PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez is hoping his community won't experience another surge in COVID-19 cases this holiday season.
Data shows the nation managed to avoid a huge spike over the Thanksgiving break and Nez is optimistic Navajo residents will responsibly do their part to prevent the coronavirus from spreading during the Christmas holiday.
In December 2020, the Navajo Nation's weekly case counts for COVID-19 jumped by more than 1,500 from numbers recorded a couple months prior.
"We learned a lot from last year with the big increase in cases during the holiday season," Nez told 12 News. "What's different this time around is we have a lot more of our Navajo citizens that are vaccinated."
At least 72% of Navajo residents are fully vaccinated, Nez said, and the nation's leaders are continuing to encourage more residents to get the shot.
In order to keep case numbers low, the nation is encouraging travelers and college students returning home this winter break to get tested beforehand for COVID-19.
"We want to protect our families and we also want to make sure that the Navajo Nation is safe for our Navajo people," the president added.
Positioned in the northeastern portion of Arizona, the sprawling Navajo community experienced some of the country's highest infection rates at the start of the pandemic last March. As of this month, the nation has had 40,615 confirmed cases and 1,569 COVID-related deaths.
Last December, the nation's leaders warned local hospitals had reached their "breaking point" and had resorted to sending patients to other facilities.
Nez said the nation's health facilities are currently operating between 80-90% patient capacity, which includes the treatment of non-COVID patients.
Unlike most of Arizona, the nation has continued to uphold strict protocols intended to mitigate the spread of the virus. Masks are still required in public spaces and social distancing continues to be encouraged.
President Nez said the nation is planning to implement a new rule that would obligate Navajo employees to undergo a COVID-19 test before participating in small gatherings. Government-sponsored events with more than 15 people would require participants to show proof of vaccination or a COVID-19 test.
"This virus is not going away anytime soon and so we are going to be implementing a lot more testing," Nez said.
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