Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

September 21, 2022

Biden says pandemic is over, but data shows otherwise


Dineh volunteer Bitahnii Wilson delivers water to Dineh and Hopi
family, friends and those in need as the virus continues to spread and claim lives.
Photo courtesy Bitahnii Wilson

Deaths and uncontrolled spread from COVID continue in the Navajo Nation, while Biden says the pandemic is over

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Sept. 21, 2022

COVID-19 continues to claim lives in the Navajo Nation. Five Dineh died from the virus in the past 7 days. There is an uncontrolled spread of COVID in 31 Navajo communities, the Navajo Department of Health reports.

Nationwide, there is an average of 355 deaths from the virus each day, CDC data shows. Indian Health Service data shows the spread continues in regions of Indian country.

President Biden said Sunday the pandemic is over.

“We still have a problem with covid,” Biden said on 60 Minutes on Sunday. “We’re still doing a lot of work on it … but the pandemic is over.”

Both President Biden and the First Lady have had the virus twice recently. Both were fully vaccinated.

The Navajo Nation has one of the highest vaccination rates in the U.S.

Still, 1,898 Navajos have died from the virus. IHS has administered 404,796 doses, primarily the Pfizer vaccine, in the Navajo IHS service area since the virus spread began.

The Indian Health Service data shows the spread is greatest in the Bemidji IHS area, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. And in the Nashville, Tennessee IHS service area, which covers the southeastern U.S.

The spread also continues in the Navajo, Oklahoma, Portland, and Tucson IHS service areas, as shown in the data below.

In the Navajo Nation, there were three new cases of Monkeypox.

The Navajo Department of Health said, "The three recent cases involve individuals that reside in the eastern, central, and western Navajo agencies – in each case, it appears that the virus was contracted off of the Navajo Nation. The first Monkeypox case on the Navajo Nation was confirmed in August."

Nationwide, as shown below, there are hot spots of COVID throughout the United States. Deaths have not declined, but remain steady in the U.S. from the virus, CDC data shows.

Thirty-one of the Navajo Nation's 110 communities in Arizona, News Mexico and Utah currently have an uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. Source: Navajo Department of Health.

The Navajo Nation has one of the highest vaccination rates in the U.S. Still, 1,898 Navajos have died from the virus. IHS has administered 404,796 doses, primarily the Pfizer vaccine, in the Navajo IHS service area since the virus spread began, in March of 2020 at a church gathering on the Navajo Nation.
Source: Indian Health Service


Indian Health Service reports that COVID continues to spread, with the largest number of new cases in the northeast and the southeast United States. Source: Indian Health Service.

Source: Indian Health Service data https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If you self test positive does IHS add test results to their data ?
IHS is handing out self tests.
Refuse to test at hospital.
No anti viral medicine prescriptions.