Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Hard-Hit Tribe Takes Strict Steps as Virus Surges in Arizona

Associated Press

   FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA - People in the deserts of Arizona flee to the White
   Mountains when the triple-digit heat is too much to bear, cooling off
   in the forest a few hours away. That worries a Native American tribe
   that calls the area home, as coronavirus infections and temperatures
   have both spiked in one of the hardest-hit states.

   The White Mountain Apache Tribe is taking some of the most drastic
   actions in Arizona to protect its 13,500 residents, more than
   one-eighth of whom have already tested positive for COVID-19. It's
   taking cues from severe measures imposed by other tribes nationwide,
   including the Navajo Nation, which has curtailed an outbreak that once
   made it a national hot spot.

   Those living on the White Mountain Apache Tribe's reservation in
   northeastern Arizona face the risk of fines and other penalties if they
   venture beyond their own yards this weekend. A two-week
   shelter-in-place order will follow. The tribe's Fort Apache Reservation
   also is closed to the summertime visitors who flock to the area to
   fish, hike and camp among ponderosa pines.

.