Photo: Jared Tarbell
In an update on April 5, 2020, Acting Governor Floyd Toribio of the Pueblo of Zia confirmed 11 — and as many as 20 — COVID-19 cases within the small, New Mexico-based tribe.
“If this statement does not make you realize how real and close to home this truly is, then we don’t know what will,” Toribio wrote in the memo. “We are a small, close-knit community with strong family connections. If the ‘Stay at Home’ Order is not taken seriously or ignored, even by one person, more harm will be inflicted upon Zia Members.”
Zia is located in Sandoval County, where a spike in coronavirus cases has been recorded in the last few days. Similarly, the Albuquerque Area of the Indian Health Service, which includes the reservation, has reported a spike in COVID-19 positive results.
Zia has about 700 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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