The Navajo Nation

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2020

15 new cases, 6,859 recoveries, and two more deaths related to COVID-19 as 32-hour weekend lockdown continues

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 15 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and two more deaths. The total number of deaths now totals 472 as of Sunday. Reports indicate that 6,859 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 85,206 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases is 9,308.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 2,255
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 777
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 720
• Gallup Service Unit: 1,500
• Kayenta Service Unit: 1,281
• Shiprock Service Unit: 1,455
• Tuba City Service Unit: 877
• Winslow Service Unit: 439

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

On Sunday, the state of Arizona reported 816 new cases of COVID-19 and Utah reported 376 new cases. The state of New Mexico has yet to report their daily numbers for Sunday. The Navajo Nation’s 32-hour weekend lockdown began ‪on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 9:00 p.m. (MDT) until Monday, Aug. 10 at 5:00 a.m. All businesses remain closed for the duration of the weekend lockdown.

“15 new cases reported today is a good indication that the majority of the Navajo Nation’s residents are complying with the public health emergency orders and that they are listening to the advice of our health care experts. We have to continue to do what we are doing to keep flattening the curve. We cannot rush to fully reopen the government, parks, and businesses. We have a work group that has been developing a plan to gradually reopen the Navajo Nation is a way that provides for safety measures, accountability measures, and prioritizes the health and safety of all employees and residents. Other states made the mistake of reopening too soon and that’s what we want to avoid. Our health care system will be tested greatly if we have another spike in new cases. We will continue to carefully analyze the data and seek the advice of our health care experts each step of the way,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

On Saturday, the Nez-Lizer Administration partnered with the Winslow Indian Health Care Center to distribute food and essential supplies to 571 families in the communities of Winslow, Leupp, and Dilkon to help keep people home and safe.

“Each day that we see low numbers of new cases, the light at the end of this dark tunnel grows a little brighter. The hope and resiliency that lives on within each of our Navajo people gives us the strength to move forward. We will continue to grow stronger and we will eventually overcome the COVID-19 with the help of our health care experts and with our prayers,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.

For more information, including helpful prevention tips, and resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19, visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. For COVID-19 related questions and information, call ‪‪(928) 871-7014‪.