The NC Board of Supervisors Remembers Those Who Caused By COVID-19 | have been lost in Navajo County

HOLBROOK – Navajo County’s Regulatory Agency declared a memorial day this week for the county’s 525 residents lost to the pandemic.

The statement came as a recent surge in infections made Navajo County the state’s leading hot spot, with new cases rising 121% on a daily average over the past two weeks.

Navajo County now has the second highest infection rate in the state – 12 cases per 100,000 people – just behind Pinal County 13 per 100,000.

This is still well below the peak infection rates in January of the current infection rates of over 100 per 100,000 in the most severely affected counties in the country.

The supervisory body declared Tuesday a “day of remembrance” for the victims of the pandemic. So far, the pandemic has killed one in 211 residents in Navajo County, the second in the state only after Apache County, which has lost 1 in 169 residents.

“Today we sadly announce 525 coronavirus deaths in Navajo County and, as with everyone, offer our condolences and unconditional support to our loved ones of our lost neighbors. These 525 beautiful souls who died were our parents, children, cousins, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, friends and our dearest loved ones, ”the proclamation reads.

The April 27 resolution also recognized the “heroic efforts of our healthcare workers, first responders, and public health teams to care for and treat the sick and to keep our community informed throughout the pandemic.”

The proclamation comes when the pandemic hits new highs worldwide, especially in poorly vaccinated countries like India and Brazil. Infection rates in the US have dropped 20% in the past two weeks – but in Arizona, cases have increased 7%.

Governor Doug Ducey lifted almost all state restrictions on businesses, ordered schools to resume face-to-face teaching a few weeks ago, and now lifted mask mandates for public schools. Most counties are still reporting declines in new cases, but trouble spots have developed in places like Navajo County.

The recent surge in Navajo County contrasts with the 52% decrease in cases in neighboring Apache County over the same period. Even so, over the past two weeks, hospital stays have increased 43% in Apache County and 46% in Navajo County.

Both Navajo and Apache counties have outperformed the national average in vaccinating their populations. Nationwide, 28% of residents were fully vaccinated. In Navajo County, 35% were fully vaccinated, and in Apache County, 45% had both shots.

To date, 46% of Navajo County’s residents over the age of 18 have been vaccinated, including 62% of those over 65 who are still at far greater risk of serious illness and death than younger people.

These statewide statistics are somewhat skewed by the exceptionally high vaccination rates in the Navajo reservation, which covers parts of both counties. In the reserve, 88% of the population received at least one shot and 39% were fully vaccinated. The first shot of the Moderna vaccine provides about 80% protection and the second shot increases protection to 95%. The Navajo nation had one of the highest rates of infection and death in the nation before the vaccine was introduced.

Despite the recent surge in cases, Navajo County remains well below its January high of about 57 new cases per day. The district currently has an average of 13 cases per day.

The district has reported a total of around 16,151 cases since the pandemic began, meaning around 14% of residents have recovered from an infection and are believed to have significant protection from re-infection.

This means that 60% of the population is now between 80% and 95% protected from infection and serious illness, which is likely to prevent the spiraling infection rates seen in December and January. Nevertheless, the district remains far below the vaccination rate of 80%, which is necessary to achieve the safety of “herd immunity”.

The supervisory authorities failed to provide regular information on the status of the pandemic in the district and the ongoing vaccination efforts on Tuesday. Anyone in the county can now schedule an appointment for a vaccination, but the number of shots fired continues to decrease.

The proclamation urged all residents of the county to “pause and remember the neighbors, family and friends whose lives have been lost”.

Peter Aleshire covers county government and other issues for the Independent. He is the former editor of the Payson Roundup. Reach out to him at [email protected]