Navajo Nation Friday COVID-19 Update: 62 New Cases and Six More Deaths

The Navajo Police Department and county sheriff departments will establish road checkpoints throughout the Navajo Nation during this weekend’s 57-hour lockdown.

Published June 19, 2020

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Friday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 62 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and six more deaths. The total number of deaths reached 330 as of Friday. Reports from 11 health care facilities on and near the Navajo Nation indicate that approximately 3,462 individuals recovered from COVID-19, with one health care facility report still pending. 47,934 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 6,894.

Here are the Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

Chinle Service Unit: 1,796
Crownpoint Service Unit: 627
Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 414
Gallup Service Unit: 1,166
Kayenta Service Unit: 992
Shiprock Service Unit: 1,123
Tuba City Service Unit: 564
Winslow Service Unit: 204
* Eight residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.

“The Nation continues the 57-hour lockdown this weekend to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. It’s troubling and disheartening to hear that so many positive cases have been reported in surrounding areas of the Navajo Nation. On the Navajo Nation, we have to stay the course and stay alert. We no longer have the highest number of cases per capita because we implemented proactive preventative measures, such as wearing face masks, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing. We also encourage our Navajo citizens who do not live on the Nation to do the same and stay safe. Don’t back down,” President Nez said on Friday.

The Navajo Police Department and county sheriff departments will establish road checkpoints throughout the Navajo Nation during this weekend’s 57-hour lockdown. Curfew violators who receive a criminal nuisance citation could be fined up to $1,000 and/or up to 30 days in jail. All businesses on the Nation will be closed during the lockdown, and all Navajo tribal parks are closed to visitors until further notice.

On Friday, the Nez-Lizer team distributed food, bottled water, diapers, pet food, protective face masks, and other supplies to 644 Navajo families in the community of Tuba City in Arizona.

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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.