PRESIDENT ABOUT THE NUMBERS. >> THE PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAJO NATION SAYS THAT IF WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE RATE PER-CAPITA, WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE IN WHICH THEY ARE TESTING. >> WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN CURVE DOWN HERE ON THE NATION. >> NEW DATA NOW SHOWING THAT THE NAVAJO NATION IS SURPASSING NEW YORK STATE, WITH THE HIGHEST PER-CAPITA CORONAVIRUS INFECTION RATE IN THE U.S. >> IF YOU FLIP IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND NAVAJO IS TESTING MORE OF THEIR POPULATION THAN ANY OF THE 50 STATES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IF WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PER-CAPITA LET’S ALSO KEEP THAT IN MIND. >> TUESDAY THE NATION REPORTING JUST OVER 4,000 POSITIVE CASES, AND 142 DEATHS. PRESIDENT JONATHAN NEZ SAYING THEY’VE GIVEN OVER 25,000 TESTS TO NAVAJO CITIZENS. >> WE’RE TESTING AT AROUND 13% AROUND THERE RIGHT NOW, WHILE OTHER STATES ARE BELOW 10%. SO LET’S BE FAIR. >> KOAT LOOKED AT DATA AND FOUND THAT THE NAVAJO NATION IS IN FACT TESTING HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE SOUTHWEST. >> WE’RE TESTING AGRESSIVLY HERE ON THE NAVAJO NATION, SO YOU’LL ALSO GET HIGH NUMBERS IN THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE RESULTS. >> THE NAVAJO NATION RECENTLY RECEIVED ABOUT $600 MILLION IN FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY, WHICH NEZ SAYS WHILE IT WAS LATE, IT’S GOING TO HELP IN CONTINUING TO FIGHT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. >> WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, WE ALL GOTTA LISTEN TO THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, OUR WARRIORS ON THE FRONTLINES, AND THE BEST PLACE TO BE IS AT HOME RIGHT NOW. >> EARLIER TODAY, THE NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL APPROVED THE CARES FUND ACT, NEXT STEPS ARE FOR THEM TO DECIDE HOW EXACTLY THIS MONEY WILL BE SPENT. REPORTING IN ALBUQUERQ
Navajo Nation surpasses NY state with highest per-capita coronavirus infection rate in US
Updated: 2:05 PM MDT May 20, 2020
Data shows the Navajo Nation now has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country. "We're doing everything in our power, utilizing our sovereign ability to govern ourselves to help bring that curve down on the Navajo Nation," President Jonathan Nez said. The nation is surpassing New York state with the highest per-capita coronavirus infection rate in the United States. Nez said if we're going to talk about the rate per-capita, we also need to look at the percentage in which they're testing."If you flip it the other way around, Navajo is testing more of their population than any of the 50 states throughout the country, if we're talking about per-capital," Nez said. "Let's also keep that in mind." Tuesday the nation reporting just 4,071 positive cases and 142 deaths. Nez said they've given over 25,682 tests to Navajo citizens. "We're testing at around 13 percent around there right now, while other states are below 10 percent, so let's be fair," Nez said. KOAT looked at data and found that the Navajo Nation is in fact testing higher than any other state in the southwest. "We're testing aggressively here on the Navajo Nation, so you'll also get high numbers in the positive and negative results," said Nez. The nation recently received about $600 million in federal stimulus money, which Nez said while it was late, it's going to help in continuing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic."Of course we gotta get PPE, we gotta get food and supplies to our Navajo citizens and also cleaning our government buildings," said Nez. "The need for telecommunication, broadband, water electricity, those have been a focus for the Navajo people." Nez said the funding is also going to help with long-time infrastructure problems the nation has dealt with. Tuesday the Navajo Nation council approved the CARES Fund Act. Next steps for the council are to decide how exactly to spend the money."We're all in this together, we all gotta listen to the healthcare professionals, our warriors on the frontlines, and the best place to be is at home right now," Nez said. Currently, the nation has six health care facilities. They've also been doing weekend lockdowns for the past several weeks.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Data shows the Navajo Nation now has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country.
"We're doing everything in our power, utilizing our sovereign ability to govern ourselves to help bring that curve down on the Navajo Nation," President Jonathan Nez said.
The nation is surpassing New York state with the highest per-capita coronavirus infection rate in the United States. Nez said if we're going to talk about the rate per-capita, we also need to look at the percentage in which they're testing.
"If you flip it the other way around, Navajo is testing more of their population than any of the 50 states throughout the country, if we're talking about per-capital," Nez said. "Let's also keep that in mind."
Tuesday the nation reporting just 4,071 positive cases and 142 deaths. Nez said they've given over 25,682 tests to Navajo citizens.
"We're testing at around 13 percent around there right now, while other states are below 10 percent, so let's be fair," Nez said.
KOAT looked at data and found that the Navajo Nation is in fact testing higher than any other state in the southwest.
"We're testing aggressively here on the Navajo Nation, so you'll also get high numbers in the positive and negative results," said Nez.
The nation recently received about $600 million in federal stimulus money, which Nez said while it was late, it's going to help in continuing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Of course we gotta get PPE, we gotta get food and supplies to our Navajo citizens and also cleaning our government buildings," said Nez. "The need for telecommunication, broadband, water electricity, those have been a focus for the Navajo people."
Nez said the funding is also going to help with long-time infrastructure problems the nation has dealt with. Tuesday the Navajo Nation council approved the CARES Fund Act. Next steps for the council are to decide how exactly to spend the money.
"We're all in this together, we all gotta listen to the healthcare professionals, our warriors on the frontlines, and the best place to be is at home right now," Nez said.
Currently, the nation has six health care facilities. They've also been doing weekend lockdowns for the past several weeks.