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Posted: July 21, 2022

ihscovid19The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data, showing results through July 20, 2022.

According to the data, 497,696 tests have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of 1.1 percent from a week prior on July 12.

Altogether, 4,575,701 coronavirus tests have been administered within the IHS, the results show. That represents an increase of 0.7 percent from a week prior.

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 20.

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, 11.6 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 21.7 percent, one of the highest rates seen since the 2021 Christmas holiday season.

Note that the Billings Area, which covers Montana and Wyoming, did not report any new data for July 20. The results for the region are identical to those from July 17.

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 20, 2022.

 
IHS Area
 
 
Tested
 
 
Positive
 
 
Negative
 
Cumulative
percent
positive
7-day rolling
average
positivity
Alaska 1,083,845 52,945 890,119 5.6% 12.6%
Albuquerque 153,551 14,606 118,337 11.0% 9.1%
Bemidji 308,498 30,811 276,189 10.0% 21.7%
Billings 156,271 13,645 137,917 9.0% 0%
California 183,077 21,142 154,324 12.0% 29.4%
Great Plains 256,966 26,698 228,160 10.5% 15.7%
Nashville 180,615 18,885 151,743 11.1% 27.1%
Navajo 518,026 75,303 373,351 16.8% 27.2%
Oklahoma 1,104,101 167,237 926,212 15.3% 22.1%
Phoenix 310,619 46,964 260,984 15.3% 32.7%
Portland 239,273 20,376 218,275 8.5% 27.4%
Tucson 80,859 9,084 71,506 11.3% 21.6%
TOTAL 4,575,701 497,696 3,807,117 11.6% 21.7%

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

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

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