More than $44 million in federal funding has been made available to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for costs related to the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an important resource for state and local governments, jurisdictions, and eligible private non-profits to cover eligible COVID-19 expenses,” said Moises Dugan, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “The state’s actions protected the health and safety of Michigan residents and helped reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division announced on Monday (Jan. 10) that $44,934,145 was made available under the federal disaster declaration of March 27, 2020.
“COVID-19 has not only taken a physical and mental toll on Michiganders, it has cost the state millions of dollars as we work to ensure everyone’s health and safety,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “This federal assistance is a big step toward helping our state agencies recoup some of those costs. I am grateful to our federal partners for this assistance and will continue to look for opportunities to support our state’s response.”
The funding will reimburse MDHHS for costs related to providing COVID testing and reporting statewide from July 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2021.
- Around $8.1 million of the grant covered COVID-19 testing and reporting for residents at MDHHS long-term care facilities.
- Around $36.8 million covered COVID-19 testing and reporting for inmates, prison staff and visitors at the Michigan Department of Corrections facilities.
“We are grateful to our federal partners for this funding which will help the State of Michigan address the cost of this pandemic and the efforts of MDHHS to keep Michiganders safe and healthy,” said Col. Joe Gasper, state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and director of the Michigan State Police. “Our state agencies have worked around the clock to protect the well-being of all Michigan residents, and their work is not done yet. We will continue to support them in those efforts and thank them for their dedication.”
Read: Complete Michigan COVID coverage