Navajo coronavirus cases now over 1,000; curfews imposed for next 2 weekends
Navajo Times | Donovan Quintero
A Navajo Police officer with the Tuba City District speaks to a driver about the curfew. A second weekend curfew is set to begin at 8 p.m. Friday.
WINDOW ROCK
Navajo Nation has reached 1, 042 COVID-19 cases and 41 deaths as of Thursday night.
In Arizona, Navajo County had 306 cases; Apache, 147; and Coconino, 199.
In New Mexico, McKinley County had 203 cases; San Juan, 140; Cibola, 13; Socorro, 10; and Sandoval, 12.
In Utah, San Juan County had 12 cases,
The Navajo Nation issued a new emergency order extending the 57-hour weekend curfew for the remaining weekends in April and closing essential businesses during the weekend curfews due to the spread of COVID-19.
The first weekend curfew begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 17, and ends on Monday, April 20, at 5 a.m. (MDT). The second weekend curfew begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 24, and ends on Monday, April 27, at 5 a.m.
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Guidelines for the curfew were sent out earlier Thursday. The order states that all individuals shall remain at home during curfew hours except in the event of an emergency and as described below.
The curfew does not apply to essential employees reporting to or from duty at an essential business that is exempt from closure, provided the employee has an official identification or a letter from their employer that includes a contact name and number for verification.
Individuals are still permitted to tend to livestock during weekend curfews. However, plan ahead to purchase hay and feed as vendors will not be permitted to operate to the public during the weekend curfew.
Individuals are not required to remain indoors during weekend curfews, but must limit movement beyond the immediate area of a residence or home site.
More weekend curfews may follow.
The public health order also outlines the following provisions for essential businesses.
Businesses, including restaurants and drive-through food establishments, shall be closed. Hay and other roadside vendors must cease operations for the duration of the weekend curfew.
The closure does not apply to health care operations, essential governmental functions, or essential Infrastructure activities.
The closure does not apply to gas stations and grocery stores, provided they comply with the following requirements.
Gas stations may operate on a limited basis to meet the needs of essential employees reporting to or from duty and people traveling for emergencies only. Operating hours are between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. (MDT) during the weekends.
No more than five customers at a time may be in any retail area, and no more than one person per family with exception of one accompanying caregiver for an elderly or disabled shopper.
Grocery stores may operate on a limited basis for essential employees reporting to or from duty and for people with emergency needs only.
Operating hours are between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. (MDT) during weekends.
No more than 10 customers at a time may be in a grocery store, and no more than one person per family with exception of an accompanying caregiver as described above.
Gas stations and grocery stores must maintain occupancy limits, social distancing and regularly disinfect all high-touch surfaces and clean retail areas and employee work areas.
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I-40, WB @ Winslow