WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Officials on the Navajo Nation reported 153 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday and four more deaths.
The figures bring the total number of cases on the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to 22,526. More than half of those people have recovered, the Navajo Department of Health said. The death toll is 781.
Navajo President Jonathan Nez said the tribe is seeing some improvement in the number of cases reported daily but is expecting an increase as a result of the Christmas holiday. He urged residents to celebrate the new year with only those in their immediate household.
“The more we travel and the more that people hold in-person gatherings, the greater the risk of spreading the coronavirus,” he said in a statement.
Tribal officials have scheduled a virtual meeting Thursday to provide information and updates about the pandemic. Nez said he and other tribal officials will be vaccinated against the coronavirus during the meeting.
