Navajo Nation delays reopening of government offices until mid-August

by Rebecca Klar - 07/22/20 10:28 PM ET

Sam Wasson/Getty Images
An American flag with an image of Native American on it is attached to a fence outside a home in the East To’Hajiilee housing community amid the spread of the coronavirus on May 25, 2020 in To’Hajiilee Indian Reservation, New Mexico. The Navajo Nation, which is currently suffering the highest rate of COVID-19 cases in…

Navajo Nation leaders delayed the reopening of government buildings until the middle of August as they extended an emergency declaration amid rising coronavirus cases in surrounding areas off the reservation.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said he signed an order extending the emergency declaration, keeping government offices and entities closed until Aug. 16.

“The data shows that the Navajo people are doing a good job in bringing eh number of COVID-19 cases to a steady decrease on the Navajo Nation, but nearby border towns and cities such as Phoenix and Albuquerque continue to show increases in new cases,” Nez said in a statement. “We cannot play politics with this potentially deadly virus, instead we have to listen to our health care experts and analyze the data.”

Navajo Nation extends emergency declaration and government closure to August 16th due to rise in COVID-19 cases in nearby towns and cities pic.twitter.com/6eDP8oPitQ

— Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (@NNPrezNez) July 23, 2020

The Navajo Nation’s stay-at-home order also remains in effect, requiring all individuals on Navajo Nation land to stay at home and limit public contact with others.

The Navajo Department of Health reported 45 new cases and six new deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, Nez tweeted.

6,456 recoveries, 45 new cases, and six more deaths related to COVID-19 reported as health experts prepare for flu season pic.twitter.com/LqBUFVy0O7

— Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (@NNPrezNez) July 23, 2020