- Details
- By Levi Rickert
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service announced 42 new confirmed cases of coronavirus COVID-19 on Tuesday, April 7, which brought the Navajo Nation’s cumulative total to 426.
In the same announcement, two more deaths were reported since Monday, which brings the death toll to 17 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19.
The 426 confirmed positive cases include the following counties:
- Navajo County, AZ: 164
- Apache County, AZ: 44
- Coconino County, AZ: 102
- McKinley County, NM: 32
- San Juan County, NM: 66
- Cibola County, NM: 8
- San Juan County, UT: 7
- Socorro County, NM: 2
- Bernalillo County, NM: 1
"The Navajo Nation can implement and enforce curfews and restrictions, but ultimately it’s up to you. We must practice T’áá hwó’ ajít’éego, self-determination, our Diné people must know that they also have the power to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have the power to save lives, especially those that have compromised immune systems. We must work together to protect our people, our way of life and who we are as Diné,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said.
President Nez continues to urge the general public to use protective masks, including homemade masks, and protective gloves if they are required to work or when going to stores for essential items such as food and medicine.
The Navajo Nation’s daily curfew continues to be enforced by the Navajo Police. Checkpoints are setup regularly and citations and fines up to $1,000 may be issued for those who violate the curfew order that requires residents to remain home between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. each day.
This weekend’s 57-hour curfew will begin on Friday at 8:00 p.m. until Monday at 5:00 a.m.
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. BriefsUS 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.
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
