WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Navajo Nation health officials on Wednesday reported 222 new COVID-19 cases and one more death.
The latest figures increased the tribe’s totals since the pandemic began to 24,247 cases and 838 known deaths.
Health officials said nearly 211,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus on the reservation and more than 12,500 have recovered.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
Citing the high number of new COVID-19 cases, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said the tribe is beginning to see the results of in-person family gatherings during the recent holidays. There were 118 cases reported Tuesday along with 15 deaths.
On Monday, the Navajo Department of Health identified 73 communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 on the tribe’s vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The Navajo Nation has renewed a mandated lockdown requiring all residents to stay home except for emergencies, shopping for essentials such as food and medicine or traveling to an essential job. The lockdown is slated to last until Monday.