Council to consider CARES funds as cases top 2,700

Posted by Arlyssa Becenti | May 8, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS, News |

WINDOW ROCK

With 1.6 percent of the reservation population known to be infected with COVID-19, the Navajo Nation government has the daunting task of figuring out how to quickly and effectively spend $600 million in federal COVID relief funding that arrived Wednesday.

There are now 2,757 positive COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation, and 88 people have perished of the disease, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Health.

Thursday night it was reported that the Navajo Nation Council dropped legislation for the $600 million Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, a day after the Navajo Nation Controller’s Office said the Nation had received it.

“Now that the Navajo Nation Council has legislation to consider, the Navajo People have every opportunity to speak to the proposed Navajo Nation CARES Fund Act. We invite the people of the Navajo Nation to submit their input through the official public comment process,” stated Speaker Seth Damon in a press release.

Meanwhile Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez has called a press conference on the funds for today at 10 a.m.

The Council’s legislation is open for the statutory five-day public comment period and will become eligible for action by the Budget and Finance and Law and Order Committees on Wednesday.

The two committees and the 24-member Naabik’íyáti’ Committee will consider the Navajo Nation CARES Fund Act legislation before it is considered by the full Navajo Nation Council.

Under the proposed Navajo Nation CARES Fund Act, organizations, Navajo Nation programs, chapters and related entities may develop coronavirus-related projects and expenditure plans for CARES funding, if the legislation is approved. Those proposed expenditure plans will be considered as attachments to future legislation and will become part of the public record.

“Through the proposed Navajo Nation CARES Fund Act, the Navajo Nation Council will consider new rules that allow participation by communities, programs and leadership towards developing an ongoing pipeline of projects that accomplish the intent of the COVID-19 relief funding the Navajo Nation has received in the time we have,” stated Damon.

The federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund allows funding to be used for necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19; were not accounted for in the tribal budget most recently approved as of Mar. 27, 2020; and are incurred from March 1, 2020 through Dec. 30, 2020.

Public comment on topics and legislation under consideration by the Navajo Nation Council may be submitted in written form to comments@navajo-nsn.gov; or by regular mail to Executive Director, Office of Legislative Services, P.O. Box 3390, Window Rock, AZ 86515.

Meanwhile, the number of identified COVID-19 cases climbed by 103 Thursday, higher than the previous day but still considerably less than the high of 180 new cases on April 24. About 10 percent of the population on the Navajo Nation has been tested, a much higher rate than in the surrounding states, the country as a whole and even South Korea, which was lauded for its early and comprehensive testing of its population.

McKinley County, New Mexico, with 762 cases and Apache County, Arizona with 701 have surpassed the original epicenter of Navajo County, Arizona with 591 and Coconino County, Arizona with 308, where the growth curve appears to be leveling.

Gallup has extended its lockdown to outsiders through this coming weekend in an effort to slow the spread.

In decreasing order, here is the rest of the reservation: San Juan County (New Mexico): 273 ; San Juan County (Utah): 46 ; Cibola County (New Mexico): 26 ; Socorro County (New Mexico): 26 ; Sandoval County (New Mexico): 21 ; Bernalillo County (New Mexico): 3.