The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing results as of 7pm on April 6, 2020.
According to the data, 8,039 people have been tested within the IHS system. Of those, 562 have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents a significant increase, about 18.5 percent, from the 474 previously reported.
The Albuquerque Area continues to see an explosion in cases. The 99 positive results in the region, which serves more than 20 tribes in four states, represent a nearly 77 percent increase from the prior data.
The increase can be attributed in part to improved testing. After days of lagging, the number of tests in the Albuquerque Area finally shot up dramatically between April 5 and April 6.
But the data shows how small and remote tribal communities in the region are being hit hard by the coronavirus. The Pueblo of Zia has 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the tribe’s leader said. With as many as 20 suspected infections as of the start of the week, that would mean nearly 3 percent of the close-knit tribe in New Mexico has been hit.
The Ramah Chapter of the Navajo Nation is another example. There are 10 positive cases in a community of about 1,400. The nearest large city is about 50 minutes away, in Gallup, New Mexico, where a coronavirus hotspot has emerged.
| IHS Area | Tested | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1,035 | 7 | 365 |
| Albuquerque | 603 | 99 | 296 |
| Bemidji | 85 | 7 | 65 |
| Billings | 1,014 | 13 | 608 |
| California | 401 | 20 | 259 |
| Great Plains | 174 | 7 | 153 |
| Nashville | 71 | 3 | 45 |
| Navajo | 2,365 | 297 | 1,738 |
| Oklahoma City | 1,206 | 34 | 543 |
| Phoenix | 325 | 35 | 543 |
| Portland | 518 | 39 | 430 |
| Tucson | 242 | 1 | 169 |
| TOTAL | 8,039 | 562 | 4,930 |
IHS: https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/
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