Three phase plan draft explained

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — A near-final coronavirus vaccine plan was shared with the Health, Education, and Human Services Committee of the 24th Navajo Nation Council Nov. 25 by the Navajo Area Indian Health Service.

The plan, presented by NAIHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Loretta Christiansen, will coordinate the delivery of vaccine doses across the Indian Health Service system once the Federal Drug Administration approves one or multiple vaccines.

The plan covers three phases in the development and distribution of accepted vaccines for Covid-19.

Phase One calls for the shipment of a limited number of vaccine doses across the IHS system and to tribal...

There are 523 abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation that have been identified for cleanup through the joint federal and Navajo Nation multi-agency five-year plans which started in 2008. This does not include the totality of legacy contamination, such as places where contaminated materials were moved offsite either purposefully or accidentally.

One area that is a priority for cleanup is north of Churchrock, N. M., known as the Red Water Pond Road community where two companies Kerr McGee and United Nuclear Corporation operated. UNC, now owned by General Electric, mined uranium at the Northeast Churchrock Mine and processed the ore at their nearby uranium mill. The mill is the site...

$5 million spread through five areas

SANTA FE— The New Mexico Human Services Department can expect to receive $5 million from House Bill 1, appropriated during the second special session of the New Mexico Legislature last month to support and supplement emergency feeding operations at food banks across the state. The funds are being distributed to the five major food banks that support all 33 counties and tribal communities through an existing hunger relief network. The food banks are:

The Community Pantry in Gallup

ECHO Inc. in Farmington

Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque

The Food Depot in Santa Fe

Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico in Clovis

The Human Services...

Monitoring sewage may offer early detection, help with testing

Staff Reports

New Mexico began its initial phase of the New Mexico Wastewater Surveillance System, a COVID-19 wastewater monitoring program at congregate settings, in the southwest region of New Mexico the week of Dec.7.

This approach led by the New Mexico Environment Department and done in cooperation with other state agencies and local governments, allows for early detection of COVID-19 in congregate facilities and helps prioritize the use of individual-based testing resources (e.g. nasal swab testing).

Included in the initial effort are several federal, state and local correctional and Children...