Another round of coronavirus testing at Ohkay Owingeh has turned up no positive cases of COVID-19, tribal leaders announced on May 29, 2020.
A total of 507 tests were administered at the Ohkay Hotel Casino on May 21 and May 22. Tests were available to tribal citizens and other residents of northern New Mexico.
“If you were tested on any of these days your results were negative,” a memo from the tribal administration reads.
The tribe previously engaged in widespread testing in April. About 10-12 percent of citizens living in the community were tested. None were positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
A tribal citizen who lives off the reservation, though, contracted COVID-19. The person has recovered, according to the tribe.
Additionally, a client of the substance abuse center on the reservation tested positive. Employees and other people who may have come into contact with the person were also tested. None were positive for COVID-19.
Ohkay Owingeh is located in Rio Arriba County. Despite being home to a large city of more than 10,000 people, the county has recorded just 44 COVID-19 cases as of May 24, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. No deaths from the coronavirus have been reported in the county.
Overall, tribal citizens in the state are being disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. According to the data, 57.8 percent of COVID-19 cases are of American Indians and Alaska Natives even though they only account for 9.5 percent of the overall population.
