 related questions and information, call (928) 871-7014.
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
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Photographs of the Homecoming of the Three Fires Powwow
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
