The situation on the Navajo Nation is growing increasingly grim as officials there try to act quickly to stop the spread of COVID-19. As of April 14, 813 residents have tested positive for the virus and 28 people there have died as a result of it. 

Over the weekend of April 11 and April 12, the nation observed a strict curfew, hoping to further instill social distancing and flatten the community’s curve. But will that be enough? And how did the nation get to this point to begin with?

For a better look at how they are battling this virus and whether it’s working, The Show spoke with Dr. Jill Jim, the top official in the Navajo Nation’s Department of Health.

Jim said the first challenge is the way the Navajo healthcare system is structured — a patchwork of federal, Indian Health Service facilities and tribal health organizations.

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