The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing results as of June 26, 2020.

According to the data, 19,005 tests have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents a 1.3 percent increase from the 18,760 cases previously reported.

Altogether, 260,304 tests have been administered through June 26. That represents an increase of nearly 1.7 percent from the day prior.

In both instances, the low growth rates can be attributed to lull in data seen as  the weekend approaches.

Overall, 7.3 percent of IHS tests are returning COVID-19 positive, the data shows. But the rate is far higher in the Phoenix Area, where nearly 19.2 percent  of the results are positive.

Closely following is Navajo Area, which serves the largest reservation in the United States.  But even with about 18.68 percent tests returning positive, the rate has steadily dropped in the last several days.

The Nashville Area,  which covers a wide area of Indian Country, including the South and Northeastern parts of the U.S., also continues to show a high positive rate of nearly 11.4 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, aggressive efforts in the Alaska Area are turning up very few cases. Out of 44,149 tests administered in Alaska, only 0.24 returned positive, the data shows.

The Alaska Area also outnumbers every other area in terms of tests administered. It has surpassed the Navajo Area as well as the Oklahoma City Area.

The data, however, is incomplete. While 100 percent of facilities run directly by the IHS are reporting data, only 33 percent of tribally managed facilities and 44 percent of urban Indian organizations are doing the same, the agency has told Indianz.Com.

The agency also provided to Indianz.Com the service population for 2019: 2,562,290. Based on that figure, 10.2 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.

The IHS user population, on the other hand, is a much smaller number. As of 2019, 1,662,834 American Indians and Alaska Natives have lived within a service delivery area and have received health care at an IHS or tribal facility during the previous three years.

Based on the user population, 15.7 percent of Native Americans have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.

COVID-19 Cases by IHS Area

Data are reported from IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organization facilities, though reporting by tribal and urban programs is voluntary. Data reflect cases reported to the IHS through 11:59 pm on June 26, 2020.

Source: https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/ (Indian Health Service)