As Navajo Nation Wages War on COVID-19, Firefighters are fighting a 12,777 Acre Fire on Reservation

Helicopter attempting to contain fire near Wood Springs, Arizona on Navajo Nation on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

Published July 5, 2020

Fire Wood Springs 2 Fire has grown to 12,777 acres

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — On Sunday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 38 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and one more death. The total number of deaths has reached 378.

Reports from all 12 health care facilities on and near the Navajo Nation indicate that approximately 5,581 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 58,769 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 7,840.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

· Chinle Service Unit: 1,983
· Crownpoint Service Unit: 672
· Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 491
· Gallup Service Unit: 1,309
· Kayenta Service Unit: 1,115
· Shiprock Service Unit: 1,265
· Tuba City Service Unit: 695
· Winslow Service Unit: 306

* Four residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.

The Navajo Nation’s first of three consecutive weekend lockdowns is set to end on Monday, July 6 at 5:00 a.m. The daily curfew remains in effect Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation.

“In areas near and around the Navajo Nation, they continue to see sharp increases in new COVID-19 cases, but today the Navajo Nation is reporting 38 new cases. This is a strong indication that mask requirements, weekend lockdowns, daily curfews, and other measures recommended by our health care experts are making a difference. Please continue to wear your masks in public and to wash your hands often. We are very thankful to our police officers, fire fighters, EMT’s, health care workers, and others who worked through the holiday weekend to protect our Navajo people,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

Even as the Navajo Nation wages a war on COVID-19, firefighters are fighting a wildfire in the Wood Springs are of reservation.

The Nez-Lizer Administration continues to urge all residents to comply the stage 2 fire restriction that is in place, which prohibits the use of fireworks, open fires, and trash burning to prevent more wildfires. On Sunday, the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 reported that the Wood Springs 2 Fire has grown to 12,777 acres and is now 42-percent contained.

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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