The Navajo Nation 

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2021

33 new cases, 30,435 recoveries, and no recent deaths related to COVID-19, vaccine mandate issued for Navajo Nation employees

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 33 new COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation and no recent deaths. The total number of deaths remains 1,397. The report indicates that 30,435 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 305,587 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The overall total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 32,252. 

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 5,877
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 3,098
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 3,845
• Gallup Service Unit: 5,130
• Kayenta Service Unit: 2,864
• Shiprock Service Unit: 5,456
• Tuba City Service Unit: 3,907
• Winslow Service Unit: 2,056

* 19 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 3,307 new cases. The states of Utah and New Mexico will report their weekend case numbers on Monday. An Executive Order was issued mandating all Navajo Nation employees within branches, divisions, departments, programs, offices, chapters, and enterprises to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 29, 2021. The mandate applies to all regular, part-time, and temporary employees. An employee who fails to provide proof of full vaccination, is considered to be unvaccinated and shall be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result at least once every 14 days. 

“The bottom line is that we do not want to have another large surge in new COVID-19 cases that would harm our health care system and lead to more lives lost. This new vaccine mandate will help to keep employees safer and give those who are not able to receive the vaccine the option to get tested more frequently. If you don’t want to receive the vaccine, then you’ll have to be tested at least every two weeks. So far, approximately 83-percent of Executive Branch employees are fully vaccinated, but we need to increase that percentage due to the higher transmissibility of the variants. With so many of our employees working directly with our Navajo people, we have to take measures to keep everyone safe and healthy. We cannot afford to shut down the government again. We have to continue providing direct services to the people,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

Health care facilities across the Navajo Nation continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines during drive-thru events or by appointment. If you would like to receive the vaccine, please contact your health care provider for more information for your Service Unit. 

“Continue to take precautions and keep praying for our frontline workers and our people. Please continue to mask up in public and minimize in-person social and family gatherings until we see a decline in new cases. Our health care workers continue to fight for us every day, so let’s be safe and fight for them as well,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.

For more information, including helpful prevention tips, and resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19, visit the NavajoDepartment 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.