MESCALERO, NM
May 26, 2020. This morning, the Mescalero Apache Tribe announced the first death of a Reservation resident, an elderly woman, from the coronavirus (COVID-19). Tribal President Gabe Aguilar stated: “The individual that passed was the second resident to test positive. She was tested just hours after our first case was confirmed. It has been only a few days since the virus came to the Reservation. This virus moves quickly and targets our elders.”
The Tribe is entering its second day of a fourteen-day lockdown. Tribal offices and businesses on the Reservation are closed. Tribal residents will be cited if they do not comply with the lockdown. “The Tribe is being strict for a reason,” President Aguilar commented. “The Tribe has worked hard over the last two months to avoid this. I am heartbroken. The family is heartbroken. But we must keep going. We must come together to stop the virus.”
The Tribe will provide updates on its official website (www.mescaleroapachetribe.com) and Facebook page.