Navajo Nation trails only New York, Louisiana in coronavirus tests per capita

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

last updated 19 April 2020

The novel COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has exposed many underlying issues faced by the Navajo Nation, which has seen 1,197 residents test positive for the virus, including 44 who died, NBC News reports.

Residents have spoken about the difficulty in following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as washing your hands, since some families have limited access to running water. Health-care systems are also underfunded, and underlying conditions are common among the population, which stretches parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. With all that in mind, the fact that people on the Navajo Nation are testing positive at a rate more than nine times higher than the entire state of Arizona sounds alarming.

It certainly is, but The Salt Lake Tribune put a slightly different spin on the figures, noting that the testing rate is actually far higher than in most states. Indeed, if the Navajo Nation were a state, it would trail only New York and Louisiana in tests-per-capita, suggesting it's ahead of the game. It also means the data is likely more accurate, which can lead to a "better understanding of results" so people "can better prepare" and acquire the necessary resources.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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