14.5% of Navajo Nation Has Received COVID-19 Testing as of Sunday; Death Toll Reaches 156

Published May 24, 2020

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Department of Health in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service reported 56 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 4,689. 

The total number of deaths has reached 156 as of Sunday. Preliminary reports from eight health care facilities indicate that approximately 1,400 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with more reports still pending.

“Chapters are requesting large-scale testing for their residents and we’re doing our very best to accommodate those requests, so we should expect to see increases the more we test our citizens. At this point, we’ve tested over 14.5 percent of residents on the Navajo Nation – far more than any state across the country if you want to compare the Navajo Nation to states. We are fighting hard every day and I’m confident that we will soon begin to see a gradual decline in new cases if we continue to be diligent in wearing masks in public, practicing social distancing, and isolating those who test positive. Contact tracing is also key to slowing the spread of the virus,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said on Sunday evening.

On Monday, the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, in coordination with the Navajo Veterans Administration, will host a wreath laying ceremony on Memorial Day to honor military men and women who lost their lives defending our country and those missing in action, and a food distribution for Navajo veterans to assist them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The wreath laying ceremony will be live-streamed on the Nez-Lizer Facebook page on Monday, May 25 beginning at 8:00 a.m. President Nez and Vice President Lizer will also share a Memorial Day message for Navajo veterans on local radio stations. Following the wreath laying ceremony, the Office of the President and Vice President will hold a food distribution for all Navajo veterans at 9:00 a.m. on Monday at the fairgrounds in Window Rock.

“This Memorial Day, let’s honor our men and women in uniform who have lost their lives to protect the freedoms we have, but let’s also pray for the protection of all of our brothers and sisters who continue to serve around the world. We can also honor their sacrifices by staying home and doing what we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the virus. Please continue to pray for all of our first responders and boots on the ground as well,” Vice President Myron Lizer said.

The Office of the President and Vice President has distributed food, bottled water, and other supplies to over 8,000 families in 60 communities on the Navajo Nation to help people stay home and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

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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.

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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 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.