Apache Chairman Rambler tests negative for COVID-19

Terry Rambler Photo/Facebook: San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler reported Friday that he has tested negative for COVID-19.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

SAN CARLOS – San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler announced Friday that he has tested negative for the novel coronavirus COVID-19. 

Rambler placed himself in self-isolation Wednesday at his home after realizing he had been at a facility on the reservation where a Globe resident who tested positive for the virus had been roughly a week prior. Even though the caretaker of the facility advised of a prompt cleaning schedule and healthcare workers on the reservation said he should be fine, Rambler self-isolated out of an abundance of caution, according to his statement released on social media. 

On Friday, Rambler advised that he had taken a rapid test newly available on the reservation and that it came back as negative for the virus. As of Thursday, the San Carlos Apache Reservation had 158 tests conducted with zero positive cases and two pending tests.

Terry Rambler Photo/Facebook: San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler sports a University of Arizona facemask and encourages others to follow his example.

“Now is the time to be humble,” Rambler said in his post. “I could’ve let my pride get in the way and say, ‘no, not me, it won’t infect me.’ But I chose to follow the law, rules, and guidelines set in place by our council, TERC, and our healthcare experts. We are all doing this for a reason – because we love you. We don’t want the virus to infect our elders, parents, children, and grandchildren. We want our people to survive this pandemic so that those children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren not born yet will have the awesome feeling of one day being Apaches – God’s children. We owe it to them. We cannot be selfish.”

Safford Mayor Jason Kouts also previously self-quarantined after falling ill earlier in March. Kouts tested negative for COVID-19 and instead had to battle pneumonia. 

As of Friday morning, 4,507 positive tests for COVID-19 have been reported in Arizona, with 169 deaths. 

Maricopa County leads the way with 2,404 positive tests, followed by Pima County with 819, Navajo County – 435, Coconino County – 304, Pinal County – 212, Apache County – 141, Yavapai County – 69, Mohave County – 51, Yuma County – 23, Cochise County – 20, Santa Cruz County – 15, La Paz County – 5, Gila County – 5, Greenlee County – 2, Graham County – 2. 

Graham and Greenlee counties combined four cases have completely recovered and there has been no reported additional spread from those initial outbreaks. Graham County hasn’t had an infection resulting in a positive test in more than a month.