The Navajo Nation 

Office of the President and Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2022

270 new cases, 39,753 recoveries, and one death related to COVID-19, frontline healthcare workers urge residents to get vaccinated/booster shot

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – On Friday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 270 new COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation and one more death. The total number of deaths is now 1,593. The report indicates that 39,753 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 427,922 COVID-19 tests have been administered. The overall total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 42,622, including 28 delayed reported cases.

Navajo Nation COVID-19 positive cases by Service Unit:

• Chinle Service Unit: 7,767
• Crownpoint Service Unit: 4,018
• Ft. Defiance Service Unit: 4,859
• Gallup Service Unit: 7,012
• Kayenta Service Unit: 3,659
• Shiprock Service Unit: 7,524
• Tuba City Service Unit: 5,278
• Winslow Service Unit: 2,483

* 22 residences with COVID-19 positive cases are not specific enough to place them accurately in a Service Unit.

On Friday, the state of Arizona reported 14,888 new cases, the state of Utah reported 9,469 cases, and New Mexico reported 4,246. The Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President held a special online town hall on Friday to provide important updates regarding the rise in COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation. Several frontline workers shared their personal accounts of working in emergency rooms with COVID-19 positive patients and witnessing families having to wish their loved one farewell when having to be transported to other health facilities. 

The frontline workers said they are seeing that patients who are fully vaccinated often have less severe symptoms than those who are unvaccinated. They strongly urged residents to get fully vaccinated and a booster shot to help reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. The online town hall can be viewed online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VZhcp8IQKo.

“Our frontline warriors are pleading for all of our people to get fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and to get a booster shot if you’re eligible. The vaccines do not guarantee that you won’t get COVID-19, but they are highly effective in preventing severe symptoms and they are saving lives every day across the country. The data shows that the majority of those who are severely ill and losing their lives to COVID-19 are the unvaccinated individuals. Our health care system here on the Navajo Nation is being challenged, but our frontline warriors are fighting hard for all of us. Let’s fight for them by getting vaccinated and stepping up our efforts to be cautious and to take extra precautions,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

Health care facilities on the Navajo Nation continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines. If you would like to receive one of the COVID-19 vaccines, please contact your health care provider and schedule an appointment.

“Our Nation is blessed with many men and women who put themselves at risk for all of us each and every day within our health care facilities and in our communities. Please remember them and their families, and please be careful and take safety measures to protect yourselves and others from COVID-19. We are in this together, let’s support one another, and please keep praying for our people and frontline workers,” said Vice President Myron Lizer. 

For more information, including helpful prevention tips, and resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19, visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website: http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19. For COVID-19 related questions and information, call (928) 871-7014.