Coronavirus: Message from the Chairman

March 10, 2020


RE: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Dear Tribal Leader:


On March 2, 2020, the Coalition of Large Tribes held our Board of Directors Quarterly meeting and discussed the impact of COVID-19 in Indian Country; especially to our elders and youth.


As you may know, the swift spread of COVID-19 in 100 countries and 36 states, means that we need to prepare for the ultimate spread of the virus to our reservations. If you have not already, we strongly encourage you to prepare by organizing your planning committees, task forces, and emergency response teams.


In an effort to protect our people and to better coordinate with the Indian Health Service (IHS) we recommend the following: contact your IHS Regional Director for the protocols that IHS is implementing in response to COVID-19; verify the number of tests IHS has available for your tribal members, and request consultation prior to any deployments to your reservation to help limit the spread.


We further recommend that you keep informed. Two websites containing current information are the World Health Organization at www.who.int and John Hopkins University COVID-19 at https:/ /hub.jhu.edu/novel-coronavirus-information/.

Respectfully,


Mark N. Fox
Chairman, Coalition of Large Tribes
Chairman, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation

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