As COVID-19 spreads through the Navajo Nation the San Carlos Reservation closes to non-tribal members

Contributed Photo: This sign off Blackrock Road in Fort Thomas advises of the San Carlos Reservation’s closure to non-tribal members.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

SAN CARLOS APACHE RESERVATION – As the novel coronavirus COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the Navajo Nation, there are currently no cases on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and they want to keep it that way by closing down to non-tribal members.

On March 23, the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council suspended all permits for access, recreation, game hunting, and fishing for non-tribal members until further notice. 

On March 26, the council also limited all public gatherings within a public building or outdoor facility area, park or structure to no more than 10 people. Exceptions include funerals and first responders, healthcare workers, essential government employees and those engaged in essential economic development enterprises and activities are exempt, according to the resolution.

The council also canceled all religious, faith-based and traditional ceremonies, suspended commercial bus services and closed down both its casinos.   

In an update to the San Carlos Apache Tribe on March 30, San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler spoke of how the virus has spread through the Navajo Nation and how serious it could be if the same thing happened to the San Carlos Apache Tribe. 

“We understand that the Navajo Nation outbreak has two causes, one was due to an out-of-state tourist who had a guided trip through the reservation,” Rambler said. “The guide then infested his family. The other was from a church revival where, again, an out-of-state person infected the congregation. The congregation was not practicing social distancing.”

Rambler added that the consequences for just a single positive case on the San Carlos Reservation could be dire. 

“If we get one case here, it will have an impact far greater than one case in the large cities,” Rambler said. “Think of it, one case among 12,000 tribal members living on our reservation as compared to one our of 1 million residents of Pima County. On our reservation, we only have 900 elders 65 years of age or older. It is just a matter of time. I urge you to consider what the state of Arizona is doing because they are preparing for the worst and so should we.”

The San Carlos Apache Tribal Emergency Response Commission is advising all members to attempt to shop only at local stores for groceries and that anyone who has traveled to a “hot spot” in Arizona – such as Maricopa, Pima, Navajo, Coconino, or Pinal counties, or   

As of Wednesday morning, Arizona had 1,413 positive COVID-19 cases with 29 deaths. The most populous county, Maricopa, had the most confirmed cases with 871, followed by the second-most populous county, Pima County, with 217. The other counties were led by Navajo County with 102, Coconino County – 85, Pinal County – 65, Yavapai County – 24, Apache County – 17, Yuma County – 12, Mohave County – 7, Cochise County – 4, Santa Cruz County – 3, La Paz County – 2, Graham County – 2, Gila County – 1, and Greenlee County – 1. The two cases in Graham County have made a full recovery. 

A total of 21,058 tests have been taken throughout Arizona with roughly 6 percent coming up positive. In Graham County, 72 tests have been taken (with the two positives) and in Greenlee County, there has been one positive out of 36 administered tests.