The San Carlos Apache Tribe has experienced a dramatic turnaround in coronavirus cases, nearly halting the spread.
About one-third of the population on the southeastern Arizona reservation had been infected over the past year. Now, the average number of positive COVID-19 cases is down to less than 1% a week. The San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation and tribal officials attribute the numbers to early education campaigns, an emergency declaration, safety precautions and collaboration. The tribe has also vaccinated its population at a quicker rate than the state of Arizona.