The Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2020

Nez-Lizer distribute essential items to 222 families as 104 new cases related to COVID-19, two more deaths reported

WINDOW ROCK – The Navajo Department of Health in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 104 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation and a total of 62 deaths as of Wednesday. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 1,977. A total of 11,404 COVID-19 tests have been administered with 8,239 negative test results. 

The 1,873 confirmed positive cases on the Navajo Nation include the following counties:

• Navajo County, AZ: 468
• Apache County, AZ: 450
• Coconino County, AZ: 274
• McKinley County, NM: 504
• San Juan County, NM: 202
• Cibola County, NM: 17
• San Juan County, UT: 22
• Socorro County, NM: 21
• Sandoval County, NM: 19

On Wednesday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer led a team of staff and local officials as they distributed food, water, fire wood, masks, and cleaning and hygiene items to 222 families in the communities of Pueblo Pintado and Torreon, N.M. Precautions were taken as they placed the items in vehicles with no direct contact with the residents. Items were also delivered to elderly and high-risk residents who were unable to pick-up the items on their own.

“Let’s not complain, but let’s pray for one another. We’re doing our best to help as many communities as possible based off the recommendations of Community Health Representatives and other experts. With first of the month and the 57-hour weekend curfew approaching, please send only one family member to shop for groceries and please leave your children at home. We are literally in a fight to save lives, so we need everyone to do their part and hold each other accountable,” said President Nez.

The Navajo Nation will have another 57-hour weekend curfew ‪beginning on Friday, May 1 at 8:00 p.m. until Monday, May 4 at 5:00 a.m., which will be enforced by the Navajo Police Department’s road checkpoints in communities across the Navajo Nation.

“Ultimately, the choice to stay home or go out into public remains in the hands of each individual, but we’re going to do our very best to enforce the curfew and send people home if we have to. Please take it upon yourselves to inform your family members, your friends, coworkers, and others and tell them to stay home to save lives. We’ve lost 62 lives so far, and we don’t want to lose anymore. Think of the families who are grieving for their loved ones before you decide to go out into public,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.

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.