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Posted: July 5, 2022

ihscovid19The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data, showing results through July 3, 2022.

According to the data, 484,866 tests have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of 0.9 percent from a week ago on June 26.

Altogether, 4,509,113 coronavirus tests have been administered within the IHS, the results show. That represents an increase of 0.5 percent from a week ago.

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 July 3.

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 significantly to 20.0 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 Jul 3, 2022.

 
IHS Area
 
 
Tested
 
 
Positive
 
 
Negative
 
Cumulative
percent
positive
7-day rolling
average
positivity
Alaska 1,076,141 51,918 885,414 5.5% 11.6%
Albuquerque 151,854 14,343 116,917 10.9% 18.7%
Bemidji 306,876 30,447 274,957 10.0% 13.3%
Billings 154,145 13,443 136,109 9.0% 11.9%
California 181,069 20,673 152,828 11.9% 23.5%
Great Plains 253,520 26,152 225,277 10.4% 9.4%
Nashville 167,715 17,660 145,049 10.9% 22.3%
Navajo 508,093 72,524 367,424 16.5% 29.3%
Oklahoma 1,085,669 163,209 911,583 15.2% 19.0%
Phoenix 306,389 45,622 258,080 15.0% 30.6%
Portland 237,446 19,931 216,869 8.4% 21.2%
Tucson 80,196 8,944 70,982 11.2% 30.4%
TOTAL 4,509,113 484,866 3,761,489 11.4% 20.0%

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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