Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

More Than 70 Navajo Nation Communities Have Uncontrolled COVID-19 Spread

AP, file

Navajo Nation health officials say 73 communities on the reservation have uncontrolled spread of coronavirus.

Ten chapters were recently added to the list as the spread of COVID-19 continues both on tribal lands and elsewhere in the region.

“We have the ability to bring down the numbers through our actions each day. When we choose to travel or to hold in-person gatherings, we put ourselves and others at risk of contracting the coronavirus," said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez in a press release. "Now that the holidays have past, I am hopeful that we will begin to see consistent declines in new cases, but we still are awaiting to see the full impact of the recent holidays."

The tribe Monday reported 110 new known coronavirus cases and three more deaths. A public health emergency order remains in effect through next Monday for the Navajo Nation, extending lockdowns and other limits on business and travel. There’ve been nearly 24,000 confirmed COVID cases on the reservation since the pandemic began and 822 deaths.

Related Content