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Posted: June 15, 2020

The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing results as of 11:59 pm Eastern on June 13, 2020.

According to the data, 15,241 tests have returned returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of 1 percent from the 15,085 cases previously reported.

Altogether, 194,332 coronavirus tests have been administered within the IHS through June 13. That represents a 1 percent increase from the day prior.

The low growth in testing and positive cases reflects a lull seen in IHS data during weekends.

Overall, 7.8 percent of IHS coronavirus tests are returning positive, the data shows. But the rate is far higher, about 21.1 percent, in the Navajo Area, which serves the largest reservation in the United States. 

The Nashville Area, with 13.1 percent of tests returning COVID-19 positive, and the Phoenix Area, with nearly 12.4 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 29,080 tests administered in Alaska, only 0.22 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.

The agency also provided to Indianz.Com the service population for 2019: 2,562,290. Based on that figure, 7.6 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.

The IHS user population, on the other hand, is a much smaller number. As of 2019, 1,662,834 American Indians and Alaska Natives have lived within a service delivery area and have received health care at an IHS or tribal facility during the previous three years.

Based on the user population, 11.7 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 June 13, 2020.

IHS Area Tested Positive Negative
Alaska 29,080 65 22,096
Albuquerque 15,178 869 10,302
Bemidji 9,673 292 9,732
Billings 17,173 263 14,077
California 3,437 142 2,776
Great Plains 11,302 639 10,316
Nashville 6,949 914 5,727
Navajo 35,134 7,405 25,182
Oklahoma City 29,615 626 27,831
Phoenix 27,118 3,364 22,891
Portland 7,701 567 6,884
Tucson 1,972 95 1,766
TOTAL 194,332 15,241 159,580

IHS: https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus/

IHS COVID-19 Dashboard

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