Ohkay Owingeh

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Posted: April 21, 2020

A home in Ohkay Owingeh in New Mexico. Photo: Chuck Olsen

Ohkay Owingeh is reporting promising developments in the fight against the coronavirus in northern New Mexico.

Of the 174 citizens who were tested for COVID-19, none are positive, the tribe said in an update on April 20, 2020.

The large-scale testing was conducted in coordination with the New Mexico Department of Health. Though the effort largely focused on first responders and health professionals, it accounted for nearly 10-12 percent of the tribal population on the reservation.

A tribal citizen who lives off the in Albuquerque did test positive but has recovered. The person had recently been at Ohkay but no positives in connection with the case have been recorded, the tribe said on April 7.

There was one other positive case connected to Ohkay — the person was a client of the treatment center on the reservation. All tests among staff and other clients returned negative, the tribe said.

Ohkay Owingeh is located in Rio Arriba County. Despite being home to a large city of more than 10,000 people, the county has recorded just 11 cases as of April 21, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.

Overall, however, tribal citizens in New Mexico are being disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. According to the state, more than 41 percent of COVID-19 cases are of American Indians and Alaska Natives even though they only account for 9.5 percent of the overall population.