Manataba Messenger

To: From: Colorado River Indian Tribes Manataba Messenger 26600 Mohave Road, Parker, AZ 85344 www.manatabamessenger@gmail.com M anataba Vol. 9 Issue 5 The Official Publication of the Colorado River Indian Tribes CRIT Nation, Parker, Arizona 85344 ,, ,, ,, AhaMakhav Newewe Sinom ` Dine M essenger FREE OF CHARGE Website: www.crit-nsn.gov Facebook: CRIT Manataba Messenger Biden administration to announce most Americans will need coronavirus booster shots Administration officials believe people should get additional shots eight months after being fully vaccinated The Biden administration is planning to announce that most Americans who have received the coronavirus vaccine will need booster shots to combat waning immuni- ty and the highly transmissible delta variant that is sparking a surge in covid-19 cases, according to four people familiar with the decision. The administration’s health and science experts are coalescing around the view that people will need the boosters eight months after being fully vaccinated, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet public. The decision is likely to be announced as soon as this week. The administration of the boosters would not occur until mid- or late September, after an application from Pfizer-BioNTech for the additional shots is cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, the individuals said. The conclusion that boosters will be broadly needed was reached after intense dis- cussions last weekend involving high-ranking officials who scrutinized the latest data from the United States and other countries on the effectiveness of the shots. The statement is a striking change from public statements by senior officials in recent months who had said it was far too soon to conclude that Americans would need booster shots. In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA put out an unusual statement that said, “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time.” Officials have repeatedly said it wasn’t clear whether boosters would be needed. But in recent days, the messaging has started to change. As data from other countries and the United States showed waning immunity, health officials moderated their language, hinting booster shots would be likely. Last week, Anthony S. Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, said it was “likely” everyone will need a coron- avirus booster at some point. The White House declined Monday night to comment. The timing of the announcement remains in flux. It had been tentatively planned for Wednesday, but it was not clear whether the schedule would change. The individu- als said the statement was likely to provide additional details on who would get the extra shots and when. The question of boosters has become increasingly fraught as the pandemic continues to unfurl, with the ferocity of the delta variant surprising scientists. Data continues to accumulate suggesting that vaccines lose some anti-virus potency over time. But officials have been reluctant to highlight that fact because they are still trying to per- suade broad swaths of Americans to get vaccinated — considered the best way to exit the pandemic. And they are not sure how much of the reduction in protection is from the passage of time and how much is attributable to the variant. At the same time, the World Health Organization has criticized more affluent nations for moving ahead with plans to provide boosters. August 16, 2021 Mandatory CRIT Tribal Employee Testing with Regional Center for Border Health Parker Walk-In Clinic at Manataba Park. See article Pg. 2 Arizona heads into Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage for 2022 ADWR and CAP joint statement in response to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s first-ever declaration of a Colorado River Shortage The Colorado River Basin continues to experience drought and the impacts of hotter and drier conditions. Based on the Jan. 1 projected level of Lake Mead at 1,065.85 feet above sea level, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior has declared the first-ever Tier 1 shortage for Colorado River operations in 2022. This Tier 1 shortage will result in a substantial cut to Arizona’s share of the Colorado River — about 30% of Central Arizona Project’s normal supply; nearly 18% of Arizona’s total Colorado River supply; and less than 8% of Arizona’s total water use. Nearly all the reductions within Arizona will be borne by Central Arizona Project (CAP) water users. In 2022, reductions will be determined by Arizona’s priority sys- tem – the result will be less available Colorado River water for central Arizona agri- cultural users. While Arizona will take the required mandatory reductions under a Tier 1 shortage, the reductions to CAP water users will be partially mitigated by resources that have been set aside in advance for this purpose. “The 2019 Drought Contingency Plan put in place agreements and Arizona water users have taken collective action to mitigate reduced CAP water for affected munic- ipalities, tribes and CAP agriculture,” said Ted Cooke, general manager, Central Arizona Project. “These DCP near-term actions will provide relief from reductions that will occur in 2022 as a result of a Tier 1 shortage.” Given the recent intensification of the drought, deeper levels of shortage are likely in the next few years. As impacts of drought persist, additional reductions to CAP water users are likely to occur pursuant to the DCP. Such reductions would include impacts to CAP water currently available to some central Arizona municipalities and tribes. The near-record low runoff in the Colorado River in 2021 significantly reduced stor- age in Lake Powell. The reduction in storage, combined with projections for future months, has triggered provisions of the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan designed to protect critical elevations in Lake Powell and Lake Mead through additional collec- tive actions. “ADWR and CAP are working collaboratively with Arizona stakeholders and the Basin States to deploy more adaptive measures consistent with the Drought Contingency Plan and associated agreements,” said Tom Buschatzke, director, Arizona Department of Water Resources. “At the same time, ADWR and CAP will continue to work with partners within Arizona and across the Basin to develop and implement longer-term solutions to the shared risks we all face on the Colorado River now and into the future.” Buschatzke continued, “We in Arizona have acted and will continue to act to protect the water resources of our state and of the Colorado River system overall.” Colorado River Indian Reservation, taken December 2, 2018.