The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing results as of 11:59 pm Eastern on May 25, 2020.
According to the data, 104,692 tests have been administered within the IHS system. Of those, 9,179 have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of nearly 2 percent from the 9,001 cases previously reported.
Overall, testing increased by 1.9 percent between May 24 and May 25. The low growth rates in testing and positive cases are indicative of lulls seen during weekends.
Altogether, nearly 8.7 percent of tests are returning positive. But the rate is much higher, 22.2 percent, in Navajo Area, which serves the largest reservation in the United States.
The Phoenix Area, with 13.5 percent of tests returning COVID-19 positive, and the Nashville Area, with nearly 12.5 percent positive, are also higher than the IHS national rate.
On the other end of the spectrum, aggressive efforts in the Alaska Area are turning up very few cases. Out of 16,719 tests administered, only about 0.17 returned positive, the data shows.
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.
According to the IHS budget justification for the current fiscal year (2020), there were 2,895,571 American Indians and Alaska Natives in the U.S., which is the most recent user population estimate. Based on that number, 3.6 percent of Native Americans have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.
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 May 25, 2020.
| IHS Area | Tested | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 16,719 | 28 | 13,645 |
| Albuquerque | 9,833 | 683 | 5,198 |
| Bemidji | 4,071 | 145 | 2,498 |
| Billings | 9,185 | 188 | 7,884 |
| California | 2,681 | 107 | 2,077 |
| Great Plains | 5,609 | 252 | 5,328 |
| Nashville | 4,463 | 557 | 3,758 |
| Navajo | 23,476 | 5,223 | 17,034 |
| Oklahoma City | 14,086 | 309 | 12,384 |
| Phoenix | 10,174 | 1,375 | 8,460 |
| Portland | 3,339 | 270 | 2,885 |
| Tucson | 1,056 | 42 | 894 |
| TOTAL | 104,692 | 9,179 | 82,045 |
IHS: https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/
IHS COVID-19 Dashboard
HHS Small Ambulatory Program Awards $55 Million to 15 Tribes and Tribal Organizations (Indian Health Service)
Indian Health Service Announces New Deputy Director for Quality Health Care and Enterprise Risk Management (Indian Health Service)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
White House Office of Management and Budget (Joe Biden Administration)
Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (Arizona, Navajo Nation)
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC)
Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human Services)
Navajo Nation Town Hall (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah)
Navajo Nation (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah)
Tribal organizations statement on advance appropriations for Indian Health Service
Indian Health Service Statement on Advance Appropriations (Department of Health and Human Services)
Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human Services)
Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human Services)
Navajo Nation (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah)