Cautious Navajo Nation leaders are keeping mask restrictions and social distancing despite CDC relaxation

Worried about COVID-19, Navajo Nation ignores CDC, keeps masks and social distancing Navajo Nation leaders are keeping mask restrictions and social distancing despite a high COVID-19 vaccination rate and CDC recommendations. Trevor Hughes

A year after experiencing one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation, the Navajo Nation is rapidly approaching herd immunity via an aggressive vaccination campaign. Still, tribal leaders said they will continue to require curfews, gathering limits and masks, even though federal health guidelines state those restrictions are generally unnecessary among vaccinated people.

Health experts and Navajo alike said generations of lessons about how susceptible Native Americans are to outside diseases and infections have taught them to be extra careful about public health. ...

COVID-19 hit many urban, coastal areas hardest at first, then quickly sickened Native Americans across the country. Native Americans were 3.5 times more likely to get the coronavirus than non-Hispanic white Americans, and their mortality rate was twice of white Americans, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Native Americans were also more likely to get sick younger than other Americans, with 40 years old being the average age of the infected, compared to 51 years old for white Americans. Early data showed that the COVID-19 case rates among Native Americans were nearly 600 per 100,000, compared to 169 per 100,000 for white Americans, according to data that the CDC admits likely understates the severity of the situation because of poor data collection regarding COVID cases and race and ethnicity.

Today, more than 70% of the eligible population served by the Indian Health Service on the Navajo Nation has been fully vaccinated, giving the reservation one of the highest vaccination levels nationally, tribal officials said. Overall, more than 104,000 people have been fully vaccinated, with officials currently working on kids ages 12 to 15.

Although they are now permitting in-person gatherings of up to 15 people and gradually allowing roadside craft sales, tribal health officials said they're unlikely to relax the restrictions, especially since they're now considering reopening to visitors. Tribal parks, including the popular Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon areas, have been closed for more than a year, eliminating a major income stream from tourists.

The CDC has said vaccinated people can resume normal activities without wearing a mask or distancing if allowed under local or state rules. Navajo officials said tourists from other areas will still be required to wear masks when visiting, at least in the short-term. ...