The Navajo Nation 

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2021

257 new cases, 12,625 recoveries, and six more deaths related to COVID-19 as stay-at-home order and weekend lockdowns extended through January 25^th

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Thursday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 257 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and six more deaths. The total number of deaths is now 844 as of Thursday. Reports indicate that 12,625 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, and 212,238 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 24,521, including 17 delayed reported cases.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 4,562
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 2,497
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 2,582
• Gallup Service Unit: 3,934
• Kayenta Service Unit: 2,321
• Shiprock Service Unit: 4,300
• Tuba City Service Unit: 2,755
• Winslow Service Unit: 1,541

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

On Thursday, the state of Arizona reported 9,913 new cases, Utah reported 4,597, and New Mexico reported 1,841 new cases. Due to consistent reports of high numbers of daily COVID-19 cases, the Navajo Department of Health issued Public Health Emergency Order No. 2021-001, which goes into effect on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 through Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 with the following provisions:

• Extends the Stay-At-Home Lockdown which requires all residents to remain at home 24-hours, seven days a week, with the exceptions of essential workers that must report to work, emergency situations, to obtain essential food, medication, and supplies, tend to livestock, outdoor exercising within the immediate vicinity of your home, wood gathering and hauling with a permit.
• Re-implements full 57-hour weekend lockdowns for two additional weekends that include: 8:00 P.M. MST through 5:00 A.M. MST on Jan. 15, 2021 through Jan. 18, 2021, and for the same hours on Jan. 22, 2021 through Jan. 25, 2021.
• Essential businesses including gas stations, grocery stores, laundromats, restaurants and food establishments that provide drive-thru and curbside services, and hay vendors can operate from 7:00 a.m. (MST) to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday only.
• Refrain from gathering with individuals from outside your immediate household and requiring all residents to wear a mask in public, avoid public gatherings, maintain social (physical) distancing, remain in your vehicle for curb-side and drive-through services.
• Public Health Emergency Order No. 2021-001 is available online at: https://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer also issued Executive Order No. 002-21, extending the limitation of Navajo Nation government services through Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, due to the high rate of COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation. The Executive Order is available online at: https://www.opvp.navajo-nsn.gov/From-the-Office/Executive-Orders.

“We are now seeing the impact of the recent holidays in terms of new cases of COVID-19. The high numbers of daily cases are likely due to in-person family gatherings that occurred during the holidays, which means the spread of the virus now creates additional risks for us all. At this point, the risks associated with COVID-19 are far too great to let up now. If you look at the data that we have presented during our town halls and radio forums, it shows that the stay-at-home orders and weekend lockdowns help to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We do have some people who choose to defy the public health orders, but the majority of our people comply. We have to keep fighting this pandemic together while our health care workers continue to administer the vaccines to our people. Starting on Monday, January 11^th Navajo Area IHS will begin a larger campaign to offer the vaccine to more of our elderly and high-risk citizens who are 65 years and older,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

During an online town hall on Thursday, the Nez-Lizer Administration was joined by Navajo Area IHS officials and tribal health organizations to provide additional information and details related to the COVID-19 vaccination timeline, including the process for administering the vaccine to individuals 65 years and older. More information about the COVID-19 vaccines is available online at: https://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19/COVID-19-Vaccine.  

“Compared to other regions of the country, our Navajo people are doing a good job with complying with the public health measures that are in place. We have to keep listening to our public health experts and continue to have faith in our prayers that we will overcome this pandemic together. Please also pray for all of our health care workers and first responders,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.

COVID-19 testing schedules are available online at the Navajo Health Command Operations Center website: https://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19/COVID-19-Testing. 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.