WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Nation is coming up on a week of reporting no additional deaths of the coronavirus on the vast reservation where safety precautions like a mask mandate and daily curfews remain.
The tribe on Friday reported no new deaths for the sixth consecutive day, and 13 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The latest numbers brought the pandemic totals to 30,355 cases, including four that had been belatedly reported, and 1,262 deaths.
So far, 16,475 people have recovered from COVID-19, tribal health officials said.
The tribe had been easing into reopening but that slowed somewhat after coronavirus variants were confirmed on the reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. Tribal officials urged residents to stay vigilant.
Navajo President Jonathan Nez said the tribe recently had a cluster of COVID-19 cases as a result of a family gathering where people were not wearing masks.
Tribal public health orders mandate that masks be worn on the reservation and a daily curfew is in effect. Restaurants cannot have dine-in services. Navajo Nation roads also are closed to visitors and tourists, which doesn’t affect travel on state highways that run through the reservation.
