Navajo President Nez advocates for more free COVID-19 tests for tribal members

by Julia Thompson
  • Slug: Navajo COVID Tests
  • Run time: 1:18
  • Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download.)

By Emma VandenEinde
Cronkite News

Script:

COVID-19 CASES IN ARIZONA HIT A RECORD WEDNESDAY AND NOW ARE STARTING TO SLOWLY DECLINE. THERE WERE OVER 14-THOUSAND CASES REPORTED THURSDAY. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES.

THE NAVAJO NATION IS SEEING A SIMILAR SURGE, ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT JONATHAN NEZ. THE NATION REPORTED TRIPLE DIGITS THURSDAY WITH 113 NEW COVID-19 CASES.

DESPITE THE NUMBERS, NEZ SAYS THERE’S BEEN VERY FEW HOSPITALIZATIONS…WHICH  HE ATTRIBUTES TO HIGH VACCINATION RATES ON THE NATION. BUT NEZ IS CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING TESTS OUT TO FAMILIES WHO NEED THEM.

<JONATHAN NEZ/PRESIDENT, NAVAJO NATION>

“THERE ARE MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING UNDER ONE ROOF, AND SO WHEN YOU USE A POST OFFICE BOX, OTHER FAMILIES MAY USE THE SAME P.O. BOX NUMBER SO….THE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, THEY’RE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FREE TEST KITS.”

NEZ ISN’T THE ONLY ONE SEEKING CHANGES. CONGRESSMAN TOM O’HALLERAN, A DEMOCRAT, RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASKING FOR A PRIORITY SHIPMENT OF TESTS TO TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

UNTIL THEN, NEZ SAYS NAVAJOS WILL CONTINUE TO WASH THEIR HANDS, KEEP THEIR DISTANCE AND WEAR MASKS.

EMMA VANDENEINDE, CRONKITE NEWS.