WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema spoke today at a Senate Aging Committee hearing and highlighted the continued coronavirus outbreak in Arizona and how the virus is disproportionally impacts tribal nations and communities of color.
“Arizona is currently experiencing one of the worst outbreaks in the nation…In Arizona, many of our communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, both from a public health perspective and an economic one…It is clear that policymakers must address the existing disparities if we are to effectively combat this pandemic,” said Sinema.
In her remarks, Sinema highlighted how tribal communities have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this year, the Navajo Nation had the highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, and nearly 1 in 10 reservation residents of the White Mountain Apache Tribe tested positive for the virus. Sinema questioned officials on how lack of basic resources in tribal communities impact public health during a pandemic. Sinema also questioned panelists about the importance of providing culturally relevant coronavirus information and access to language services to help protect high risk communities from the coronavirus.
