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- By Native News Online Staff
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — On Wednesday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 41 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and seven more deaths. The total number of deaths has reached 453 as of Wednesday. Reports indicate that 6,622 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 79,583 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 8,968.
Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:
- Chinle Service Unit: 2,206
- Crownpoint Service Unit: 757
- Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 647
- Gallup Service Unit: 1,468
- Kayenta Service Unit: 1,247
- Shiprock Service Unit: 1,409
- Tuba City Service Unit: 831
- Winslow Service Unit: 400
* Three residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.
On Wednesday, the state of Arizona reported 2,339 new cases of COVID-19, while New Mexico reported 352 new cases, and Utah reported 339 new cases.
The Navajo Nation will have another 57-hour weekend lockdown beginning on Friday, July 31 at 8:00 p.m. until Monday, Aug. 3 at 5:00 a.m. All businesses on the Navajo Nation will remain closed for the duration of the weekend lockdown.
“The Navajo people are strong and resilient. A couple months ago, we were at our peak in COVID-19 cases and the media placed a lot of attention on our communities, but we have reserved the trend and now we are consistently flattening the curve here on the Navajo Nation. Our health care experts are telling us that there remains substantial risk to our citizens due to the high numbers of cases other parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. Our health care system on the Navajo Nation has limited capacity, so we cannot afford to have another spike in cases. Please remain diligent by staying home, wearing a mask, social distancing, washing your hands, and avoiding large crowds,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said.
The Department of Health and the Health Command Operations Center is also preparing for the upcoming winter flu season. They have also created a vaccination group to develop plans securing and distributing a vaccine for COVID-19 once one is proven to be safe and made available.
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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.
The Nez-Lizer Administration is also working with businesses to setup food donation drop-off sites at grocery stores to allow Navajo Nation residents to contribute non-perishable food items, which will be made available to Navajo people and others living in the Phoenix area as a way to give back to our relatives and friends of the Navajo Nation who graciously donated essential items to the Navajo Nation.
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