The Navajo Nation

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2020

135 new cases, 8,011 recoveries, and eight more deaths related to COVID-19 

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Wednesday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 135 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and eight more deaths. The total number of deaths is now 613 as of Wednesday. Reports indicate that 8,011 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, and 141,751 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 13,880.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 3,041
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 1,505
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 1,392
• Gallup Service Unit: 2,200
• Kayenta Service Unit: 1,533
• Shiprock Service Unit: 2,050
• Tuba City Service Unit: 1,449
• Winslow Service Unit: 701

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

The Navajo Nation’s three-week stay-at-home lockdown is in effect 24-hours a day, seven days a week with the exception of essential workers, cases of emergencies, and to purchase essential items such as food and medication when essential businesses are open from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. On Wednesday, the state of New Mexico reported a record-high 2,897 new cases of COVID-19, the state of Arizona reported 3,206 new cases, and Utah reported 3,071 cases.

“Unless you are an essential employee, or if you have an emergency, or are in immediate need of food or groceries or other essential items like medication, then you should be at home at all times. No one should be going into a store for a bag of chips or a soda and we shouldn’t be taking kids or our entire family into stores to shop – essential items only. We do not have the law enforcement resources to regulate the lockdown around the clock, and we shouldn’t have to. Everyone needs to take this growing pandemic seriously and hold themselves and your family members accountable. Unfortunately, too many people don’t take this virus seriously until it hits their own family. Over 160,000 new cases of COVID-19 cases were reported across the country today. The safest place to be is at home here on the Navajo Nation,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

All essential businesses are required to ensure employees and customers wear masks, practice social distancing, disinfect high-touch surfaces, access to hand wash stations, sanitizers and gloves, and limit the number of customers in any enclosed areas.

“We are strong and resilient, but we have to pray and we have to meet our prayers half way by making good decisions on a daily basis. We have to protect our most vulnerable to this virus, children, elders, and those with underlying health conditions. We cannot see the virus, so please be very cautious and stay home as much as possible. Please pray for our first responders who are working around the clock to protect us,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.

On Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6:00 p.m. (MST), the Nez-Lizer Administration will host an online town hall on the Nez-Lizer Facebook page to provide COVID-19 updates.

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: http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. For COVID-19 related questions and information, call (928) 871-7014.