With COVID-19 cases going down, the Hopi Tribe is hopeful for a phased re-opening sometime in April

KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. -- The Hopi Department of Health and Human Services said Hopi Tribal COVID-19 cases continue to go down and it is hopeful that if the decline continues, there may be a phased re-opening sometime in April.

The Hopi Tribe continues to encourage all Hopi members to take advantage of the vaccines that are available to help guard against COVID-19.

The Hopi Health Care Center has tested over 8,860 patients to date. Over 1,375 of those tests at Hopi Health Care Center came back positive with 997 from Hopi Tribal members.

Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation reported 267 positives for Hopi Villages.

As of March 24 the cumulative positive COVID-19 cases of Hopi Tribal members remains at 1,264, with seven active cases currently on Hopi.

A by-appointment vaccination clinic will take place March 27 at Hopi Health Care Center.

The first dose of the Moderna vaccine is for those who are 18-years-old and older, have no COVID signs/symptoms and have not received any other vaccine within the last 14 days.

More information or to register call 737–6049 or 737-6081.

Key points to remember about the vaccines:

• None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.

• Neither the recently authorized and recommended vaccines nor the other COVID-19 vaccines currently in clinical trials in the United States can cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection.

• COVID-19 vaccination works by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, and this protects you from getting sick with COVID-19.

For now, fully vaccinated people can gather indoors without physical distancing or wearing masks with:

• Other people who are fully vaccinated

• Unvaccinated people from one other household, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19

• Until more is known, fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart from other people in other settings, like when they are in public or visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.