PRESS RELEASE – Navajo Department of Health issues new Public Health Order for two 57-hour weekend lockdowns and limits travel outside the Navajo Nation
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Department of Health approved Public Health Order No. 2020-015, which resumes weekend lockdowns across the Navajo Nation from 8:00 p.m. (MDT) on Friday, June 19, to 5:00 a.m. (MDT) on Monday, June 22, and from 8:00 p.m. (MDT) on Friday, June 26, to 5:00 a.m. (MDT) on Monday, June 29.
The order also advises residents to avoid traveling off the Navajo Nation, as doing so can increase the chance of exposure to COVID-19. With the rapid rise of positive COVID-19 cases in areas surrounding the Navajo Nation, NDOH health officials advise that staying home is the best preventative measure to stop the spread of the virus.
All individuals on the Nation should remain home during lockdown hours except in the event of an emergency. The daily curfew exempts essential employees with official documentation or a letter of designation from their employer on official letterhead and contact information for verification. The weekend lockdown also requires the closure of all businesses on the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Health Command Operations Center advises individuals to follow preventative measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19 during the lockdown:
Plan and act ahead – ensure your entire family has enough food, water, animal feed, firewood, or coal, and fuel for the entire lockdown
Stay home and avoid inviting visitors into your home
Wear a face mask and maintain a minimum of six feet of physical distance from others
Avoid close contact with people who are ick and people who you do not live in your ousehold
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid contact with high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, etc.
Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, and mouth. Cover your mouth and nose with the best-available protective material, including masks, when in public.
Clean and disinfect your home and vehicles to remove germs on high-touch surfaces Avoid all non-emergency travel
The Navajo Department of Health is committed to ensuring the health and well bring of the Navajo People, and manages efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic on the Navajo Nation.
For more general COVID-19 information, helpful prevention tips, and more resources, please visit the Navajo Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/COVID-19 or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram search @navajodephealth. To contact the primary Navajo Health Command Operations Center, please email coronavirus.info@nndoh.org or call (928) 871-7014.
