The Navajo Nation 

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2020

3,158 recoveries, 57 new cases, and three more deaths related to COVID-19 reported as leaders urge Navajo residents to keep guard up

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. –  On Sunday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 57 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation and three more deaths. The total number of deaths has reached 311 as of Sunday. Reports from 11 health care facilities indicate that approximately 3,158 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with one health care facility report still pending. 44,207 people have been tested for COVID-19. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 6,611.

Navajo Nation cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 1,725
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 612
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 418
• Gallup Service Unit: 1,114
• Kayenta Service Unit: 960
• Shiprock Service Unit: 1,090
• Tuba City Service Unit: 543
• Winslow Service Unit: 141

* Eight residences are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit

On Sunday, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 1,233 new cases of COVID-19 for the entire state since Saturday, and more increases in hospitalizations, ICU bed occupancy, and ventilator usage due to the community spread of the virus. 

“With the state of Arizona relaxing its precautions and allowing its stay-at-home order to expire, the highly-populated areas are seeing dramatic increases. I cannot stress enough to our Navajo people the importance of staying home as much as possible. It only takes a few people traveling to Phoenix or other hotspots, to catch the virus and start another wave of new cases here on the Navajo Nation. Let’s remember that this virus started elsewhere and made its way into the Navajo Nation — people move the virus. If we stay at home, we isolate the virus. Keep wearing your masks – masks save lives,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. (MDT), President Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer will host another online town hall to provide the latest COVID-19 updates. There will also be updates provided by the U.S. Census office regarding the 2020 Census Count on the Navajo Nation.

“We are very thankful to all of the nurses, doctors, EMT personnel, police officers, firefighters, and many other frontline workers that continue to work around the clock to save lives and fight COVID-19 in our communities. They play a tremendous role in overcoming this virus and all of us as citizens of the Navajo Nation need to help them by staying home, wearing our masks, practicing social distancing, and praying for everyone,” said Vice President Lizer.

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 primary Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please call ‪(928) 871-7014.