White Mountain Apache Casino

WHITERIVER, Ariz. — The White Mountain Apache Tribe voluntarily suspended operations of its Hon-dah Casino on Sunday night, Oct. 18 after two employees tested positive for Covid-19. The attached Hon-dah Hotel was closed on Monday, Oct. 19 at checkout time. The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. The casino (which has a hotel as well). Great camping destination. I'd rate the White Mountain Apache Reservation as having some of the most beautiful country and best camping in Arizona. We stayed at the Upper Log Campground over Memorial Day and found it clean, quiet and very beautiful. Hon-dah Resort Casino in Pinetop, which is owned by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, announced on its website that its north side gaming floor will reopen at 10 a.m.

Sunrise Park is in the heart of the White Mountains, you will find plenty of fresh powder covering challenging trails and runs. The resort stands nearly 11,000 feet above sea level, offering stunning mountain vistas, a spectacular alpine landscape, and plenty of heavy snowfall in ski season. Sunrise Resort will entertain you year-round, not only with winter sports, with warm-weather activities like mountain biking, zip-lining, and horseback riding.

Hon-Dah Resort is in Arizona’s White Mountains and is surrounded by millions of acres of ponderosa pine. You can feel the outdoor ambiance as you enter our lobby and check into one of the finest Hotels on the Mountain. Settle in to a cozy room with brand new bedding. While you are with us you can take in live bands or comedy in the Timbers Lounge, enjoy a cocktail from Spirits Bar while warming yourself in front of our huge lobby fireplace, then enjoy a meal in the Indian Pine Restaurant. You may just want to relax in our heated pool, spa or sauna. Don’t forget our Casino! Over 800 slots, Live Poker nightly and Blackjack is back!

Unmatched beauty is waiting for you! Hunting, fishing, camping, rafting, skiing, and hiking: no matter what you're coming to the White Mountain Apache Tribe for, you will enjoy a beauty that can't be found anywhere else on earth. We welcome you!

Surrounded by lofty mountain peaks covered with spruce, pine and aspen, the serene setting of Hawley Lake has become one of the most popular attractions on the Fort Apache Reservation.Hawley Lake offers mild summer temperatures for those seeking to escape the searing desert heat. Visitors may enjoy excellent fishing, sail boating, or an ideal environment just to kick back and forget life's pressures.Most CDC cabins are within walking distance of Hawley Lake or Earl Park Lake and are fully furnished, including dishes, pans and utensils, coffee makers and toasters, except for those annoying telephones, televisions, microwaves and radios.

© Matt York/AP Volunteers prepare donations for delivery to those affected by COVID-19 on White Mountain Apache and other tribal lands.

Citing a decline in new confirmed COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, the White Mountain Apache Tribe has begun to reopen in phases, according to officials.

A resolution related to the tribe's first phase of reopening went into effect this week, allowing tribal departments deemed essential to continue working through the pandemic and tribal residents to start some outdoor activities, according to a news release.

“The lives of our people and employees are of utmost importance to the Tribe,' the tribe's chairwoman, Gwendena Lee-Gatewood, said in the news release.

'It is important that we cautiously move forward with the Tribe’s Reopening Plan to promote the safety of our employees and the general public while providing tribal members with the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities, such as fishing, hunting and woodcutting to prepare for the winter months.'

An estimated 15,515 people live on the tribe's reservation, which spans 2,600 square miles in east-central Arizona in Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe initially was hard-hit by the new virus and appeared to have one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country. The tribe had 2,335 identified COVID-19 cases and 38 known deaths as of Wednesday, according to officials, meaning about 15% of people there have had the disease.

However, a majority of the tribe's cases have been deemed recovered with only 84 people currently infected, according to the tribe.

Nearly a month ago, when more than 6,500 tests had been administered, officials said about 35% of the tribe had been tested. With more than 8,700 tests administered as of Wednesday, the percentage has likely risen; however, officials noted the percentage was imprecise because some residents have been tested twice, and not all tests were given to residents.

Tribe begins first of four phases in reopening plan

The tribe's reopening plan is comprised of four phases with the first launching on Monday, according to officials.

Phase one allows tribal residents to hunt, fish and cut wood when no red flag warnings are in effect, Derrick Leslie, policy unit coordinator for the tribe's Emergency Operations Center, explained in a Facebook Live video over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the tribe's land remained closed to the public and residents through phase one were required to abide by the tribe's nightly curfew, mask requirement and restriction on large gatherings.

In phase one, tribal maintenance, construction and outdoor projects could also resume. This included starting construction for eight transitional housing units for COVID-19 patients and their families, which the tribe was awarded funding for through federal COVID-19 aid, according to Councilman Jerold Altaha.

The tribe based its decision to begin phase one on a '14-day downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases,' according to the news release. The tribe's emergency operations center also sought input from health experts with Indian Health Service, Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and Centers for Disease Control, according to Leslie.

On most days in the last three weeks, the tribe has had less than 10 new cases a day, data shows.

'The tribe, as a whole, has vastly improved,' the tribe's chief of staff, Jerry Gloshay, Jr., said in the video over the weekend. 'So, yes there's that curve. We have flattened it, but we haven’t hit zero, so that means the coronavirus is still out there somewhere … we cannot get complacent; we have to not let our guards down.'

In comparison, the Arizona Department of Health this week announced protocol for counties to be able to reopen businesses that relies on three metrics: cases per 100,000 people, percentage of positive test results and percentage of hospital visits due to COVID-like illnesses.

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Employees reassigned to emergency work can go back to usual jobs

Under phase one, essential employees who had been reassigned to work with the tribe's Emergency Operations Center to help mitigate the spread and impacts of COVID-19 can return to their original jobs, according to Altaha.

It also allows all of the tribe's directors, supervisors and program coordinators — deemed essential or not — to work, Leslie said.

'We're really hoping that during this phase one, departments will take a look at their needs and will start figuring out, 'Hey we need Clorox. Hey we need disinfectant wipes and sprays,' Leslie said in the video. 'It's really an opportunity for departments to get ready for phase two, and during phase two we're going to start slowly reopening up to the public on a more open basis, so to speak.'

Each of the tribe's departments included in phase one could choose to modify their hours and were responsible for implementing precautionary measures set by the tribe, according to Leslie.

Lockdown possible if 45 or more new COVID-19 cases found in three days

The resolution passed by the tribe's Council last week also established a COVID-19 alert system, according to the news release.

The system would monitor the tribe's daily number of new cases and alert leaders if the numbers rise above specific thresholds, Leslie explained.

White Mountain Apache Casino&hotel

If the tribe were to experience 45 to 57 new COVID-19 cases over three consecutive days, a 57-hour lockdown would go into effect, Leslie said. If there are 100 new cases over five consecutive days, a shelter-in-place order would go into effect, he said.

'The tribe would shut down, and then we could all go back to the emergency phase. And then we would start the phased reopening all over again,' Leslie said.

Each of the other phases in the tribe's reopening plan may begin 'after a minimum 14 days of downward trajectory or stable low counts of COVID-19 cases without activation of a Shelter-in-Place order,' the news release said. It's unclear if any specific number defines a 'downward trajectory' or 'stable low counts.'

Leslie and Lee-Gatewood did not respond to specific questions from The Arizona Republic, including ones related to the other phases of its reopening plan.

Details about each of the other phases were not discussed in the tribe's video released over the weekend nor included in its news release or resolution. A chart provided by Lee-Gatewood indicated the following about the phases:

• Phase two: Schools, camps, gyms and restaurants could reopen at 50% capacity. Large venues could operate at 25% capacity, and elective medical procedures could resume.
• Phase three: Schools, camps, gyms and restaurants could fully reopen. Large venues could operate at 50% capacity, and congregant living or healthcare settings could allow non-essential visitors.
• Phase four: All activity returns to normal with surveillance and contact tracing in place.

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Casino reopening

Hon-dah Resort Casino in Pinetop, which is owned by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, announced on its website that its north side gaming floor will reopen at 10 a.m. on Aug. 25. Its RV park and convenience store would also be open for business, the website stated.

It's unclear if the reopening was reserved for tribal residents, but officials have previously said the tribe's land remained closed to visitors. A spokesperson for the casino could not immediately be reached for comment.

The casino would remain open until 2 a.m., after which it will close for deep cleaning, according to the website. The facility would also be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day, the website states.

Other precautions — such as thermal imaging of body temperatures and requiring masks and social distancing — would be implemented at the casino, according to the website.

White Mountain Apache News

The casino's south side gaming floor, card room, restaurant, hotel and conference center would remain closed, the website stated.

Tribal officials said they worked with the casino to ensure a safe reopening. However, they did not respond to specific questions from The Republic about the matter.

'It's just a small portion of the casino and still maintaining safety practices,' said Lee-Gatewood in the tribe's video released over the weekend. She added that it was also the responsibility of people to practice safety precautions wherever they go.

'There has to be a time where business has to move forward,' she continued. 'It wouldn’t be good if we just stayed home and our revenues run out. And when our revenues run out, our employees will not be paid. Our bills won't be paid; the businesses will have to get boarded up, and we're just existing at that point.'

Whiteriver school starting online-only

With a virtual start to the school year fast approaching for the Whiteriver Unified School District, officials announced over the weekend that students would soon be able to pick up laptops, and hotspots as needed.

Distribution of the devices would begin on Aug. 17, a week before the school year was scheduled to start online, said district superintendent Jennifer Plath in the White Mountain Apache Tribe's video over the weekend. The district's distribution was organized by alphabetical order, which would be viewed on its Facebook page.

According to Plath, the district would reevaluate its virtual start after about six to eight weeks.

'It's going to be a new experience for everybody so, you know, families if you're feeling a little nervous and uncertain, just keep in mind, you know, so are the tutors, administration. We're kind of all in the same boat trying out something that's very new,' she said.

Reach the reporter at chelsea.curtis@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: With COVID-19 cases declining, White Mountain Apache Tribe begins reopening