Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo orders curfew, travel ban after 1st virus case

EL PASO, Texas -- The Yesleta Del Sur Pueblo in El Paso record its first confirmed case of coronavirus on Wednesday with tribal leaders saying they are preparing "for a more significant rise in Covid-19 cases in our area in the coming weeks."

The Tribal Council said it was ordering both a curfew and a travel ban until further notice and would be conducting screening checkpoints to ensure compliance.

The curfew begins Wednesday night and will continue nightly starting at 10 p.m. and ending at 5:30 a.m. the following morning. The accompanying travel ban prohibits any travel outside of the El Paso area.

Officials said Tribal Police would also be issuing citations for any violations of the existing stay home order which says that "Tribal Members are only to go out for essential activities... such as grocery shopping or picking up medicines" or "performing essential duties, working in an essential business, government, etc."

The tribe is also prohibiting public and private gatherings of any number of people and encouraging residents to wear face masks.