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Posted: June 24, 2022

ihscovid19The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data, showing results through June 22, 2022.

According to the data, 478,367 tests have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Altogether, 4,474,272 coronavirus tests have been administered within the IHS, the results show.

Since mid-October of 2020, the IHS has been providing additional information about the spread of the coronavirus within the system. The cumulative percent positive column shows the historical COVID-19 infection rate, meaning the number of tests that have returned positive since the onset of the pandemic.

Based on the cumulative percent positive, the highest rates have been seen in five of 12 IHS areas. Two of them include the state of Arizona, indicating a disproportionate toll of COVID-19 in the state:

On January 19, the Oklahoma City Area overtook the Phoenix Area as the region with the second highest percentage of cumulative percent positive tests. But the two regions still have nearly the same cumulative positivity rate as of June 22.

The 7-day rolling average positivity column offers a more contemporary look at the impact of the coronavirus. The data shows where COVID-19 cases have been increasing recently in the 12 areas of the IHS.

Overall, 11.4 percent of IHS tests have been positive since the onset of the pandemic, the data shows. Meanwhile, the 7-day positivity rate has been steadily rising in the last couple of weeks. It has grown to 17.7 percent, one of the highest rates seen since the 2021 Christmas holiday season.

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.

Beginning June 7, 2021, the IHS began updating its coronavirus data on a weekly basis. But as the number of COVID-19 cases grows again, the agency is updating results twice a week — usually on Mondays and Thursdays. Throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, results were provided by the IHS every day.

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 Jun 22, 2022.

 
IHS Area
 
 
Tested
 
 
Positive
 
 
Negative
 
Cumulative
percent
positive
7-day rolling
average
positivity
Alaska 1,071,017 51,290 881,936 5.5% 7.7%
Albuquerque 150,328 14,128 115,575 10.9% 22.9%
Bemidji 305,171 30,174 273,554 9.9% 19.8%
Billings 153,929 13,414 135,923 9.0% 12.2%
California 180,406 20,520 152,323 11.9% 21.3%
Great Plains 252,515 26,046 224,370 10.4% 8.8%
Nashville 166,995 17,517 144,462 10.8% 15.9%
Navajo 503,126 71,080 364,172 16.3% 25.1%
Oklahoma 1,072,939 160,809 901,269 15.1% 16.3%
Phoenix 304,260 44,968 256,605 14.9% 26.5%
Portland 233,680 19,560 213,168 8.4% 17.5%
Tucson 79,906 8,861 70,775 11.1% 18.1%
TOTAL 4,474,272 478,367 3,734,132 11.4% 17.7%

COVID-19 testing data is updated on Mondays and Thursdays by 5 pm ET.

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

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