The Navajo Nation

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2020

6,360 recoveries, 25 new cases, and seven more deaths related to COVID-19 reported as Navajo Nation reaches 24 consecutive days with less than 100 cases

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 25 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and seven more deaths. The total number of deaths has reached 422 as of Saturday.

Reports indicate that approximately 6,360 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 72,804 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 8,593.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 2,147
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 729
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 582
• Gallup Service Unit: 1,395
• Kayenta Service Unit: 1,214
• Shiprock Service Unit: 1,357
• Tuba City Service Unit: 792
• Winslow Service Unit: 374

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

The Navajo Department of Health has issued Public Health Emergency Order No. 2020-018, implementing two additional 57-hour weekend lockdowns from July 24, 2020 to July 27, 2020 and from July 31, 2020 to August 3, 2020, starting at 8:00 P.M. MDT on Friday and ending at 5:00 A.M. MDT on Monday. A separate order is being developed to require residents that travel to “hotspots” to quarantine for 14 days when they return to the Navajo Nation.

“The data shows that the weekend lockdowns and other requirements such as wearing masks are working to flatten the curve on the Navajo Nation. In cities and states around our Nation, they began letting up on restrictions too soon and now they’ve been seeing increases for weeks. We do not want to make that mistake here on the Navajo Nation. In comparison to other places, we are doing good and now is not the time to let up. Our goal is to have zero new cases, but the reality is that there is no vaccine so we will likely see new cases every day. We have to everything we can to keep the numbers of cases low. Wear your masks, stay home as much as possible, practice social distancing, wash your hands often, and avoid large gatherings,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

The Nez-Lizer Administration is also working with businesses to setup food donation drop-off sites at grocery stores to allow Navajo Nation residents to contribute non-perishable food items, which will be made available to Navajo people and others living in the Phoenix area as a way to give back to our relatives and friends of the Navajo Nation who graciously donated essential items to the Navajo Nation.

“Stay home, stay safe, save lives. There are many families out there grieving for their loved ones. We receive reports of many of our own people contracting the virus in border towns and cities like Phoenix and Albuquerque, so please be safe and keep praying for those who are fighting for their health and their lives. This is a very serious virus and we have to keep listening to our health care experts who are dealing with COVID-19 firsthand,” 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.