The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing results as of 11:59pm Eastern on April 24, 2020.
According to the data, 25,435 tests have been administered within the IHS system. Of those, 2,726 have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents a 7.8 percent increase from the 2,258 cases previously reported.
Testing, meanwhile, has grown by 6.9 percent though not all regions are benefiting from the same gains, the data shows. The California Area, for example, has yet to break 1,000 tests despite serving the largest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the country.
The Tucson Area, meanwhile, has administered barely 10 new tests over the last two days in a region that serves more than 27,000 Native Americans. Like California, it too has yet to break the 1,000 tests milestone.
The Bemijdi Area falls in the same boat though the region is finally seeing a significant uptick in testing, according to the data. Testing grew by nearly 21 percent from prior results though the overall number is the lowest in the entire IHS.
In contrast, the Alaska Area saw a 26 percent increase in day-to-day testing, according to the data. The region, which serves nearly 175,000 Native Americans, shows the second-highest number of tests within the IHS.
“Data is reported from IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organization facilities, though reporting by tribal and urban programs is voluntary,” the IHS states on its website.
| IHS Area | Tested | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 3,271 | 16 | 2,262 |
| Albuquerque | 2,455 | 249 | 1,743 |
| Bemidji | 433 | 33 | 278 |
| Billings | 2,551 | 48 | 2,322 |
| California | 989 | 63 | 731 |
| Great Plains | 1,172 | 61 | 1,068 |
| Nashville | 1,509 | 113 | 1,168 |
| Navajo | 6,960 | 1,680 | 4,685 |
| Oklahoma City | 3,251 | 117 | 2,679 |
| Phoenix | 1,189 | 219 | 853 |
| Portland | 1,067 | 111 | 907 |
| Tucson | 588 | 16 | 478 |
| TOTAL | 25,435 | 2,726 | 19,174 |
IHS: https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/
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