The White Mountain Apache Tribe lifted a two-week shelter in place order a couple of days early to allow its members to get water.
Tribal Chairwoman Gwendena Lee-Gatewood said a water line break caused a water shortage over the weekend. Even though the tribe lifted the order early, she says sheltering in place worked.
“We did get an initial report from Indian Health Service telling us that they were seeing a slight decrease in visits,” Lee-Gatewood said. “There appears to be less ER visits and they could see that it was working. It was causing a dent in the positives.”
The numbers are flattening but Lee-Gatewood asked tribal members to stay home. The White Mountain Apache remain under a nightly curfew and the reservation remains closed to visitors.
