The Navajo Nation 

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2020

21 new cases of COVID-19 reported for Navajo Nation, two deaths confirmed

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — On Friday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer were informed by the Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center, that the number of positive tests for COVID-19 has reached a total of 92 for the Navajo Nation – an increase of 21 cases since Thursday. They also confirmed two deaths related to COVID-19. 

The 92 cases include the following counties:

Navajo County, AZ: 49   

Apache County, AZ: 18                                                                                

Coconino County, AZ: 6 *changed from yesterday, due to clarification of one individual’s residency

McKinley County, NM: 5

San Juan County, NM: 11

Cibola County, NM: 1

San Juan County, UT: 2

“Our condolences and prayers go out to the families of the two individuals who have passed on. We also pray for all of those who are fighting to recover from the virus. We cannot thank our health care workers and first responders enough for everything they are doing to help our people. To our Navajo people, let’s help our healthcare workers by staying home and isolating ourselves as much as possible. Our public safety officers are needed in our communities every day, and we don’t want to have to take them away from those duties to force people to stay home – we don’t have to go to that extent if people simply listen to the health care experts,” said President Nez. 

The Navajo Nation’s needs for personnel, protective wear, hospital beds, and other crucial resources and supplies at all health care facilities on the Navajo Nation continue to increase daily.

“Each day, we are experiencing more and more similar circumstances like what’s going on in places like New York City, but we are fighting every day to get additional resources that our health care workers need. We know they need to be protected and we are doing our best to help. Please continue to pray and to practice the preventive measures, most importantly staying home as much as possible,” added Vice President Lizer. 

A Public Health Emergency “Stay at Home Order” remains in effect requiring all residents of the Navajo Nation to remain home and isolated and all non-essential businesses to close to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. 

For more information including reports, helpful prevention tips, and more resources, please visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. To contact the main Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please call (928) 871-7014.

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