Window Rock, Ariz. • Navajo Nation health officials on Thursday reported 143 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 , but no additional deaths.
The latest figures bring the total number of known cases to 12,971 with the known death toll remaining at 596.
Tribal health officials said 135,864 people have been tested for COVID-19 since the pandemic started and 7,902 have recovered.
The Navajo Nation Department of Health on Wednesday warned residents of the “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19 in 34 communities on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The Navajo Nation will have a 56-hour weekend curfew beginning Friday night.
Tribal officials already have urged residents to wear face masks, practice social distancing and limit gatherings to less than five people.
The reservation spans more than 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers).
Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms with the coronavirus, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
