by Meteor Staff
Sunday, April 12
Flagstaff Coconino County Health and Human Services released new sets of statistics Saturday night. CCHHS reported 18 deaths, 236 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 33 tests pending and 863 negative tests to date.
The Navajo Nation has been hard hit by the outbreak. In a news story this morning Brenda Norrell reports in Censored News that the Navajo Nation reports that Dinétah is home to 698 people fighting the virus and 24 confirmed deaths.
Across Arizona there are 3,539 cases and 115 Arizona deaths according to a report from the CDC Sunday morning (4/12). That is 1,270 more cases from Sunday a week ago, a 56% increase.
There are 44 cases in the Flagstaff metropolitan area, 146 cases distributed among the Tribal communities across the county, Page reports 44 cases caused by the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 illness contributing to the total Coconino count of 236 countywide cases.
Deaths are overwhelming over age 65. Of the state’s 115 deaths, 78 have been in this age category.
Native Americans, older people and men are dying in disproportionate numbers in Arizona from COVID-19, according to new data released by the state’s health department Sunday.
Check point on Navajo Reservation. Photo Navajo Nation Police Department.The Navajo Nation is facing one of the fastest growing rates of new cases testing positive in the U.S. This weekend has seen an increase of 101 new cases just since Friday (4/10). See earlier Meteor story…
Native Americans make up 16% of those who have died from COVID-19, among the cases for which race and ethnicity are known, according to data released by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The American Community Survey’s 5-year estimates show about 4% of Arizonans are American Indian or Alaska Native.
But the data is incomplete. Race is unknown for 63% of the coronavirus cases and 48% of deaths.
On Friday night at 8 PM the Navajo Nation began enforcing a 57 hour curfew continuing through 5 AM Monday requiring people living on the Reservation to stay at home. Night time stay at home advisory has been in effect for weeks and will continue indefinitely but this weekend thru Monday morning the curfew runs around the clock in a further attempt to flatten the curve.
As experience grows and time marches forward the numbers begin to tell a story. The County’s reporting around the impacts of COVID-19 is becoming more sophisticated as more numbers roll in.
