Navajo Nation officials cited a declining number of new COVID-19 cases and other improving conditions as they announced a new public health order that will allow some businesses to reopen under certain restrictions.
However, officials said a separate new health order will keep the daily curfew for residents of the tribe’s reservation from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. in effect. Both orders will take effect Monday. Officials cited testing availability, hospital capacity and contact tracing in addition to the decrease in new cases as factors in the transition to a status allowing some businesses to reopen under restrictions that include capacity limits.
The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 13 additional known cases of COVID and one more death.
The Navajo Department of Health has identified eight communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID, compared with 75 in January.
Nearly 30,000 people have tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic and more than 1,200 have died.
