The Navajo Nation

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2020

6,481 recoveries, 50 new cases, and one more death related to COVID-19 reported

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 50 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and one more death. The total number of deaths has reached 432 as of Thursday.

Reports indicate that approximately 6,481 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 75,775 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 8,734.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 2,175
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 740
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 597
• Gallup Service Unit: 1,424
• Kayenta Service Unit: 1,229
• Shiprock Service Unit: 1,366
• Tuba City Service Unit: 804
• Winslow Service Unit: 396

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

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer encourage all Navajo Nation residents to prepare for the upcoming 57-hour weekend lockdown, which begins on Friday, July 24 at 8:00 p.m. until Monday, July 27 at 5:00 a.m. All businesses will also be closed for the duration of the weekend lockdown. The leaders continue to host online town halls to provide information to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.

“For four weeks, we’ve had 50 or less new cases each day on the Navajo Nation. We are on a downward trend, but our health care experts continue to caution our people because of the overall rising numbers in the rest of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The safest place for our Navajo people to be is here at home on the Navajo Nation. Keep wearing your masks, practicing social distancing, staying home, washing your hands, and avoiding large gatherings to keep us on the downward trend,” said President Nez.

On Thursday, the state of Arizona reported 2,335 new cases of COVID-19, while New Mexico reported 343 new cases, and Utah reported 521 new cases. The Department of Health and the Health Command Operations Center is also preparing for the upcoming winter flu season, which will present more challenges, as well as a vaccination plan once a COVID-19 vaccine is proven to be safe and made available.

“Our first responders are not letting up on their work so let’s not let up on helping them by staying home and adhering to their advice and recommendations. Through our combined efforts and the power of prayer, we are seeing very good signs. Stay home, Stay safe, save lives,” said Vice President 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.