By Tammy Gray So far only 35 cases of the variant coronavirus strain that originated in the United Kingdom (UK) have been identified in the State of Arizona, according to Navajo County Public Health Nursing Supervisor Janelle Linn. Holbrook City Council members received an update on COVID cases and reduction efforts during a meeting on Thursday, March 11. The council also learned that beginning on Monday, March 15, a new tier of vaccine eligibility will open in the county. “Individuals with underlying health conditions will now be eligible,” Linn stated. The previous tier limited recipients to those over 55, as well as those who were considered essential employees. Linn told the council that as of 2:30 p.m. on March 11, there were 15,512 total cases of coronavirus in Navajo County. She explained that the numbers included in that total include the reservation, and that only lab tested positive cases and cases that met very specific criteria were included in that total. She noted that in the past week the health department had noted an increase in the number of cases. “We hope we’re not starting to see a slight spike,” she said. “We’re watching.” Other numbers provided to the council by Linn included a total of 510 deaths since the start of the pandemic, with 168 of those off the reservation. The highest positivity rate, which is based on how many total tests return positive is now 5.4 percent within the county. At its peak, that rate was 22.6 percent in Navajo County. Linn cautioned however, that positivity rates can be deceiving because it depends in large part on how many total tests are given. For example, she said that if only two tests are administered and one of those tests are positive, it would indicate a 50 percent positivity rate that is unlikely to accurately reflect the community spread of COVID-19. In addition, a total of 24,870 reported doses of vaccine have been administered so far (as of March 11), which reflects an 18 to 20 percent vaccination rate. She remarked that she believes that number is probably higher since some agencies have not yet reported their numbers. “I feel that’s higher because some Navajo Nation partners have not reported,” she said, “but we are on target with the state.” Vaccines are available in Holbrook at Safeway Pharmacy and North Country Healthcare. Navajo County Emergency Manager Catrina Jenkins explained to the council that the county is ready to set up points of distribution across the county if enough vaccine becomes available, but so far local healthcare providers have been able to keep up with distributing the number of vaccines currently available.
