COVID-19 in Indian Country
Dr. Ronald J. Graham (Absentee Shawnee) is the new president of Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas.

The HEROES Act, a bill that provides $20 billion for tribal governments, and rule changes to allow remote proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic are up for debate in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing 6,436 COVID-19 cases within the system as of May 13, 2020.

The Food and Drug Administration is alerting the public to early data that suggest potential inaccurate results from using the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care test to diagnose COVID-19. Specifically, the test may return false negative results.

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Arizona) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) are hosting a roundtable on May 15, 2020, with three national tribal organizations to discuss the newly introduced Heroes Act.

The Billings Area Indian Health Service is announcing the expansion of specialty care services, allowing local providers to refer patients to see a specialist via a virtual clinic appointment.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, less than half of households on Tribal lands have access to fixed broadband service.

The Indian Health Service hosted a media briefing on May 14, 2020, to discuss the agency’s public health response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing 5,999 COVID-19 positive cases within the system.

The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, showing 5,773 COVID-19 cases within the system as of May 11, 2020.

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Arizona) is pleased that the Heroes Act includes $24 billion in funding for tribal governments and tribal organizations.

House Democrats are proposing temporary changes to allow for remote voting on the House Floor and virtual committee proceedings during the coronavirus pandemic.

White House Council on Native American Affairs Executive Director Tyler Fish and members of the Navajo Nation Council hosted a discussion with Navajo Nation Chapters on the federal government’s Native American affairs initiatives and its latest response to COVID-19.

The Early Childhood Education and Care Department has partnered with the Indian Affairs Department to distribute infant packages to Native communities across New Mexico.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury made a number of important announcements on the Payroll Support Program under Title IV of the CARES Act.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) released a statement today after House Democrats introduced the next COVID-19 emergency response bill, The Heroes Act(H.R. 6800).

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for introducing new comprehensive legislation, The Heroes Act, to help respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau approved $954,990 to the Navajo Nation Department of Health for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program

Representatives from the Department of Education and the Institute of Museum and Library Services will join our call to discuss resources offered for schools and libraries through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed the ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic, including efforts to increase aid to essential workers and state, local and tribal governments in the upcoming CARES 2 package.