MISSION — As COVID-19 spread rapidly across Umatilla County and Indian Country, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation has managed to fend off the virus.

As of Monday, the CTUIR has reported no confirmed cases among its members, but the tribes are more fortunate than some neighbors and other tribes across the country.

Over the past week-and-a-half, Umatilla County’s confirmed cases have surged to 70, including as many as nine cases in neighboring Pendleton.

And tribes across the country have been getting hit especially hard by the virus, highlighted by the 2,373 confirmed cases and 73 deaths on the Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico.

Jiselle Halfmoon, a public information officer for the CTUIR COVID-19 Incident Command Team, credited the tribes’ quick and aggressive action to shut down their facilities and enact social distancing measures.

Within hours of the state announcing that the first Umatilla County resident had tested positive for the coronavirus on March 2, the CTUIR declared a state of emergency, which ended up coming more than two weeks before Umatilla County made a similar pronouncement. By March 18, the tribes shut down Wildhorse Resort & Casino and other tribal facilities to slow the spread of the virus.

Other tribes in the Northwest haven’t been able to shut out the disease.

The Yakama Nation in Washington state, the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Central Oregon have all reported several cases of COVID-19.

A Yakama Nation member who served as a Celilo Village leader died in late April from the virus and Warm Springs has warned tribal members that anyone who attended a salmon feast in Celilo may have been exposed to COVID-19. Halfmoon said the CTUIR hasn’t yet identified any of its own members who attended the feast.

A sovereign nation, the CTUIR extended its own stay-home order until the end of May as Umatilla County pushes to begin reopening businesses and services on May 15, pending approval from Gov. Kate Brown.

Halfmoon said the county reopening before the CTUIR does is a point of concern for the tribal government, especially considering that many tribal members go off-reservation for essential goods like groceries.

The tribes’ extended stay-home period has not come without sacrifices.

Halfmoon said the tribal government has received the most pushback for prohibiting traditional activities like sweat lodge sessions and restricting mass First Foods gatherings.

On April 26, Halfmoon said the incident command team received reports that more than 30 people were gathered for root digging, prompting an investigation from Umatilla Tribal Police and warnings that future mass gatherings could result in jail time or fines.

Wildhorse, the tribes’ top economic engine, also remains dormant through at least the end of May.

When Wildhorse does begin reopening, Halfmoon said it would be done in phases. Until Wildhorse begins to reestablish operations, the enterprise’s employees will remain furloughed.