The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing results as of 11:59 pm Eastern on May 26, 2020.
According to the data, 112,268 tests have been administered within the IHS system. Of those, 9,545 have returned positive for COVID-19, the diseased caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of nearly 4 percent from the 9,179 cases previously reported.
Overall, testing increased by 7.2 percent between May 25 and May 26. That follows a weekend/holiday lull in which testing grew by just 1.9 percent between May 24 and May 25.
Altogether, 8.5 percent of coronavirus tests reported by IHS are returning positive. But the rate is much higher, nearly 22.4 percent, in Navajo Area, which serves the largest reservation in the United States.
The Phoenix Area, with nearly 12.7 percent of tests returning COVID-19 positive, and the Nashville Area, with nearly 13.3 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 17,517 tests administered, only about 0.16 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, nearly 3.9 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 26, 2020.
| IHS Area | Tested | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 17,517 | 28 | 14,273 |
| Albuquerque | 10,889 | 702 | 6,023 |
| Bemidji | 5,475 | 222 | 3,651 |
| Billings | 10,066 | 197 | 8,892 |
| California | 2,766 | 113 | 2,122 |
| Great Plains | 5,672 | 259 | 5,384 |
| Nashville | 4,562 | 605 | 3,829 |
| Navajo | 23,887 | 5,343 | 17,299 |
| Oklahoma City | 15,065 | 321 | 13,356 |
| Phoenix | 11,205 | 1,417 | 9,074 |
| Portland | 3,959 | 286 | 3,441 |
| Tucson | 1,205 | 52 | 1,088 |
| TOTAL | 112,268 | 9,545 | 88,432 |
IHS: https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/
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