Submitted by Quinault Indian Nation
The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) announced that the Quinault Indian Reservation (QIR) is closed to visitors effective immediately in response to an increase in COVID-19 infection among households on the reservation. The last week brought the very first positive tests for Coronavirus to the reservation requiring some QIN households to enter a 14-day quarantine period.
The closure will be in effect for 14 days through September 6, and longer if necessary, as a critical response measure to limit further infection. The Nation will reevaluate in 10-12 days and extend the closure if necessary.
“With recent positive tests of some members of QIN households in the first days of quarantine, we decided immediate and major steps are needed to protect the health and safety of our families and neighbors,” said Quinault Indian Nation Vice-President Tyson Johnston. “We are asking all reservation residents to stay home and travel only for essential needs such as food, medicine and medical attention. The QIN government will be shutdown to the maximum extent possible while maintaining essential services.”
Through September 6, the Quinault Indian Nation will close its government operations on the reservation while continuing minimum essential services necessary to protect the health and safety of QIN citizens and employees and prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Essential services will include meal delivery, medication fulfillment, limited urgent medical care, testing for COVID-19, police, fire, the minimum necessary government financial operations and certain other essential services to be identified.
Access to the Quinault Indian Reservation will be restricted to village residents, Quinault tribal members, essential government employees and Quinault Indian Nation Enterprise personnel. This closure will not impact businesses on tribal trust lands such as the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino and Q-Mart locations.
“The recent spread of COVID-19 to our families and communities is a reminder that we are all in this together and we all have a responsibility to be informed and follow safety protocols. The lives of our loved ones and neighbors are on the line,” said Johnston. “Let’s all step up our efforts to avoid group gatherings of more than one household, avoid other large gatherings and practice social distancing which by most accounts is the first and best way to avoid the spread of COVID -19.”
