Tribal Public Health Broadcast
Weekly News, Funding, Resources, and Upcoming Events in Indian Country

April 9, 2020
COVID-19, formerly known as 2019 Novel Coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, is a virus causing an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The virus is currently a world-wide pandemic and poses a serious public health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States is in the acceleration phase of the pandemic.
As of April 8, 2020*
  • 395,011 reported cases of the virus in the United States; 
  • 12,754 people have died from the infection in the United States.
The United States is in the acceleration phase of the pandemic. The acceleration phase or “speeding up” is the upward curve as the virus infects people. During this phase, public health actions may focus on using appropriate non-pharmaceutical interventions in the community, such as social distancing or closing facilities such as schools as well the use of medications (e.g., antivirals) and vaccines, if available. These actions combined can reduce the spread of the disease and prevent illness or death.
A total of 40 states, the District of Columbia, four territories and 24 Tribes have issued shelter-in-place orders.
COVID-19 News
  • Indianz.com: COVID-19 in Indian Country. The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus testing data, reflecting results as of 7 PM ET on April 4, 2020. According to the data, a total of 6,759 people within the IHS system have been tested and 436 have tested positive for COVID-19. Read more here.
  • Native News Online: In Effort to Stop Spread of COVID-19, Red Lake Nation Under Medical Martial Law. The medical martial law went into effect, Friday, April 3, 2020. Read more here. Further detail on all the restrictions is available on the Red Lake Tribal Council Facebook page.
  • The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director calls for Protections of Health Workers in Face of the Advancing COVID-19 Pandemic in the Region of the Americas. Since April 6, 2020, 384,435 cases of COVID-19 has been reported in the Americas. Read more here. Video available.
  • As of April 3, 2020, 95 states and local public health labs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico are using COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health departments have tested 212,350 specimens. This does not include testing in private labs.
  • Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Children — United States, February 12–April 2, 2020. Read more here.
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 Events
  • Webinar: American Public Health Association (APHA) and National Academy of Medicine are hosting Emerging Evidence for COVID-19 Spread and Treatment, Thursday April 9, 2020 at 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern. Register here.
  • Webinar: Partnership for Air Matters along with Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN), the Washington State Department of Health, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) are hosting Safe and Proper use of Disinfectants and Household Cleaners – An Expert Panel on Separating Fact from Fiction on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 10:00 AM – 11:45 AM Pacific Time. Register here.
COVID-19 Contact
The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler at [email protected] or 202-507-4081.

* Data include both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported to CDC or tested at CDC since January 21, 2020, with the exception of testing results for persons repatriated to the United States from Wuhan, China and Japan. State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases. In the event of a discrepancy between CDC cases and cases reported by state and local public health officials, data reported by states should be considered the most up to date.
News
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez Implements Curfew

COVID-19 cases have increased over the past week with 426 confirmed cases and 17 confirmed deaths within the Navajo Nation as of April 7, 2020. Indian Country strives to enforce social distancing practices as well as other parts of the world. Now, Navajo Nation has imposed a new curfew that has been in effect since March 30, 2020. Read more here.
Funding & Opportunities
Grant Opportunity from Native American Agriculture Fund
Applications due Monday, June 1, 2020 at 11:59 PM CT
 
Applications for the Native American Agriculture Fund for 2020 are now open. Funding areas covered by the grant include agricultural enterprise development, Tribal food sovereignty, and food advocacy . Federal and state recognized Tribes and their instrumentalities are eligible to apply. Read more here.
Tribal Opioid Response Grants
Applications due Monday, May 4, 2020

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a grant funding opportunity announcement entitled, “Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) Grants.” SAMHSA will offer a webinar on how to apply for the grants. TOR aims to address the opioid crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to culturally appropriate and evidence-based services. Federally Recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations, including current TOR grantees, are eligible to apply. Read more here.
NIHB Seeks Director of Public Health Policy and Programs

NIHB is seeking qualified candidates for Director of Public Health Policy and Programs. This position is based in Washington, DC. Read more here.
Events
2020 Tribal Public Health Week –
Stay Home. Stay Healthy. We're in this Together: Tribal COVID-19 Response
NIHB Photo Contest
Monday-Friday, April 6-10, 2020

Contest Description: During Tribal Public Health Week, April 6-10, 2020, we at the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) want to know the ways that you see Tribal Public Health in action every day. This year we ask that you focus on the theme Stay Home. Stay Healthy. We're in this Together: Tribal COVID-19 Response . Take a snapshot that tells your Tribal Public Health story and share with us, your friends, and your community!
How to participate : "Like" our social media pages (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook), post a picture that exemplifies what Tribal public health means to you and your community, tag @Nihb1 (Or National Indian Health Board on Facebook), and use the hashtag #ThisisTribalPublicHealth .
How to Win : Based on content and community engagement, the winner will be chosen by the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and announced the week of April 13th.
Prize : The winner will receive a prize of a $100 Visa gift card
Contest Period : Monday, April 6, 2020 - Friday, April 10, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST
Registration Open for First Injury Prevention and Surveillance Discussion Session

Join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) for a series of conversations on injury surveillance and prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native communities! Tribal service providers, public health practitioners, and subject matter experts are invited to share their insights and expertise at 1.5 day sessions in Spring and Summer 2020. The first session will be held virtually. All are welcome to participate.

Registration is now open for the first session on April 28-29, 2020. This will be held using the virtual platform Zoom, co-hosted with the California Rural Indian Health Board. A draft agenda will be available on NIHB’s website.

Please register via this link. Space is limited to 50 participants per session, so sign up today!

The dates and times of the remaining sessions will be announced later this week, and will be posted on our website. Sign up for our email list to stay up to date.

Have questions? Please contact Nina Martin ( [email protected] , 202-548-7299) or visit our website for more information.