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  2021-04-11

  Interview with Kristina Erickson: High school English Teacher weighs-in on School re-openings

  Conversation with Kristina Erickson an Arizona K-12 educator. Ms. Erickson weigh-ins on the March 15th executive order, in-person instruction, COVID protocols and procedures, and the future of education in her community
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  2021-04-10

  Muscogee (Creek) Nation provides mobile COVID-19 vaccine units to help rural Oklahomans get shot

  The Muscogee Creek Nation began a campaign in Oklahoma to provide COVID-19 vaccines to rural residents. The mobile vehicles feature refrigeration units and enough room for three nurses to work on administering the vaccine, completing the paperwork, and entering the data to the online system. "I'm not aware of anyone else taking vaccine into communities via a mobile unit so we are really excited to be able to expand this service into our rural communities and we hope to increase vaccination rates because of it," said Shoneen Alexander-Ross, Chief Performance Officer with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Health.
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  2021-04-09

  That time we closed down Figueroa street in protest fighting injustices to the people!

  #TBT That time we closed down Figueroa street in protest fighting injustices to the people! - If you saw my recent IG story where the police violated the rights of a black Deaf woman, this is a reminder we need to keep standing up, speaking up for our rights to be treated as a human being. I can not tolerate a world where those with power prey on those who understand thier power. - When I say Black Lives Matter this what I stand for everything else you see is just noise and will push away because all I know is Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Stand with Me. Let's do our part to shape a better world. Power to the People all the time.✊🏿 - 📷 Gratitude @aanaconda
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  2021-04-07

  POL COVID-19 Update: Possible UK Variant in Pueblo of Laguna

  Both vaccine makers, Pfizer and Moderna, have tested the effectiveness of their vaccines against the UK variant and tests are showing the vaccines are effective against this strain. The POL EOC strongly encourages that we all take individual responsibility to get vaccinated to protect ourselves and our children who are still not able to receive the vaccine. The virus still has a hold of us and is putting our community at risk so we must continue to remain vigilant.
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  2021-04-10

  Stay-At-Home Order Reinstated for Navajo Nation Residents

  The Navajo Nation has reinstated the “Stay-At-Home” order due to an increase of Covid-19 cases. Two weeks ago, there was one day with zero reported cases. On Friday, there were 26 reported new Covid-19 cases.
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  2021-04-06

  Gila County Health Department and COVID-19

  The Gila County webpage provides clear and concise information for residents on COVID-19 updates, as well as specific data to allow residents who wish to be vaccinated to choose which manufacturer's product they receive. This is unlike any of the major Arizona county sites, or even the state's site, as they do not allow residents to differentiate between the vaccines. Additionally, the information displayed here demonstrates how far ahead rural Gila County is in achieving President Joseph R. Biden's directive to allow all adults in America access to vaccines by April 19.
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  2020-04-27

  Pandemic Street Art: Cross-country Corona Chalk Project

  A group of chalk artists connected remotely to create a piece of chalk art to honor frontline workers. The artists were Naomi Haverland from Seattle, Washington, Jolene Russell from Sacramento, California, Anat Ronen from Houston, Texas, Jessi Queen from Atlanta, Georgia, Shelly and Dave Brenner from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dave photographed his wife Shelly, who is also a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, for a collaborative chalk art piece with each artist making their part in their hometown.
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  2021-03-30

  News Article: Greenlee County (AZ) down to just 2 active COVID-19 cases

  "By Jon Johnson, jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com GREENLEE COUNTY – The Greenlee County Health Department reported Monday that the county had just two confirmed active cases of COVID-19. Greenlee County has tested more than 5,000 people for the course of the pandemic and has had a total of 568 cases, with 556 recovered and 10 deaths. The county offers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to all residents 18-years-old or older, and on Thursday (01-April-2021) Gila Health Resources will have a vaccine clinic for the one-shot Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to learn more or to register. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, 37.5 percent of Greenlee County’s residents have been vaccinated for COVID-19. That is the highest percentage out of Arizona’s 15 counties. Conversely, Graham County is listed as having just 18.1 percent of its population vaccinated, which is the third-worst out of Arizona’s counties behind Maricopa County at 17.5 percent and Apache County at 10.7 percent. Graham County: The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported three new confirmed positive tests for COVID-19 on Tuesday. While Graham County has had 5,364 total confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of Tuesday the county had just 138 confirmed active cases. Out of all its confirmed cases, 5,150 are listed as being recovered, and 76 have died. Graham County is also offering both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to all residents 18-years-old or older. Click here for more information."
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  2021-04-05

  Online Article: ‘Burned out’: Portland cops leave scathing exit interviews

  This article from Oregon Live/The Oregonian was picked up by Police1, and it discusses a number of exit interviews that retiring and resigning Portland Police Bureau officers, detectives, and administrators left during the past year. Of particular interest is the section that discusses the story of Jaykary Jackson: "Young officers of color have left, including Jaykary Jackson, who went to Boise, and Elise Temple, who was one of the Police Bureau’s recruiters. Temple declined to comment on the record. Jackson didn’t respond to messages but he was one of the officers who spoke out last summer about being on the front line of racial justice protests as an officer with the Rapid Response Team. A graduate of Portland State University who joined the Police Bureau after working for Nike for 10 years, he said then that he became a cop because he “wanted to make the most out of my life by helping others.” He also was following in the footsteps of his father and aunt. But Jackson said he was disgusted by the hatred he and other officers faced while standing on the police lines. He got hit by an explosive one night, felt tingling in his fingertips and heat from the device, and got berated by young white protesters. Often when he tried to talk to someone of color at the protests, he said, “Someone white comes up and blocks them and tells them not to talk.” Or yells, “Eff the police ... don’t talk to him.” He left shortly after he was named to be a new community engagement officer." The article illustrates the additional concerns that officers in major cities and law enforcement agencies face, especially when their civilian oversight overwhelmingly seeks to placate protests with emotional vindication in lieu of reasoned, rational, and planned reforms.
• 2021-04-03

  Big business, bigger crowds.

  This is a tweet from Toronto Ontario which depicts an absolutely massive group of people crowding outside of an Ikea in North York. Just this week, Ontario has seen a massive spike in coronavirus cases, which has prompted the province into another shock lockdown. However, it is apparent that these restrictions are somehow not applicable to big business. Rather, this Tweet touches upon another important feature of the pandemic and the Canadian ‘lockdown.’ Smaller businesses have been forced to pay out of pocket for the adequate infrastructure to remain open during a pandemic, and in many cases have been forced to shut down when ordered to by the province. However, with each passing lockdown it becomes more apparent that these rules, restrictions, and realities do not apply to the larger corporations and super-stores such as Ikea and Wal-Mart. Larger companies can afford to take the fines, they can afford the infrastructure, PPE and much more – smaller businesses simply cannot operate in these conditions, and there has been insufficient aid to make sure that these smaller businesses, their owners and employees are properly protected. And while cases continue to rise, and smaller businesses are forced to close; it makes little sense to give a free pass to these large transnational multi-million dollar companies.
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  2021-03-27

  Is This Patriotic Enough?

  Lee Wong, chairman of the West Chester, Ohio, Township Board of Trustees, condemned anti-Asian violence during an impassioned speech that has now gone viral.
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  2021-04-01

  Live theaters get long-awaited reopening guidelines from state, but many hurdles remain

  San Deigo County has issued reopening guidelines for theatres. This marks the first time the theatres will be able to reopen in over a year. However, with the new guidelines theatres fear being accused of privacy violations.
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  2021-03-30

  News Article: Pima County keeps mask mandate in defiance of Gov. Ducey

  This article from the Associated Press relays the arguments Pima County officials have made in keeping mask mandates in place despite recent orders from Governor Doug Ducey on 25-March-2021 that prohibit new mask requirements and phase out current restrictions previously issued by local governments across Arizona.
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  2021-03-29

  Senior Border Patrol officer says border migrant flow will only worsen

  "Senior officer says border migrant flow will only worsen" By Lyda Longa, lyda.longa@myheraldreview.com, Mar 29, 2021 The situation with undocumented migrants flocking to the Southwest border of the United States from Mexico is only going to worsen, a senior Border Patrol agent warned Friday. The agent, who spoke to various media outlets during a conference call, said at least 380,000 undocumented people had been apprehended at the Southwest border in February and the numbers would be higher for March and beyond. The agent spoke on background with the agreement that media would not reveal his name. “I fully expect to see the numbers increase as we go into the summer months,” the senior agent said, concerning migrant crossings. In Cochise County that warning has begun to bear out near Douglas and in Willcox, where the already stretched-thin Border Patrol is arresting more single adults attempting to slip into the country or taking in and processing children who are flocking to the border unaccompanied. Douglas Mayor Donald Huish said Friday the latest information he received this week from Border Patrol agents at the station just outside Douglas is that they’re confronting and repatriating about 100 single adults daily who are trying to slip in illegally. “They are getting closer and closer to town,” Huish said. What concerns Huish even more is that Border Patrol agents from the Douglas station are being pulled out to help in busier areas such as Yuma and Tucson. “They’re siphoning them off to the western part of the state and leaving us with a skeleton crew,” Huish said. In Willcox, Mayor Mike Laws said he was told two weeks ago by the Border Patrol there were 54 unaccompanied children at the Border Patrol station. “That was two weeks go. Who knows now?” Laws said. “The station can only hold up to 81.” Laws said he was told by Border Patrol that a “third party” has been arriving at the facility and taking 10 to 20 children to Phoenix by via bus. The mayor said he does not know how often the transportation comes or who the third party is. “We have not seen anyone (undocumented migrants) running the streets so far,” Laws said. “All we have is the youths, but we don’t see them either.” Laws and Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller said citizens in their respective communities would gladly help the undocumented migrants but there aren’t enough resources available to do so. Laws, Mueller and other mayors in Cochise County signed a letter recently asking the federal government for help with the matter. Last week, the town of Gila Bend, which has a population of about 2,000, declared an emergency after Border Patrol agents dropped off a group of migrant families with children in a park. Gila Bend Mayor Chris Riggs told reporters he and his wife ended up using loaned vans to drive the families to the Phoenix Welcome Center so they would have a safe place to stay. Riggs said Border Patrol agents told him to expect more of the same. Mueller said there have been no such issues in Sierra Vista, but he is worried that the municipality, if hit with something similar to what happened in Gila Bend, would have no resources to offer. Last week Arizona senators Kyrsten Synema and Mark Kelly announced they’ve been pushing for more federal resources to help Arizona cities with a sudden influx of undocumented migrants. The senators helped secure at least $110 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as reimbursement to cities that assist migrants left within their jurisdictions. Also last week, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Florida Senator Rick Scott — who sits on the Homeland Security Committee — called on President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to visit the Southwest border. Ducey and Scott, accompanied by a handful of law enforcement and other elected officials, had toured a portion of the border near Douglas. At his first press conference on Thursday since taking office in January, Biden said he would come to the border soon, but thought a visit now would deflect attention from the issue at hand. The senior Border Patrol agent who spoke Friday, meanwhile, said 300 Border Patrol agents who work along the northern border of the U.S. have been “mandated” to the Southwest border to assist with the influx of migrants. He said about 2,000 family units out of the 6,000 who are trying to cross daily are being processed in Texas by the Border Patrol. The agent revealed that unaccompanied children are being kept in Border Patrol facilities longer than the 72 hours established by law because too many are showing up and agents are overwhelmed. “They’re keeping them a few days, sometimes up to a week,” the senior agent said. Once an unaccompanied child is encountered, Border Patrol contacts the Department of Health and Human Services. The latter makes arrangements for the migrant children to be taken by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The agent also mentioned an increase in the criminal element among undocumented migrants. “The threats we see are significant,” the senior agent said. “We have seen criminal (undocumented migrants).” Additionally, he said that COVID testing for migrants is only being done in facilities in Del Rio, Texas, and soon in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Other than that, testing is being undertaken by non-governmental agencies that are helping the migrants and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials. He said it was probable that some migrants with COVID-19 may have been released into communities.
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  2021-03-25

  Navajo Nation casinos reopen as new virus cases dwindle

  By Donovan Quintero | Mar 25, 2021 | Business, CORONAVIRUS | CHURCH ROCK, N.M. Peterson Zah has a concern. On Tuesday, while hundreds of Fire Rock Casino patrons tried to win some money, the former Navajo Nation president wanted to hear what the COVID-19 public service announcement sounded like in Navajo. “I didn’t hear any of the PSA while inside because it’s so noisy,” he said. After taking a step outside the casino, the former Navajo Nation president said he was able to hear it. But that raised a concern for him. “And it’s pretty good,” Zah said, explaining the PSA in Navajo was clear and concise. “But you can only hear that clear outside and inside you can’t really understand it.” Zah said he was concerned no one would hear the COVID-19 safety guidelines everyone needed to follow. His other concern was that since many Navajo people have gotten both doses of the vaccines, many of them might become emboldened. “The reason why I was concerned is people have this attitude that because of the shots … they say, ‘Hey, I’m immune, I don’t have to worry about the virus.’ So when I go places I’m gonna take mine (mask) off,”’ Zah said Tuesday. According to the president’s office, more than 76,000 people have been fully vaccinated as of March 23 and more than 191,000 total doses have been administered. Zah didn’t think people should take any chances by easing up on protecting themselves from the contagious respiratory virus because some people were not wearing masks. After being closed for more than a year, Fire Rock Casino and Northern Edge Casino were on the fifth day of a two-week “soft reopening.” Just the gambling portion of the casinos were open at 25% capacity, and only Navajo Nation residents were allowed into the casinos, according to Navajo Gaming interim CEO Brian D. Parrish. Parrish clarified Navajo Nation residents meant everyone, including non-Natives, living on the reservation would have access to the casinos during the reopening phase. “We’re doing it with a two-phase reopening plan that started with Fire Rock and Northern Edge first,” he said. “We’re going to reevaluate with the Navajo Nation. They’re going to do audits and monitor our implementation of our workplace safety plan.” Of the 1,180 casino employees, 650 have returned to work since last Friday, said Parrish. Employees like Fire Rock Casino housekeeper Mildred Russell, who said she’s been out of work for over a year, were happy to be working again. “It’s been a struggle,” Russell said while cleaning a slot machine last Friday. “Hopefully this pandemic will be gone and everybody can go back to their normal lives.” Other employees, like casino security officer Vernon Keeswood from Hogback, New Mexico, shared Russell’s gratitude for getting the call to go back to work. “It’s good,” he said on Tuesday during a telephone interview that was arranged by Michele J. Crank, executive director of communications and public relations for Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise. Instead of the usual hugs and shaking hands, Keeswood said, now it was “fist bumps” and “elbow bumps.” As for the reopening, he said many Northern Edge Casino customers “are pleased and happy” the Navajo casinos have begun reopening. He added a few customers were not sure if the casinos should reopen. “I hope everyone washes their hands and practices social distancing so we open to 100 percent capacity,” Keeswood said. “I hope it opens more.” After all, the threat of another COVID-19 outbreak looms on everyone’s mind, including that of Robert Peterson from Thoreau. “People are still afraid to come here but a lot of them want to enjoy being out instead of being stuck at home,” said Peterson, who said he lives alone, last Friday. Peterson said being alone and dealing with the pandemic has been hard for him. Despite his fears, he decided to head to Fire Rock to get his mind off COVID-19. Mary E. Silversmith, 79, from Lupton, Arizona, ensured no one came to visit her with a “no visitors allowed” sign posted on her hogan. She was happy to support the casino employees who returned to work. “The casinos were opened for the casino employees,” she said on Tuesday at Fire Rock. “Many of have children and they have bills to pay. “Because of that, I am OK with the reopening,” she said. “Some people have been criticizing the reopening. Not me, I don’t think that way or talk that way.” Before the pandemic, Silversmith said she frequently ate at Fire Rock, as well as at Twin Arrows Casino and Resort, when she had extra money to spend. Silversmith was wearing a surgical mask. To gain entry into both casinos during the soft reopening, a state ID, like a driver’s license, is required and a working number at which customers can be contacted. Temperature checks were also part of the requirements for anyone wanting to enter. After their temperature was checked, security asked customers to momentarily remove their masks and look at the front entrance security camera. The purpose of collecting all of the information is for contact tracing, said Parrish. “We have an excellent plan that’s in place,” he said. “We’ve had it reviewed and modified and enhanced by public health experts, not only on Navajo, but outside the Navajo Nation.” He added that Navajo Gaming invested close to $2 million in “equipment, supplies, signage, training,” to keep everybody safe. U.S. Indian Health Service officials toured both of the casinos’ kitchens on March 12, Parrish added, to review their safety procedures. “And in terms of reopening of the other properties, especially at a higher capacity percentage, that’s going to be based not only on how well the enterprise does, but what’s happening with the public health metrics, the rate of vaccinations on Navajo and other key indicators like that,” the interim CEO said. The Navajo Gaming enterprise’s careful planning even got praise from Jordan Schermerhorn, a senior research associate at Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security. Schermerhorn stated in an email to NNGE their plan showed the tribe was leading “the entire country in a smart, careful return to normalcy.” “Combined with the Navajo Nation’s outstanding vaccine rollout, this soft reopening shows what is possible with a data-driven pandemic response in a community dedicated to public safety,” Schermerhorn‘s email said. Even the ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems, which completely re-circulate the air inside the casinos 15 times a day, were reviewed, said Parrish. “We’re ready to go to fifty percent, we’re ready to offer food and we’re ready to bring the rest of our team back,” Parrish said. Zah watched casino patrons trying to win money as sounds from the Tuesday afternoon hustle and bustle all but drowned out the COVID-19 PSA. “So basically, the attitude shouldn’t be such now that because they got their shot they don’t have to worry about it,” he said. “It’s still around. Even though ninety percent of the people may be wearing their mask, or all of them, if one of them comes in that has it, then we’re in trouble.” Zah explained a new COVID-19 variant is much smaller than the original strain, which to him was why everyone needed to double mask. “If you can see light through your mask that means it’s gonna go through,” Zah said. “We gotta start wearing two masks.” He said he intends to go on KTNN and remind everyone not to run off to Phoenix or Albuquerque just because they’ve been vaccinated. “At the same time, they still have to follow those protocols,” he said. “I want to say, ‘You gotta start wearing double masks.’” As of Tuesday night, the Navajo Nation Department of Health reported a cumulative 30,010 cases of the virus and 1,233 deaths.
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  2021-03-26

  ‘They became warriors’: Reflections from the front lines as Tséhootsooí Medical Center workers share experiences

  By Rima Krisst | Mar 26, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS, People | Tséhootsooí Medical Center workers share experiences Wilberta “Billy” Jackson, public health nurse III This pandemic has been the longest roller coaster of stress, grief, and loss. I’ve kept my routine simple – sleep, eat, and exercise. And, more sleep. This has been and will probably be the most challenging time of our lives. I could focus on all the bad, but so much good has come from this, from community members stepping up, leaders rolling their sleeves up and getting dirty, how we came together to care for our elders, and so much more. Professionally, we’ve adjusted and readjusted a million times over and completely changed how we deliver health care. We’ve had information, guidance, and policies being added or changing every day and we still were able to deliver health care in a safe, efficient manner. At the beginning of the pandemic, our leaders were warning everyone about the health care system being overwhelmed. Most people thought about it in terms of hospitals running out of beds, but they didn’t think of it in terms of how an underfunded and shorthanded public health force would respond to a pandemic in a rural area with limited resources, and where a population’s most basic physiological and safety needs are not being met. When you don’t have access to clean water, food, shelter and security, you’re not able to prioritize prevention measures until your basic human needs are addressed. The resiliency of the Diné people is unrivaled. The days I’m struggling or feel like giving up, I hear my grandmother’s words, and that’s what keeps me going. And my mother’s surprise delivery of Navajo soul food meals. I’m a public health nurse, so it won’t come as a surprise that I’m excited about the COVID vaccines. We’ve already seen a substantial decline in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, so we know it’s working. My hope is that our response to the next pandemic or health care crisis won’t be complicated by politics, lack of national strategy, lack of preparation, and misinformation. Stacey Burnside, Primary Care registered nurse What I have learned from this pandemic is to cherish every day and every person that you love. COVID-19 has impacted my family and me profoundly. I lost an uncle and an aunt to COVID-19, and to this day, it is surreal that they are gone. As a primary care nurse, it is difficult to hear about losing a patient to COVID-19, and at the peak, it was almost a daily occurrence… The challenges that I faced during this pandemic were adapting to the changes in work roles and being separated from the people I love. The clinic that I worked in was closed when the pandemic hit the first peak, and I, along with my coworkers, was informed that we had to work in the Emergency Room. The moment that I saw a patient who needed me to be their nurse, despite having COVID-19, humbled me. That moment in the ER humanized COVID-19 for me and made me realize that I was put there for a reason. No matter what the situation is, nurses adapt, and the teamwork and strength we draw upon each other are phenomenal. A huge hit to me personally and professionally was losing a friend to suicide … dealing with grief, loss, and stress has been a daily thing. What has helped me is drawing strength from my God, husband and son, and family. There are many negatives to the pandemic, but one positive that many have seen is the love and strength we have found among our families. I am thrilled that we are at a point of a high vaccination rate in the Navajo Nation. I remember when I administered my first COVID-19 vaccine to a patient, it brought tears to my eyes, and I cried after work. Leah Chattin, respiratory therapist I’ve been a respiratory therapist since 2003. What I experienced throughout the first surge of COVID-19 here on Dinetah is not what you prepare for. I see the impact on my life as deep internal scars that I buried and to resurface those experiences is a nightmare. Imagine the inability to fully take a deep breath, something so simple we take for granted. Supporting my patients with breathing treatments, providing chest physical therapy, changing breathing devices constantly because the demand for oxygen escalates all in a 12-hour or more shift. All these specialized techniques to avoid the last option of intubation, allowing an artificial airway introduced to your trachea with an opening at the tip to provide mechanical breaths from a mechanical ventilator. Fear expressed from my patients was a frequent emotion. You are alone, isolated from your family, your loved ones, no familiar face to embrace, to celebrate your improvement or the worst, a decline despite the battle you have endured. I’d remind my patients not to give up… Instinct took over because I’m a mother too, a nurturer. I can remember softly stroking their hair, holding their hands, shedding tears, praying, putting myself in that empty place at bedside where your family should be gathered, processing the grief. Accepting loss was tremendously difficult. I lost myself because I did not decompress my emotions. My spirit slivered away slowly each time my patients faced rejection of our efforts to sustain life. How I endured and sustained my sanity was prayer requests. Prayer was undoubtedly my saving grace. This virus is fluidic, the path it took was unpredictable. I strongly believe we need to continue wearing a mask, following the CDC guidelines and begin or sustain our health and wellness. Putting into words my experience was not an easy effort, however it’s a pathway for healing. Every COVID patient I battled for will forever have a place in my heart. Sandra Fouser, nurse executive of the Primary Care and Specialty Clinics Seeing the virus cross the ocean and hit the heart of the Navajo Reservation forever changed our lives. As a health professional, I knew venturing into the unknown with limited protection meant some would survive and some wouldn’t. What I have learned working on the front lines – compassion, cohesiveness, companionship, strength, sadness and mental stress. We have been battered, beaten, praised, comforted and have also received recognition from all walks of life. I am proud to be a nurse. I believe the strength to endure comes from resiliency and the people we work with and the support of our families at home. As nurses, we cannot stand still. I feel it is in our blood to help and move forward. I have lost friends, coworkers, relatives and patients. The grief I feel is palpable, almost more than I can handle. Seeing my family, staff and patients suffer through illness and grief has been very challenging and heartbreaking. As a team, I believe when something happens to one of us, we all feel the effects, we grow closer and find comfort in each other. I see the vaccine as a progression toward eradicating the detrimental effects of this virus and giving us hope that there is a better tomorrow and that Hózhó will be restored. Dr. Karen Williams, hospitalist physician I am a Native physician (Mountain Maidu/Apache) and Indian Health Service Professional Scholar. When the pandemic started our hospitals were suddenly overwhelmed with large numbers of very ill patients needing oxygen. Some patients who worsened were placed on a “life support” or ventilators since they could no longer breathe on their own. Despite our best medical management efforts, including use of high-flow oxygen, there were patients who did not survive. I witnessed more death in a year than I have ever experienced in my career. This was traumatic for me because every day I came to work I felt like I was coming into a war zone. We saw people struggling to breathe and fighting for their life. We heard family members saying their goodbyes to their loved ones and crying over the phone. We held hands of those who took their last breath and witnessed co-workers not able to control their tears. If it were not for our team efforts, almost a military-style mentality, we could not have managed. As a hospitalist physician, the biggest challenge was ensuring that I had the most up-to-date medical knowledge to save a patient’s life. During the beginning of the pandemic many doctors throughout the country did not feel prepared. This was quickly overcome by learning medical strategies used by doctors throughout the world. The treatments used included steroids, anticoagulant medications, and high-flow oxygen. We had the support of our hospital’s incident command leadership and adapted to the changes. This included being able to offer our patients who needed oxygen a federal Drug Administration-approved “emergency use” medication called Remdesivir, and more recently Bamlavinimab for non-hospitalized patients My experiences on the front lines were psychologically and physically overwhelming … I sought support from elders and used my Native spirituality for strength. I also sought protection support from traditional Indian practitioners who set up a tipi and hogan outside the hospital for employees. I sometimes thought twice about the danger I was in. However, I acknowledged that I would never walk away. This is a result of my obligation to the Native community and the hundreds of patients I had gotten to know for so long. I “warriored up” in my mind and sought to do the best I could. I do not foresee an end to mask wearing, and now recognize how careful we all must be to protect each other. I saw too many elders get severely ill and even pass away from COVID as a result of young family members not being careful and bringing it home. I have encouraged community members and my own family to get the vaccine as soon as possible. I received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and said a prayer in my Native way each time for protection. Natasha Topaha, certified medical assistant, Mobile Unit Overall, this year has been extremely challenging, but also has reinforced my personal strength and resiliency. I have had ongoing concerns throughout the epidemic regarding my kids’ isolation and their mental health. It has been difficult, but doable, to manage both working in health care and supporting my family both emotionally and physically. I had constant worry about bringing the virus home and infecting my family given that I was working in high risk areas and providing COVID testing, vaccines and social and mental health support to patients. I found that doing outdoor activities with my family, such as bike riding and hiking, helped me ease my stress and helped teach my children some healthy coping skills. And we could spend time together! I feel very happy and grateful in both receiving the vaccine and being able to provide it to patients and the community. I feel safer at work and at home now. Johnny Willeto Jr., facility manager/logistics chief The strength to endure comes from within yourself. For me this began in my childhood as the son of Delphine Damon Willeto and Johnny Willeto Sr., who nurtured me to become a great human being. They taught me to be a courageous, productive worker and know my limitations. As a facilities manager, my main focus and responsibilities are the protection in the physical environment of all who walk through the doors of Fort Defiance Indian Health Board’s facilities. All we knew is that COVID-19 was airborne and surface communicated. I treated it as you would tuberculosis and ensured that my staff had adequate PPE to help protect them when they are tasked with working in the patient care areas. This responsibility was a big challenge when trying to procure medical equipment such as masks, gloves, safety glasses, gowns, scrubs, and so forth. Having an MBA has allowed me to flourish in this high stress environment and to adjust with adaptations to finding supplies and creating new relationships with trustworthy suppliers. Being in close proximity to patients who are struggling with getting well can be heart wrenching. Being able to fulfill my duties in the support role to the best of my ability for my community and teammates has allowed me to sleep well at night knowing that I gave it my all. I have lost a brother-in-law who contracted the virus in the Scottsdale area of Arizona. These were very difficult times because as Navajos we are accustomed to comforting each other by a hug or handshake. With COVID, gatherings are not safe, so having family meetings for planning the funeral is off and also the funeral usually consists of 10 minutes before the burial with only a few close family in attendance. One of the biggest assets I have gained is the spiritual belief in God and keeping the communication open by saying my prayers often – to be thankful for the blessings that have come my way or when asking for strength to endure the hardships. In my free time I isolate on the Willeto Sheep Ranch in Goatsprings Valley, Arizona, where I tend 120 sheep and goats. Being able to separate the everyday stress and recharge is paramount to going forward with courage and mental sharpness to make the right choices for the organization, patients and employees. The vaccines are an effective tool to help reduce the mortality of the virus on us and give us protection to this invisible enemy. Corinne Legah, Environmental Service supervisor Personally, I was scared when I first heard of the spread of the virus overseas. It was shocking how fast the virus traveled. In the beginning our team was needed to help keep the hospital sanitized and safe for patients. We reinforced training on the cleaning process for the airborne/droplet virus. I constantly stressed wearing PPE and hand washing. I am so proud of the team for stepping up by protecting our patients. They became warriors to fight the virus. I believe without my husband’s support and God I would not have been able to cope. I have lost friends and family from this virus. It saddens me that many of our people are now in the spirit world. Being a Native and growing up with Navajo beliefs, I had to be strong. My ancestors went through so much and our people are resilient. Prayer is our strength. I cried when I watched the news when the vaccine was given to the first person in the U.S. If everyone gets their vaccine we will be able to interact with family again. I am looking forward to that day!
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  2021-03-09

  Navajo Nation outpacing states in rate of vaccinations

  By Rima Krisst | Mar 9, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS, News | WINDOW ROCK President Jonathan Nez proudly said last week that the Navajo Nation had exceeded its goal of administering 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots by end of February, crediting tireless health care workers who have been serving seven days a week to plan vaccinations and administer the vaccines. On Tuesday, the president’s office reported that 135,161 COVID-19 vaccine shots have gone into arms on the Navajo Nation, which represents 92% of the total 146,980 doses received and includes 48,800 persons who have had their second shots. This means that over 26% of the approximately 327,000 enrolled Navajos have gotten a shot through the Navajo Area Indian Health Service and tribal health care system, which is an amazing feat. By comparison, in New Mexico 22.4% of the population (738,705) has been given at least one shot. Arizona has administered at least one shot to 17.1% of the population (1,847,750), with Utah trailing behind at 12.2% receiving at least one shot (687,925), according to the CDC data vaccine tracker. And as of March 2, 15.3% of the U.S. population had received at least one shot, with 76.9 million shots administered, including 25.4 million receiving the second dose. Approximately 1.8 million vaccines per day are being administered daily in the U.S. So, percentage-wise, Navajo is outpacing both neighboring states and the general U.S. population. ‘Amazing partnership’ On a Feb. 25 IHS media call, IHS Chief Medical Officer Rear Adm. Michael Toedt reported that as of Feb. 18 the IHS had also achieved its goal of administering 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine “across IHS, tribal, and urban Indian Health programs,” representing 16% of the “target population,” with 6.3% receiving two doses. “This milestone was reached ahead of schedule despite severe weather, making travel to health facilities difficult across much of Indian Country and leading to shipping delays,” said Toedt. Toedt said most IHS facilities have now vaccinated the majority of their priority populations and are moving into Phase 2, which includes those who work in higher risk settings such as schools and prisons. “Very shortly we expect that everyone who needs a vaccine will be able to receive it,” he said. Toedt credited IHS and tribal health care employees across the country who are committed to ensuring the protection of tribal communities in 11 geographic areas covering 26 states and 349 health facilities, many in rural and remote locations. “We have had an amazing partnership with our tribes to use all available resources to help with delivery of vaccine,” said Toedt. This included distribution and redistribution of vaccines by ground and air transportation as needed. Toedt said the IHS has also conducted over 2 million COVID-19 tests at a higher per capita than most states and is reporting a seven-day average test positivity rate of 4.5%, below the 5.6% all-races rate in the U.S., despite the fact that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on American Indians/Alaska Natives. The Navajo Nation has conducted 245,085 COVID-19 tests resulting in 29,774 positive cases. ‘Developing trust’ Coordinated public relations campaigns in partnership with tribes have been key to the success of the vaccine rollout, said Toedt. Navajo Area IHS Chief Medical Officer Loretta Christensen agreed, saying public messaging has been critical. “This collaboration is one of the reasons we’ve been extremely successful,” said Christensen. “Honesty and transparency, developing that trust with the people you are serving is vital. We have spent a great deal of time on that relationship with our Navajo people to encourage them to be vaccinated.” She said the communication process has been very unified across Navajo and with the president’s office, using social media, radio, and a bilingual approach. “This is constant public education,” she said. “We encourage people in a very personal way that we would like them to be safe, keep their families, their communities safe. We feel very fortunate and grateful that our population has really stepped up.” Toedt acknowledged there has been some vaccine hesitancy relating to how quickly the vaccines were developed and whether or not they are completely safe, which has made some people distrustful. According to IHS Public Affairs Specialist Joshua Barnett, a recent IHS-funded survey by the Urban Indian Health Institute reported that 75% of Native Americans were willing to get a vaccine and 74% believe that doing so is their responsibility to help protect their community. “I’m confident that the process for vaccine development has the full integrity and completeness of time necessary to make sure these vaccines are safe, but it’s our job as healthcare providers to communicate that in a way that’s acceptable and trusted by our population,’ said Toedt. “We know our efforts are working and we’re seeing good delivery and acceptance of these vaccines in our communities.” Reaching the homebound Christensen said one of the strongest assets in the Navajo vaccination campaign has been the collaboration between public health nurses and community health representatives in reaching out to community members at the local level, including homebound elders and persons with disabilities. “These are the people out in the rural areas that know the families, that know the homes,” said Christensen. “We rely on them for that person-to-person contact out in the communities.” She said between 4,000 to 5,000 homebound individuals have actually been vaccinated at home or close to home. Moving forward with the goal of getting the Navajo population vaccinated and achieving “community immunity,” Navajo Area IHS wants to make sure that all 27,000 square miles of the Nation have been penetrated, said Christensen. “We want to be able to target any communities, populations or subgroups that have perhaps maybe not been able to get vaccinations,” she said. “So, our first step is to heat-map our whole area and then focus on those populations that are perhaps more rural or don’t have easy access to healthcare facilities.” “Our goal is to get every single person vaccinated and to keep our populations in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah safe,” she said. Christensen said her team will be working with chapters to identify anyone who might have been missed. They have also reached out to Navajos living off reservation and have established an online registry to help people find a place to get their vaccination. “We highly encourage them to come back if they need to and we will certainly take care of them and their families,” she said. Tracking variants In regard to surveillance for COVID-19 variants, Toedt said IHS does contribute its tests to state public health labs as well as different large lab corporations such as TriCore, LabCorp. and additional processes for genomic testing are in development. “The samples that are included through those mechanisms are sampled through the CDC’s processes to test for genomics,” said Toedt. Christensen said similarly the Navajo Area and the Health Command Center are working to establish more specific genomic surveillance within Navajo Nation. “In the meantime, we are participating in testing both in New Mexico and Arizona,” said Christensen. Christensen said the Navajo Epidemiology Center has also reached out to bordering states requesting any relevant information on variants be shared. “We all stand by ready to support this process and we are hopeful that we will have more specific information for Navajo Nation very soon,” she said. Christensen confirmed that she was not aware of any variants having been identified on the Navajo Nation from random sampling. “We have requested that information but we have not received it as of yet,” she said. Adverse events Any adverse events, or serious side effects, related to vaccinations within IHS are collected and reported to the same CDC system that collects the data nationally, said Toedt, but the data broken down by individual tribes is not publicly available. “We are part of that Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System through the CDC,” said Toedt. “All adverse drug reactions are investigated by the CDC to determine what category it goes in and how they analyze data.” Navajo Area is gathering information on any adverse events on the Navajo Nation, but there are patient privacy issues when it comes to sharing that publicly, said Christensen. “We do, as (health care) institutions across Navajo Nation, share basic data with each other when we’re doing best practices,” she said. Christensen would not answer whether or not there had been any adverse events on the Nation. “I will say we have done very well with these vaccines,” she said. “There are certainly side effects which have been well defined, but we’ve had minimal significant adverse events. I cannot quantify that for you, but we are tracking those events across Navajo Nation.” Preventing transmission As far as keeping everyone safe after being vaccinated, Toedt said it’s still important to continue to wash your hands, stay six feet apart and to wear a mask. This is because vaccinated persons can theoretically still contract COVID-19 and spread it after being vaccinated, although they may not have any symptoms due to protection from the vaccine. There are also still many unknowns related to COVID-19 variants and to what extent they may evade vaccine protection, be more transmissible, or cause more serious disease. “We have been trying to report on possible variants most recently, explaining that we don’t have all the information yet on what the long term effects of those variants are,” said Christensen. “So we highly suggest that you still watch your distance, wash your hands and wear your mask.” Christensen said public messaging encouraging everyone to abide by the public health protocols in place, regardless of vaccination status, will continue until there is community immunity.
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  2021-03-29

  In numbers: Tracking COVID-19 Across the Navajo Nation

  In numbers: Tracking COVID-19 Across the Navajo Nation By Navajo Times | Mar 29, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS | On Sunday, Navajo Nation health officials reported 7 new COVID-19 cases. A total of 30,059 people have been sickened by the coronavirus. The rate of decrease in new cases is slowing. Nevertheless, the seven day average is 7 new cases per day, a decrease of 30 percent from the average two weeks earlier. On a per-capita basis, about 3 cases for every 100,000 people on the Navajo Nation are active. This means the Navajo Nation has the lowest per-capita cases anywhere in the 50 U.S. states. No new deaths were announced, leaving the total at 1,246 casualties of the virus. At least 16,342 people on the Navajo Nation have recovered. More than 8 of 10 people on the Navajo Nation have received at least one dose of the vaccine, or 86.3 percent of the population as of March 26, according to the Navajo Area Indian Health Service. A spokesperson for the Navajo Area IHS says 244,209 people get health care from it. Of those, 196,902 have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That number includes 88,891 people, or 36.4 percent, who are fully vaccinated, according to the spokesperson. Caution is still warranted: Highly contagious variants of the virus continue to spread. The more lethal U.K. variant is doubling every 10 days throughout the United States. It now represents more than half of new U.S. cases. Many jurisdictions near the Navajo Nation are relaxing COVID restrictions. Some health experts warn that easing up right now is too soon. It could lead to an increase in new cases. Health experts recommend continued vigilance in wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding socializing with people outside your immediate household, and hand-washing. Double-masking also is recommended. For those who are fully vaccinated, the CDC still recommends wearing a mask and hand-washing; although social restrictions are more relaxed. Follow this link for complete CDC guidance for those who are vaccinated: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html Although the Navajo Nation has relaxed some restrictions, a daily curfew remains in efffect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Businesses may remain open until 9 p.m. timeline Positive Test Rate The estimated percentage of people who tested positive was 1.2 percent on Sunday. The 7-day average positive test rate was estimated at 1.9 percent. The World Health Organization recommends a 7-day average positive test rate of less than 10 percent for two weeks in a row. Localities that have a test rate of 3 percent or less are most successful in containing COVID-19, according to the WHO. At Hopi, one new cases was reported overnight, bringing the total to 1,376. The Hopi radio station reported on its Facebook page that at least 120 people have died since the pandemic began last year, but the Hopi Tribe has not consistently reported fatalities from the virus. The following charts and maps show the extent and location of the coronavirus on and near the Navajo Nation. Hover over, tap or click the map markers and graph for expanded information. (Last updated March 29, 2021 at 10:44 a.m. MDT.) Growth of COVID-19 on Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation Cases April 2020 June 2020 August 2020 October 2020 December 2020 February 2021 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 Number Date Cases Mar 16, 2020 2 Mar 18, 2020 3 Mar 20, 2020 14 Mar 21, 2020 26 Mar 23, 2020 29 Mar 24, 2020 39 Mar 25, 2020 69 Mar 26, 2020 71 Mar 27, 2020 92 Mar 28, 2020 115 Mar 29, 2020 128 Apr 1, 2020 214 Apr 2, 2020 214 Apr 4, 2020 321 Apr 5, 2020 354 Apr 6, 2020 384 Apr 7, 2020 426 Apr 8, 2020 488 Apr 9, 2020 558 Apr 10, 2020 597 Apr 11, 2020 698 Apr 13, 2020 813 Apr 14, 2020 838 Apr 15, 2020 921 Apr 16, 2020 1,042 Apr 17, 2020 1,127 Apr 18, 2020 1,197 Apr 20, 2020 1,206 Apr 22, 2020 1,282 Apr 23, 2020 1,360 Apr 24, 2020 1,540 Apr 25, 2020 1,637 Apr 26, 2020 1,716 Apr 27, 2020 1,769 Apr 28, 2020 1,873 Apr 29, 2020 1,977 Apr 30, 2020 2,141 May 1, 2020 2,292 May 2, 2020 2,373 May 4, 2020 2,474 May 5, 2020 2,559 May 6, 2020 2,654 May 7, 2020 2,757 May 9, 2020 2,976 May 10, 2020 3,122 May 11, 2020 3,202 May 13, 2020 3,392 May 14, 2020 3,632 May 15, 2020 3,740 May 16, 2020 3,912 May 17, 2020 4,002 May 18, 2020 4,071 May 19, 2020 4,153 May 20, 2020 4,253 May 21, 2020 4,434 May 22, 2020 4,529 May 23, 2020 4,633 May 24, 2020 4,689 May 25, 2020 4,794 May 26, 2020 4,842 May 27, 2020 4,944 May 28, 2020 5,044 May 29, 2020 5,145 May 30, 2020 5,250 May 31, 2020 5,348 Jun 1, 2020 5,479 Jun 2, 2020 5,533 Jun 3, 2020 5,661 Jun 4, 2020 5,730 Jun 5, 2020 5,808 Jun 6, 2020 5,918 Jun 7, 2020 6,020 Jun 8, 2020 6,110 Jun 9, 2020 6,150 Jun 10, 2020 6,275 Jun 11, 2020 6,378 Jun 12, 2020 6,470 Jun 13, 2020 6,554 Jun 14, 2020 6,611 Jun 15, 2020 6,633 Jun 16, 2020 6,672 Jun 17, 2020 6,747 Jun 18, 2020 6,832 Jun 19, 2020 6,894 Jun 20, 2020 6,963 Jun 21, 2020 6,990 Jun 22, 2020 7,045 Jun 23, 2020 7,088 Jun 24, 2020 7,157 Jun 25, 2020 7,278 Jun 26, 2020 7,320 Jun 27, 2020 7,414 Jun 28, 2020 7,469 Jun 29, 2020 7,532 Jun 30, 2020 7,549 Jul 1, 2020 7,613 Jul 2, 2020 7,669 Jul 3, 2020 7,733 Jul 4, 2020 7,804 Jul 5, 2020 7,840 Jul 6, 2020 7,914 Jul 7, 2020 7,941 Jul 8, 2020 7,981 Jul 9, 2020 8,042 Jul 10, 2020 8,098 Jul 11, 2020 8,124 Jul 12, 2020 8,187 Jul 13, 2020 8,243 Jul 14, 2020 8,290 Jul 15, 2020 8,370 Jul 16, 2020 8,486 Jul 17, 2020 8,536 Jul 18, 2020 8,568 Jul 19, 2020 8,593 Jul 20, 2020 8,617 Jul 21, 2020 8,639 Jul 22, 2020 8,684 Jul 23, 2020 8,734 Jul 24, 2020 8,768 Jul 25, 2020 8,837 Jul 26, 2020 8,891 Jul 27, 2020 8,912 Jul 28, 2020 8,927 Jul 29, 2020 8,968 Jul 30, 2020 9,019 Jul 31, 2020 9,055 Aug 1, 2020 9,068 Aug 2, 2020 9,103 Aug 3, 2020 9,139 Aug 4, 2020 9,156 Aug 5, 2020 9,195 Aug 6, 2020 9,223 Aug 7, 2020 9,257 Aug 8, 2020 9,293 Aug 9, 2020 9,308 Aug 10, 2020 9,315 Aug 11, 2020 9,334 Aug 12, 2020 9,356 Aug 13, 2020 9,394 Aug 14, 2020 9,412 Aug 15, 2020 9,423 Aug 16, 2020 9,447 Aug 17, 2020 9,469 Aug 18, 2020 9,486 Aug 19, 2020 9,500 Aug 20, 2020 9,519 Aug 21, 2020 9,531 Aug 22, 2020 9,545 Aug 23, 2020 9,547 Aug 24, 2020 9,557 Aug 25, 2020 9,573 Aug 26, 2020 9,597 Aug 27, 2020 9,601 Aug 28, 2020 9,780 Aug 29, 2020 9,789 Aug 30, 2020 9,800 Aug 31, 2020 9,820 Sep 1, 2020 9,830 Sep 2, 2020 9,847 Sep 3, 2020 9,871 Sep 4, 2020 9,883 Sep 5, 2020 9,891 Sep 6, 2020 9,900 Sep 7, 2020 9,901 Sep 8, 2020 9,903 Sep 9, 2020 9,915 Sep 10, 2020 9,933 Sep 11, 2020 9,952 Sep 12, 2020 9,969 Sep 13, 2020 9,977 Sep 14, 2020 9,982 Sep 15, 2020 9,992 Sep 16, 2020 10,059 Sep 17, 2020 10,083 Sep 18, 2020 10,090 Sep 19, 2020 10,107 Sep 20, 2020 10,119 Sep 21, 2020 10,131 Sep 22, 2020 10,141 Sep 23, 2020 10,167 Sep 24, 2020 10,212 Sep 25, 2020 10,237 Sep 26, 2020 10,269 Sep 27, 2020 10,290 Sep 28, 2020 10,312 Sep 29, 2020 10,333 Sep 30, 2020 10,355 Oct 1, 2020 10,369 Oct 2, 2020 10,404 Oct 3, 2020 10,421 Oct 4, 2020 10,441 Oct 5, 2020 10,454 Oct 6, 2020 10,501 Oct 7, 2020 10,546 Oct 8, 2020 10,582 Oct 9, 2020 10,632 Oct 10, 2020 10,675 Oct 11, 2020 10,696 Oct 12, 2020 10,728 Oct 13, 2020 10,737 Oct 14, 2020 10,780 Oct 15, 2020 10,819 Oct 16, 2020 10,857 Oct 17, 2020 10,913 Oct 18, 2020 10,955 Oct 19, 2020 10,969 Oct 20, 2020 10,999 Oct 21, 2020 11,030 Oct 22, 2020 11,101 Oct 23, 2020 11,151 Oct 24, 2020 11,217 Oct 25, 2020 11,298 Oct 26, 2020 11,362 Oct 27, 2020 11,386 Oct 28, 2020 11,462 Oct 29, 2020 11,603 Oct 30, 2020 11,694 Oct 31, 2020 11,753 Nov 1, 2020 11,828 Nov 2, 2020 11,875 Nov 3, 2020 11,947 Nov 4, 2020 12,080 Nov 5, 2020 12,195 Nov 6, 2020 12,288 Nov 7, 2020 12,447 Nov 8, 2020 12,571 Nov 9, 2020 12,641 Nov 10, 2020 12,720 Nov 11, 2020 12,818 Nov 12, 2020 12,971 Nov 13, 2020 13,069 Nov 14, 2020 13,249 Nov 15, 2020 13,373 Nov 16, 2020 13,596 Nov 17, 2020 13,744 Nov 18, 2020 13,880 Nov 19, 2020 14,085 Nov 20, 2020 14,441 Nov 21, 2020 14,612 Nov 22, 2020 15,039 Nov 23, 2020 15,236 Nov 24, 2020 15,374 Nov 25, 2020 15,616 Nov 26, 2020 15,862 Nov 27, 2020 15,954 Nov 28, 2020 16,223 Nov 29, 2020 16,427 Nov 30, 2020 16,595 Dec 1, 2020 16,711 Dec 2, 2020 17,035 Dec 3, 2020 17,310 Dec 4, 2020 17,495 Dec 5, 2020 17,738 Dec 6, 2020 17,915 Dec 7, 2020 18,163 Dec 8, 2020 18,324 Dec 9, 2020 18,575 Dec 10, 2020 18,943 Dec 11, 2020 19,199 Dec 12, 2020 19,420 Dec 13, 2020 19,608 Dec 14, 2020 19,766 Dec 15, 2020 19,929 Dec 16, 2020 20,095 Dec 17, 2020 20,395 Dec 18, 2020 20,569 Dec 19, 2020 20,810 Dec 20, 2020 21,019 Dec 21, 2020 21,177 Dec 22, 2020 21,327 Dec 23, 2020 21,513 Dec 24, 2020 21,833 Dec 25, 2020 21,833 Dec 26, 2020 22,155 Dec 27, 2020 22,155 Dec 28, 2020 22,371 Dec 29, 2020 22,526 Dec 30, 2020 22,776 Dec 31, 2020 23,090 Jan 1, 2021 23,429 Jan 2, 2021 23,581 Jan 3, 2021 23,728 Jan 4, 2021 23,841 Jan 5, 2021 23,978 Jan 6, 2021 24,247 Jan 7, 2021 24,521 Jan 8, 2021 24,776 Jan 9, 2021 24,979 Jan 10, 2021 25,216 Jan 11, 2021 25,383 Jan 12, 2021 25,383 Jan 13, 2021 25,746 Jan 14, 2021 25,952 Jan 15, 2021 26,073 Jan 16, 2021 26,287 Jan 17, 2021 26,383 Jan 18, 2021 26,448 Jan 19, 2021 26,517 Jan 20, 2021 26,612 Jan 21, 2021 26,782 Jan 22, 2021 26,955 Jan 23, 2021 27,109 Jan 24, 2021 27,484 Jan 25, 2021 27,573 Jan 26, 2021 27,665 Jan 27, 2021 27,887 Jan 28, 2021 27,987 Jan 29, 2021 28,075 Jan 30, 2021 28,217 Jan 31, 2021 28,325 Feb 1, 2021 28,388 Feb 2, 2021 28,471 Feb 3, 2021 28,544 Feb 4, 2021 28,668 Feb 5, 2021 28,796 Feb 6, 2021 28,872 Feb 7, 2021 28,897 Feb 8, 2021 28,937 Feb 9, 2021 28,994 Feb 10, 2021 29,041 Feb 11, 2021 29,098 Feb 12, 2021 29,167 Feb 13, 2021 29,205 Feb 14, 2021 29,269 Feb 15, 2021 29,283 Feb 16, 2021 29,308 Feb 17, 2021 29,336 Feb 18, 2021 29,386 Feb 19, 2021 29,464 Feb 20, 2021 29,509 Feb 21, 2021 29,535 Feb 22, 2021 29,551 Feb 23, 2021 29,576 Feb 24, 2021 29,602 Feb 25, 2021 29,655 Feb 26, 2021 29,710 Feb 27, 2021 29,719 Feb 28, 2021 29,740 Mar 1, 2021 29,754 Mar 2, 2021 29,774 Mar 3, 2021 29,794 Mar 4, 2021 29,816 Mar 5, 2021 29,838 Mar 6, 2021 29,857 Mar 7, 2021 29,866 Mar 8, 2021 29,873 Mar 9, 2021 29,887 Mar 10, 2021 29,900 Mar 11, 2021 29,911 Mar 12, 2021 29,930 Mar 13, 2021 29,945 Mar 14, 2021 29,948 Mar 15, 2021 29,954 Mar 16, 2021 29,957 Mar 17, 2021 29,968 Mar 18, 2021 29,987 Mar 19, 2021 29,992 Mar 20, 2021 29,998 Mar 21, 2021 30,007 Mar 22, 2021 30,007 Mar 23, 2021 30,010 Print COVID-19 Cases on the Navajo Reservation Presumptive Positive Tested Positive Died Recovered 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 Navajo Nation Chinle AZ IHS Tuba City Regional Health Care Shiprock NM IHS Gallup NM IHS Fort Defiance NM IHS Crownpoint NM IHS Kayenta AZ IHS Winslow IHS Zuni reservation Hopi reservation Utah Navajo Health System Number of cases Community Presumptive Positive Tested Positive Died Recovered Navajo Nation 0 12483 1205 16,212 Chinle AZ IHS 5496 0 0 Tuba City Regional Health Care 6 5324 0 0 Shiprock NM IHS 0 5018 0 0 Gallup NM IHS 0 4729 0 0 Fort Defiance NM IHS 0 3562 0 0 Crownpoint NM IHS 0 2861 0 0 Kayenta AZ IHS 0 2642 0 0 Winslow IHS 0 1948 0 0 Zuni reservation 0 1454 0 0 Hopi reservation 0 1372 120 0 Utah Navajo Health System 0 1064 0 0 NOTE: Navajo Nation officials have been reconciling discrepancies for July and August data. At the end of August, in a press release, the president’s office added 165 cases that occurred between April 6 and Aug. 12. Then, on Sept. 8, they added 2 more cases for July. Health officials also added 16 more deaths to the overall tally at the beginning of September. According to a news release, the deaths occurred between May and August. Officials blamed several states for delayed results. On Sept. 16, officials added 49 previously unreported cases in New Mexico.
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  2021-03-16

  Graham County (AZ) to open up COVID-19 vaccine to all residents 18 years and older

  Staff Reports SAFFORD – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services has announced that starting Monday, March 22, any resident of Graham County who is 18 years old or older will be eligible to receive a vaccine for COVID-19. Those who would like a COVID-19 vaccination should contact their primary care physician or schedule an appointment with the health department by clicking here. Those who schedule appointments will currently be given the two-shot Moderna vaccine at the Graham County Health Department Vaccination Center at 627 W. Main Street in Downtown Safford. The health department will announce a clinic for the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine at a later date. While the Pfizer and Moderna two-shot vaccines utilize messenger RNA, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine works through a different mechanism and uses the more traditional DNA, which is introduced to the nucleus of cells with an adenovirus which is modified so it cannot replicate itself and cause disease. All three vaccines have been approved for use by the federal government and have safety records in good standing. All prompt the body to produce T-cells, which retain a memory of the protein and attack it. “We would like to thank everyone for their support as we have navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic this past year,” said Graham County Health Department Director Brian Douglas. Greenlee County Gila Health Resources in Greenlee County will hold a COVID-19 vaccine drive at the Morenci Club Hall at 314 Plaza Dr. in Morenci on Friday, March 19, from 1 – 8 p.m. At the vaccine drive, any adult resident of Greenlee County or those who work in Greenlee County can show up to receive a dose of the Moderna vaccine with no appointment or registration necessary.
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  2021-03-21

  San Carlos (AZ) to hold a drive-through COVID-19 vaccine clini6c

  March 22, 2021 - by News Director Contributed Article SAN CARLOS – The San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation is proud to present a COVID-19 vaccine drive-through clinic for SCAT members and their family and friends of the surrounding communities of Globe, Miami, Superior, Hayden, Winkleman, Kearny, Pima, Thatcher, Safford, and Morenci. Our SCAHC Vaccination team will be administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine at the San Carlos High School, on Saturday, March 27, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. For the Pfizer vaccine, those receiving it must be 16 years of age or older (must have a parent/legal guardian consent if under 18) For the Moderna vaccine, those receiving it must be 18 years of age or older. Please remember to bring your state ID. There is no charge for the vaccine.
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  2021-03-25

  Graham County (AZ) now with less than 150 active documented COVID-19 cases

  By Jon Johnson jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com SAFFORD – Graham County has had very few new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past month, lowering its numbers to just 147 active cases as of Thursday. According to the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services, Graham County has had a total of 5,355 confirmed cases for the course of the pandemic, with 5,132 listed as being recovered, 147 active, and 76 deaths in more than a year. No new cases were recorded Thursday, and, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 school dashboard, Graham County had just a 1 percent positivity rate as of the week of March 14. That is good for a tie with Apache County for the second-lowest percent positivity rate out of Arizona’s 15 counties. Only Greenlee County, which registered a zero percent positivity rate from Feb. 27 – March 14, had lower. With the lower cases statewide and vaccine rollout, Governor Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order on Thursday, rolling back several COVID-19 mitigation measures involving businesses and gatherings. This comes as other states roll back their COVID-19 mitigation measures as well. The rollout of the various COVID-19 vaccines has picked up steam in the last month, with the state opening up the vaccine to anyone 16 years old or older for the Pfizer vaccine. Anyone 18 years old or older can be administered the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation is holding a free, drive-through vaccine clinic on Saturday, March 27 at the San Carlos High School. No appointment is necessary. The clinic will be administering both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Graham County and Greenlee County are also providing vaccination sites for those 18 and older, and provide the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Greenlee County According to the Greenlee County Health Department, the county currently has just nine active cases of COVID-19. For the course of the pandemic, Greenlee County has had 568 confirmed positive cases (by far the lowest out of any of Arizona’s 15 counties), with 549 recovered cases, nine active, and 10 deaths.
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  2021-02-11

  New Mexico Tourism Department: Tips for Healthy & Safe Travel In New Mexico

  Tips for Healthy & Safe Travel In New Mexico During this time, the New Mexico business community is implementing additional COVID-Safe Practices at their establishments to help ensure the health and safety of their customers. Below are some of the additional safety measures you can expect and plan ahead for when visiting New Mexico’s businesses, restaurants, and attractions. For more information on the status of COVID-19 in New Mexico, please visit the New Mexico Department of Health. red alert NOTICE FOR ALL TRAVELERS: Effective February 11, New Mexico will no longer require self-quarantine for visitors arriving into the state from "high-risk" states. Visitors from anywhere outside of the state will instead by strongly advised to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days and to seek out a COVID-19 test upon their arrival in or return to New Mexico. NOTICE FOR ALL TRAVELERS: Face coverings are required for all visitors and residents in New Mexico. The only exceptions are when drinking, eating, or under medical instruction. Any individual found in violation may face a $100 fine. Guidelines for Travel in New Mexico If you are traveling to New Mexico, please follow all safety guidelines and restrictions. Local governments may impose more restrictive guidelines so be sure to check local instructions before traveling. Please be mindful of the following general guidelines for travel to and within the state of New Mexico: Effective December 2, guidelines and restrictions in New Mexico have moved to a county-by-county basis. Please consult the county map from the New Mexico Department of Health to learn more about specific county restrictions Effective February 11, New Mexico will no longer require self-quarantine for visitors arriving into the state from "high-risk" states. However, visitors from anywhere outside of the state are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days and seek out a COVID-19 test upon their arrival in New Mexico Everyone is required to wear a face covering in public in the state of New Mexico. The only exceptions to wearing a face covering are eating, drinking, or medical requirements. Drive-in events may operate in accordance with COVID-Safe Practices. Effective February 24, 2021, Casinos, Entertainment Venues, and Recreational Facilities may operate in accordance with COVID-Safe Practices within the county-by-county framework. COVID-Safe New Practices at Hotels, Resorts & Lodging Please note that guidelines and restrictions in New Mexico have moved to a county-by-county basis. Please consult the county map from the New Mexico Department of Health to learn more about lodging operations for specific counties. Please note these changes to hotel and lodging operations: Lodging establishments will adhere to the enhanced cleaning procedures outlined by the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Stay Safe Enhanced Industry-Wide Hotel Cleaning Standards. Comfort items and appliances such as coffee machines, irons, hair dryers, extra blankets, etc. may be provided upon request. Housekeeping shall only provide cleaning service during a guest’s stay upon request by the guest. Multiple guests per room are to be limited to “same households” only (individuals who live within the same place of residence). If food service is provided onsite, room service is encouraged as a first option for guests who would like food service with food carts being left at guest’s door to minimize contact. Self-serve food bars and refreshments such as water, coffee, ice, etc. will be closed or removed. Hotel staff can provide these services upon request. Valet service will be suspended. Safe Dining Please note that guidelines and restrictions in New Mexico have moved to a county-by-county basis. Please consult the county map from the New Mexico Department of Health to learn more about restaurant operating procedures for specific counties. Here are some of the COVID-Safe Practices and enhanced health and safety practices recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC that you can expect to be in place to keep customers safe while dining at New Mexico’s restaurants: In an effort to support contact tracing, restaurants will be required to retain a daily log of all customers and employees who enter their establishment. All customers are required to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms through a questionnaire upon entry of the premises. Reservations, dining parties and private events may not exceed the mass gathering definition. Reusable items such as menus and condiment containers left on tables will be cleaned and sanitized after each use. Items that cannot be cleaned and sanitized after each use will be replaced with single-use items. Animals and pets, excluding service animals, will not be permitted inside the establishment, onto patios, into stores, or other such areas. Responsible Outdoor Recreation Effective February 24, 2021, New Mexico State Parks will be open for day use hours to all visitors. Effective February 27, camping will reopen to all visitors by reservation only. While many parks are reopening, services, activities, and hours of operations may be limited so please consult the current Conditions and Alerts page for each park. Please be aware of the following safety and health guidelines currently in place: Group sizes vary by county, so check the status of the county before traveling to a New Mexico State Park Wearing a mask or cloth face covering is mandatory in public settings Maintain a 6-foot distance between people Visitors are strongly encouraged to carry their own sanitizing supplies and PPE Comfort Stations and restrooms are closed to reduce close contact Vault toilets at some State Parks will be available Check with the National Park Service website for more information on openings, amenity availability, and best practices. Safe Retail Shopping Please note that guidelines and restrictions in New Mexico have moved to a county-by-county basis. Please consult the county map from the New Mexico Department of Health to learn more about retail operations for specific counties. Here are some of the safety guidelines required from New Mexico’s retailers to keep customers safe: High-touch items such as doors, fitting rooms, and credit card terminals will be cleaned and disinfected once every two hours (or more frequently). Safety protocols that allow for contactless curbside pickup and home delivery whenever possible will be established. Signs, stanchions, and/or floor decals will be utilized wherever possible to support 6-foot social distancing, including one-way aisle traffic, and separate entry/exit. COVID-Safe Practices for Museums and Cultural Sites Museums with static displays may operate at limited occupancy in accordance with COVID-Safe Practices. Beginning February 4, state museums and historic sites may reopen under a modified framework. To learn more about the modified operations for state museums and historic sites, visit the Department of Cultural Affairs website. Please contact individual museums and cultural institutions before planning your visit for additional information regarding openings, hours of operations, and available services. Here are some of the safety guidelines required to keep patrons safe: Interactive exhibits and attractions will be discontinued. Use of rental equipment, such as headsets, portable speakers, and strollers will be discontinued unless required for ADA accessibility. Use of coat check areas, lockers, backpack and purse storage, and related storage for public use will be discontinued. Safe Travel Recommendations Outside of the modified 14-day self-quarantine requirement on certain travel to New Mexico (see above), there are currently no domestic travel restrictions to the state of New Mexico. However, visitors to New Mexico should continue to follow the protective measures outlined by the CDC: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands Put a distance of at least six feet between you and other people Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care Stay up to date on the latest travel advisories from the CDC, WHO, and the U.S. Department of State
• 
  2021

  Housing Resources Tempe

  I chose this article because it provides a list of housing resources for Tempe. The resources covered here are section 8 housing and other rental assistance programs. The city has its own stated homeless assistance program. In their section for COVID-19 assistance. Specifically, in the COVID-19 section, it states that there will no longer be in-person meetings due to safety reasons and that things will either be done over the phone or online. For my research, I want to focus on how these measures leave behind a lot of people who may not have access to a phone or internet and how that exacerbates the issues people experience with housing instability because they are unable to get resources. I want to really focus on processes with this resource.
• 
  2021-03-10

  At Home COVID Easter Egg Hunt Supplies from the City of Pflugerville Texas

  This photograph shows an advertisement from the City of Pflugerville in the State of Texas. It announces that in lieu of its annual Easter Egg Hunt, the City of Pflugerville is offering families $5 at home egg hunt kits containing 20 eggs prefilled with "candy and toys" for children. Although this advertisement is for the 2021 Easter season, one year after COVID became a problem in the United States, many cities, towns, business, individuals, and other groups still wished to avoid in-person gatherings because they believed doing so would prevent additional hospitalizations and deaths (despite precautions such as masks, social distancing, and increased vaccinations). The advertisement communicates the sense of "cautious caution", in other words hesitation and apprehension, that many people still have about large gatherings, yet it also shows the strong desire to continue age-old traditions. This is also an excellent example of modifying public activities and events for at home enjoyment and performance. This became a mainstay during the spring and summer 2020 lockdowns and continued, for the most part, throughout spring 2021.
• 
  2021-03-02

  The 128th Day, aka Day One

  For the first time in 374 days, I taught from my classroom today. It is the 128th day of school, we have only one quarter left. As nervous as we are about our community and the COVID risk level, I feel very positive and relieved to be back. COVID numbers have dropped considerably, and though I haven’t always seen eye to eye with my district in the way this entire pandemic has been handled, at the end of the day, I really feel like the right decisions were made Compared to neighboring districts, I feel our safety standards exceed the norm. It is strange still - the largest in person class I will have is seven students and the smallest is zero! Many families in our community have opted to continue distance learning through the rest of the school year, which I understand. We made the same choice for our two kids! Still, it was nice for the first time in over a year to wake up and have somewhere to go. Even though on one hand it seems ridiculous to Zoom an entire class of kids with two kids in the classroom who are sitting far away from me with headphones on and are logged into also the same Zoom meeting, I did feel re-energized to just be back in my classroom. I don’t think I have a greater prayer right now than for the vaccines to continue to work and for the adolescent and pediatric trials to successfully run their course. Wouldn’t it be incredible to have the kids vaccinated by fall? I know it will not be a reality for all students, but I think that piece of the puzzle will be a big part in mitigating the spread. In the meantime, I’ll continue to follow the pleas of the SOS sign that is taped all over the school. Indeed, let’s save our school year and the next one, too!
• 
  2020-07-15

  The screenshot says it all...

  The screenshot says it all...
• 
  2021

  Tens of millions of American's are out of work.

  Tens of millions of American's are out of work. Half our people are living paycheck to paycheck.
• 
  2021-03-21

  When Workers Stand Together in Collecive Bargaining, There's Power.

  Verified When workers stand together in collective bargaining, there's power. Every benefit, from the minimum wage to the 5-day work week, was earned when people organized. It’s never easy. But workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama are standing together right now and if they win, it will send a shockwave throughout this country.
• 
  2021-03-21

  Your Priority is to Open Schools Faster Rather Than Safer?

  So @andrewyang, let us get this straight... your priority is to open schools faster rather than safer? You would have preferred for @uftny to open schools in the largest school district in America BEFORE it was safe to do so (which it arguably still isn’t)? Got it. 👍🏽 What are your thoughts on @andrewyang as a candidate? Do candidates’ views on education/ teaching unions influence your vote? Share below! 👇🏽 Source; @nyc_covid_mutualaid
• 
  2021-03-19

  Stop AAPI Hate

  Nearly 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents occurred in America last year, mostly against women, based on data by Stop AAPI Hate. Yesterday, Asian Americans and allies called for solidarity and condemned discrimination and racist violence in Minnesota. They also honored the lives of Delaina Ashley Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Julie Park, and Hyeon Jeong Park -- employees of an Atlanta-area spa who were killed on Tuesday by a gunman.
• 
  2021-03-22

  Activists are Showing Solidarity for Victims of Police Violence

  As the Derek Chauvin murder trial is underway, outside the courthouse activists are showing solidarity for victims of police violence by placing 'locks for love ones lost' on fences and barbed wire. For the second week, National Guardsman and Minn. State Police removed these locks. Through Friday, there are six people of color and seven white people among the 13 jurors chosen for the trial. There are two remaining jurors to be selected.
• 
  2021-03-20

  Stop the Covid Virus

  A friend sent this to me. She saw it on her morning walk and decided to take a photo of it.
• 
  2020-05-27

  Community Solidarity Creates Resiliency

  Community solidarity creates resiliency. Fed up and want to get involved? Follow these local orgs for updates and latest actions: @blackvisionscollective, @reclaimtheblock, @mpd_150, @mnfreedomfund
• 
  2021-01-20

  Inclusivity at the Inauguration

  Georgia Fire Captain Andrea M. Hall recited the Pledge of Allegiance at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday morning. She also signed in American Sign Language as she spoke.
• 2020-08-26

  Unintended Consequences

  Devi Sridhar from the London School of Economics covers some things we don't think about when we think about consequences of the pandemic. She compares outbreaks to black holes, as society focuses attention to the pandemic, other priorities are put to the side. Juliet Bedford talks about the vulnerabilities of poorer communities. This interview covers lots of unintended consequences and outcomes of the pandemic.
• 
  2021-03-01

  Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Vaccinations

  When we say end violence against our elders, this means demanding accessible, equitable and culturally responsive healthcare services for them. Here are some community-based resources who have been doing this work: @pacificislandercovid19 @picawashington @empoweredpi Thank you Seattle Times for amplifying how COVID and inequitable health care services impact our communities in Washington. The impacts are detrimental and NHPI communities are impacted at disproportionate rates. Check out the entire article @seattletimes. Some things this article highlights - vaccine services provided need to be inclusive of different cultural lifestyles and practices, lumping Asian and NHPI data together invisiblizes NHPI needs, there is a great need to bring community-based groups to the table to build accessible systems and solutions. (Image description: a carousel of 9 slides from an article by Seattle Times. 1. A front page article that reads to fight covid-19 with vaccines, native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Washington first need to be seen. 2. A quote in simple black text that reads "that is one of the things that we continue to think about How do we honor those that have passed during the pandemic? Our elders have so many stories, so much knowledge and they're essentially the wisdom keepers of our culture" seia Said. 3. The numbers tell the devastating story. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up about 1% of Washington state's population but account for 2% of cases in the state according to the State department of health native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have the highest average rate of any race and ethnicity in the state at $7,132 per 100,000 people and also lead in deaths per 100,000 with an average of 151 as of February 21st, according to the UCLA Center for health policy research" Captions continues in comments. #InSolidarity #AAPIWomenLead #COVID19
• 
  2021-03-10

  Justice for Angelo Quinto

  Tonight AAPIWL joined Angelo Quinto's family + community, the incredible organizers of @justiceforangeloquinto, Civil Rights Attorney @johnburrislawfirm , the mother of Oscar Grant- Rev. Wanda Johnson, @justice4steventaylor grandmother, @robbonta, Cat Brooks @antipoliceterrorproject, Antioch's elected officials, and hundreds of community members from all over the Bay Area to celebrate Angelo's 31st birthday. Tonight we all learned that Angelo was well loved by his family in Antioch and in the Philippines. His family talked about how amazing and special he was, and they were proud that he wanted to pursue his passions in art. We learned more about the powerful community that will continue to support the Quinto family in their fight for Angelo. Thank you again to the organizers for this beautiful celebration and vigil, for uplifting Angelo and his family, the call for solidarity, the need for mental health resources, demanding the end of police violence and the need for accountability for Angelo and the countless men who were also murdered by the Antioch Police Department while having a mental health crisis. We will continue to fight with you all. #JusticeForAngeloQuinto #JusticeForAngeloJusticeForAll #AAPIWomenLead #InSolidarity #StopAAPIHate
• 
  2021-03-14

  Brenda Cohen Oral History

  In this oral history, I interview my mom, Brenda Lee Cohen on her pandemic experience with a particular focus on her work with the Calgary police service as a crime and intelligence analyst supervisor. In this interview, Brenda talks about her initial experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, she recalls the first day of the pandemic as she and her husband were stuck in America. This particular interview touched upon what her work environment was like during the pandemic and topics such as systemic racism, the police ‘culture’ and the revocation of a popular program for city employees known as the ‘golden handshake’ in the midst of the pandemic. Brenda also spoke briefly about her experience with misogyny within the workplace and how these ideas are so prevent within a space which mixes the civilian and police worlds. Finally, Brenda also spoke about what she is most thankful for in this pandemic, and ultimately reflects on her own inability to express her thoughts and emotions – and how one day when she is out of the police environment, things will be different. Interviewee Name: Brenda Cohen Interviewer Name: Padraic Cohen Date of Interview: 03/14/2021 Location: Cochrane, Alberta Canada. Transcribed by https://otter.ai Partially transcribed by Padraic Cohen
• 
  2020-11-16

  Militarization of Police

  The militarization of America's police first came in reaction to riots occurring in cities during the 1960s. These events were often in reaction to discrimination, poverty, high unemployment, inadequate schools, poor healthcare, limited housing options, and police brutality. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The Act created the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, which made available grants to local governments to develop and purchase military-type resources to suppress riots. The money expedited the development of SWAT and other heavily armored police forces in cities to counteract uprisings.
• 
  2020-12-19

  Minnesota Election Day

  I had the privilege of documenting what I saw in Minnesota for @aclumn on Election Day. Going into the day I was prepared to see voter intimidation and long lines of frustrated voters, instead was met with celebratory and upbeat voters hosting cookouts and energized to cast their ballot.
• 
  2021-01-12

  Activists Give St. Paul Mayor List of Demands

  On Sunday, activists and community members hand-delivered a letter to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's home signed by over 500 constituents and 25 local organizations demanding the city stop evicting people from encampments during inclement weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is asking city officials to meet these requests: ➡️ Convene an emergency St. Paul City Council meeting to address these issues ➡️ Place a moratorium on enforcement of any illegal camping ordinance, to last the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic ➡️ Halt the clearing and disposal of tents and other sheltering materials to ensure that unhoused people do not lose what may be their only present means to self-quarantine and practice social distancing ➡️ Adhere to the existing statewide eviction moratorium ➡️ Follow best practices outlined by the National Homelessness Law Center
• 
  2021-03-04

  Pipeline Actions

  From Drew Arrieta's post: Activists and community members are taking part in a series of actions in Minnesota this week to stop Line 3 construction. The replacement pipeline will bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands - one of the most carbon intensive forms of energy - daily from Canada to Wisconsin. Almost 30 years ago, the current Line 3 pipeline ruptured in Grand Rapids, MN, spilling 1.7 million gallons of oil onto the frozen Prairie River. It is the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history. On Tuesday, a letter was delivered to management at multiple Chase locations signed by 41 Indigenous women supported by over 150 organizations requesting they stop providing financing to Enbridge, the company which operates and is building the pipeline.
• 
  2020-03-08

  Jury Selection for Derek Chauvin Silent March

  From Drew Arrieta: Today, the jury selection begins in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder and manslaughter. Last week, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered Judge Cahill to reconsider adding a third-degree murder to his charges. Hundreds of protesters participated in a silent march yesterday, honoring Floyd and over 240 individuals who died in police-involved shootings in Minnesota over the last 20 years.
• 2021-03-11

  Vaccine After Effects

  So excited to get my 1st dose of the Moderna vaccine. As a 65 year old, I was eligible early; however, our county's rollout was a HOT mess! The local app didn't work, but I was finally able to secure an appointment with my medical group . . . for a month out. Yikes. Continued research as the days went by, found that RiteAid was offering them. Yay! Was able to book that appointment for only 2 days out! Yippee. Then . . . the day before that appointment, it was cancelled. We Californians are so smug - never thinking that bad weather in other parts of the county affects us. It did! No vaccines available. Rescheduled for a month out. Luckily, our school district was rolling out an in house POD for employees. I jumped on that and was able to get an appointment for the next day, which was the first day for the district. I was sitting on 3 appointments then - and didn't plan to cancel any until I got my shot! Fortunately, all went well and I did get it. (Lucky too because the district had to shut down the next day as well.) So . . . there I was happy. Dose #2 scheduled. Cancelled the other appointments I had. Did have a tiny bit of discomfort the next day, but nothing major. Imagine my surprise when hives (or so I thought) appeared about 10 days later. Did LOTS of research - thank you google - considered that it might be the rash that some experienced after Moderna, but the symptoms progressed. Long story short - not hives - shingles! Even though I did have a shingles vaccine within the past 5 years, I did indeed have shingles. Now - there is no evidence that it is in anyway related to the vaccine, (even found an article that said shingles/vaccine debunked) but I did my duty and reported in on my weekly vsafe/cdc check-in. I am currently on the other side of this and am sure that it will be gone soon. I will always wonder though if there was any relationship. I'm also a tad bit concerned about the after effects of dose #2. I do encourage everyone to participate in the vsafe.cdc.gov follow up.
• 
  2021-03-08

  Trust me, I'm aware that in-person learning starts March 15

  Tempe Public schools sent a reminder email about in-person classes starting next Monday. Right now, the kids are on spring break, while having more time at home to argue about media use isn't ideal, at least we can say the days of online learning are behind us.
• 
  2021-02-23

  Republican senators to Tennessee's public colleges: Stop athletes from kneeling during national anthem

  In a virtual interview, Rennia Davis explains why the Lady Vols knelt during the national anthem. From the article: Tennessee Republicans are up in arms over a state college basketball team's decision to kneel last week during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner," prompting legislators to warn the public university system not to allow student athletes to do so again.
• 
  2021-03-01

  Former Sacramento Firefighter Accuses Department Of Hostile Work Environment

  From the article: Jaymes Butler is one of two African-American captains within the Sacramento Fire Department. He says he’s not surprised by Lewis’s allegations. “Do I believe it? Yes, I do believe it. Because this is what happens when you don’t recruit a diverse department,” Butler said. The Sacramento Fire Department is made up of roughly 700 personnel and nearly 70% of them are white men. “Once the experiences he shared became known to the administration they started an investigation with the city’s Equal Opportunity Employment officers. We strive to have a department the mirrors the community we serve. Knowing that we can do better,” department spokesperson Keith Wade said.
• 
  2020-03-03

  NAACP encourages continued use of masks

  Everyone is so eager to get back to "normal". Everything is reopening, people are feeling safer, and politicians are being reckless. The NAACP and @DrChrisMD is urging people to continue to be safe and wear a mask. People commenting did not seem to think we need to worry anymore, maybe they are right.
• 2020

  Campaigning During COVID

  I worked on a campaign over the past election cycle from August to November 2020. COVID brought new challenges to campaign work as everything we did had to be fully remote when before the staple for campaign work was going door to door to talk to prospective voters. This most recent election cycle was very draining as we had to use remote training methods which ended up being frustrating for many volunteers as the instructions were harder to understand. As a campaign worker, I was also left feeling frustrated and strained for much of my employment. Typically in a campaign, we would all share in our victories and defeats together but the distance between me and my coworkers made me focus more heavily on my defeats and shoulder them fully myself rather than sharing in them with my colleagues. COVID made the campaign work significantly harder and more emotionally draining than in other campaigns.
• 
  2020-11-01

  Volunteer work during a pandemic

  Not only was 2020 the year of the pandemic, it was also the year of one of the biggest elections in history. I am a political science and history major at ASU and I wanted to volunteer for a campaign. I had a few friends who were working on Mayor Kate Gallego's campaign and through them I was able to volunteer for the mayor herself. Normally you would meet with everyone and do volunteer work together but since it was a pandemic we had to all do it over zoom at home. Most of the volunteer work was making calls and helping voters. I got the opportunity to send my ballot in early and all of us who voted put our stickers on our laptops. Now every time I go to open my computer I am reminded of all the hard work I put in during the pandemic.