Live Discussion on “Combatting COVID-19 in Indian Country” Scheduled February 11

The Indian Health Service is partnering with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian for a special live discussion on “Combatting COVID-19 in Indian Country” on February 11 from 2-3 p.m.

The conversation will feature HIS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Toedt, IHS Navajo Area Medical Officer Dr. Loretta Christensen and Great Lakes Tribal Health Board Chair Phyllis Davis. Dr. Charles Grim, Chickasaw Nation secretary of health, a former IHS director, will serve as the moderator. To register, click here.

As of February 3, the number of cases of COVID-19 among the Indian community has increased.

This data includes 180,057 positive tests for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to updated information from Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human Services).

This data is updated three times per week and examines the positive tests results from 13 regional IHS areas including Alaska, California and the Great Plains. The Indian Health Service is working to coordinate a comprehensive public health response during the pandemic and is cooperating with our tribal partners as well as state and local health officials. Information is voluntarily provided from IHS, tribal and urban Indian organizations to Indian Health Service, which then compiles all the data.

Since mid-October, the IHS has shared positive infection rates as well as information about the spread of COVID-19 to the public. The highest infections rates are currently in three areas, two of them in Arizona, where there is a 14.9 percent positivity rate in the Navajo area and a 14.9 percent positivity rate in the Phoenix area over the past week. There is also a 14.7 percent positivity rate in the Oklahoma City area. The Navajo Department of Health reported 1,047 deaths as for February 4.

Public health officials are cautioning the public about hosting in-person gatherings on Super Bowl Sunday due to the high risk of spreading the virus.

“We know that Super Bowl Sunday is a fun time for families and friends to enjoy, but we ask everyone to refrain from holding in-person gatherings due to the risks of Covid-19,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez told Native News Online. “We want everyone to enjoy the game safely to ensure your health and well-being. The COVID-19 variants are becoming a greater concern each day as more and more cases are reported in states and regions near the Navajo Nation. Please continue to take all precautions and please do not travel to border towns and cities off of our Nation. Stay home as much as possible, wear a mask or two masks in public, avoid in-person gatherings, practice social distancing, and wash your hands often,” he said.  Health care facilities across the Navajo Nation continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines during drive-thru events or by appointment. If you would like to receive the vaccine, please contact your health care provider for more information for your Service Unit.