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Navajo president balks at reopening tribal roads to visitors

Virus Outbreak Navajo Nation
Posted at 2:16 PM, Apr 10, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-10 17:16:04-04

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez has vetoed a resolution to reopen tribal roads on the Navajo reservation to tourists and other visitors.

Nez said Friday in a statement that he vetoed the resolution approved March 31 by the Navajo Nation Council because COVID-19 variants are spreading in the region and because more people need to be vaccinated and that it will take time to move closer to herd immunity.

Nez also said the Navajo people's health and well-being must be prioritized over visitors' desires.

The closure does not affect state highways that pass through the reservation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.