Author: Arlyssa Becenti

Days before the novel coronavirus hit the Navajo Nation, Jill Jim, director of Navajo Nation’s Department of Health, stood before health-care facility leaders and explained the Navajo name of the deadly virus, “Dikos Ntsaaígíí-19,” that inevitably invaded the Nation.

The Navajo Nation’s three-week stay-at-home lockdown is in effect 24-hours a day, seven days a week with the exception of essential workers, cases of emergencies, and to purchase essential items such as food and medication when essential businesses are open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The Navajo Police Department will increase its enforcement of the lockdown and will patrol roadways and communities to help ensure compliance.

It was a long shot that Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer would approve this resolution, especially with the spike in COVID-19 cases over the past month as the Navajo Nation suffers its second wave.

“With nearly 900 new cases of COVID-19 reported on the Navajo Nation in the last week and with surging cases across the country, we have to implement these public health measures to protect our Navajo people and reduce the spread of this virus,” stated Navajo President Jonathan Nez. “We are inching closer and closer to a major public health crisis in which we could potentially see our hospitals filling up with patients. Our health care system on the Navajo Nation cannot sustain a long-term surge in COVID-19 cases. The safest place to be is at home here on the Navajo Nation.”