The Havasupai Tribal Council announced on Monday that it had extended the suspension of its tourism operations until May 14 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning those who were able to secure the highly sought permits to visit the area's picturesque waterfalls will likely have to postpone their trips until next year.
In a news release, the Tribal council said it would contact those who had booked reservations during the closure, which now spans from the middle of March to the middle of May, and would give them an opportunity to reschedule their trips for sometime during the 2021 season.
“We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and have put into place a variety of health and safety measures for our tribal community here in Supai,” said Chairwoman Eva Kissoon in a statement. “The Tribal Council has made the decision to extend the suspension of tourism in order to further protect our tribal members.”
There have been no reported cases of COVID-19 within the Village of Supai, she said.
There are a total of 2,456 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state and 65 related deaths, according to the latest numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services. A majority of those cases -- 1,433 -- are located in Maricopa County, as of Monday evening.
