Navajo Nation coronavirus cases increase to 1,042, with 41 deaths, as weekend curfew extended

121 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths reported

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer
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TODAY: LIVE ON FRIDAY - “FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE IN INDIAN COUNTRY” VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE: We invite you to watch live as Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez participates in a live-streamed virtual roundtable discussion with Tribal Leaders to discuss the “Federal Coronavirus Response in Indian Country” hosted by Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ). Friday, April 17, 2020 beginning at 11:00 a.m. (MDT)

YOUTUBE LIVE-STREAM LINK:
https://youtu.be/a3smVe4dF5c

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The total number of positive tests for COVID-19 has reached 1,042 for the Navajo Nation as of Thursday – an increase of 121 positive cases since Wednesday, according to the Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center. The report also includes 3,440 total negative test results as of Thursday. There is now a total of 41 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19.
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The 1,042 confirmed positive cases include the following counties:

· Navajo County, AZ: 306
· Apache County, AZ: 147
· Coconino County, AZ: 199
· McKinley County, NM: 203
· San Juan County, NM: 140
· Cibola County, NM: 13
· San Juan County, UT: 12
· Socorro County, NM: 10
· Sandoval County, NM: 12

On Thursday, the Navajo Nation issued a new Public Health Emergency Order, extending the 57-hour weekend curfew for two additional weekends in the month of April and closing essential businesses during weekend curfews due to community spread of COVID-19. The first weekend curfew will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 17 and ends on Monday, April 20 at 5:00 a.m. (MDT). The second weekend curfew will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24 and ends on Monday, April 27 at 5:00 a.m. (MDT).

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"Now is the time to prepare for the weekend curfew. If you have everything you need, stay home. If you need groceries, medication, or other essential items, send one person to the store or where ever they need to go and please use masks and protective gloves and wash or sanitize your hands as much as possible,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who also noted that another Public Health Emergency Order will be issued to require anyone who enters a public facility to wear a protective mask and gloves before entering to help prevent the spread of the virus.

During a live Facebook update on Wednesday, President Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer urged members of the Navajo Nation to be prudent with their stimulus funds and to save as much as possible due to the uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic.

“We urge everyone to stay local as much as possible. Please utilize local Navajo businesses as much as possible – they might not offer all of the products you need, but please consider buying local before traveling to border towns and putting yourselves at greater risk due to greater exposure to others. We will win this fight with COVID-19, but we have to do it together and everyone must be a part of the process,” said Vice President Lizer.

The Navajo Nation’s daily curfew remains in effect from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and Navajo Police continue to issue citations for curfew violators. President Nez and Vice President Lizer will host another online Town Hall to share COVID-19 updates beginning at 10:00 a.m. (MDT) on Thursday on the Nez-Lizer Facebook page.

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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Below: Indian Health Service report

The IHS numbers are still lagging behind. Currently there are 1,042 coronavirus cases on the Navajo Nation and 41 deaths. The IHS chart does show the rapid increases in cases in Albuquerque service agency, where the Pueblos are located in New Mexico, and increase in Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Portland IHS service agencies. IHS agencies with the largest numbers of tests given are Navajo, Oklahoma City and Billings IHS agencies. About one-quarter of those tested have not received results, according to this chart. https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/

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