FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) – Navajo Nation tourist destinations, in addition to Chelly Canyon, can welcome tourists monday as part of the tribe’s reopening plan.
Much of the Navajo Nation has been closed since March when the coronavirus swept through the reserve that extends to New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. The tribe launched this week a plan that allows to open by appointment the hairdressers and barbers, that the businesses operate at 25% of their maximum capacity and the reopening of marinas and parks with guarantees.
The prospects and restrooms of Chelly Canyon National Monument will be available to tourists. But the guest centers will be closed there and at the Hubbell Trading Post National Monument and the Navajo National Monument. Guided ranger walks will also be available. All 3 sites are controlled at least in component through the National Park Service.
“It is vital for the National Park Service, especially in this area, to stick to the leadership of the Navajo Nation and to slowly perform the 3 openings,” said the firm’s spokesman Vanessa Lacayo.
Staff will be busy this weekend installing signs, updating internet sites and social media accounts, and preparing for visitors at a time when parks are full of tourists, he said.
Goulding’s Lodge near Monument Valley is also ready for tourists. For months, it has welcomed other people who travel to the reserve who have been unable to make a stopover at the tribal park known for its sandstone mounds, said marketing manager Monica Lafont.
“We never stopped. We just move on to the 100 percent precautionary mentality, and our policies and procedures are being implemented,” he said.
The tribe’s plan consists of 4 color-coded stages for reopening: red with restrictions, orange, yellow, and green, which have the lowest restrictions. The tribe will operate in the orange phase from Monday.
During this phase, casinos, markets, gyms and cinemas will be closed. Restaurants and banks can still offer a driving service.
Companies and tribal executive offices must demonstrate that they have met certain knowledge-based criteria and the contributions of fitness experts to open up. Tribal President Jonathan Nez said the reopening plan was being developed.
The tribe has shown 9412 positive cases of COVID-19 in the reserve since the start of the pandemic. On Friday, another 478 people were killed.
The numbers are a major replacement since the beginning of this year, when the tribe had one of the infection rates consistent with the inhabitant of États-Unis.La tribe had fewer than 50 cases per day in the more than two weeks, he said.
Most people diagnosed with COVID-19 are recovering. For others, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others who contract the virus, especially those who are older or who have underlying fitness problems, it can cause more serious ailments and death.
No one said the tribe would not rush to reopen completely, recognizing that cases can increase if citizens are pleased. The reservation will be under another padlock this weekend that begins after sunset on Saturday and ends early Monday. There is also a mask requirement.
“Through tactile research, we are more informed about the movement of the virus and we know that the fight is over, but we want to find new tactics to move forward,” Nez said.
Nose this week also suggested that all schools in the reserve, adding those controlled across states, the Navajo Nation and the federal government, use online learning this fall to lessen the threat of coronavirus spread.