Maryland’s U.S. Senators and Congressmen unveiled an additional $38,274,762 in federal funding to reimburse state and local government costs related to their COVID-19 response.
In a joint press release, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen David Trone, Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, and Jamie B. Raskin discussed how the funds made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may be used:
“Throughout the pandemic, Maryland’s state and local governments have played a massively important role in ensuring the safety and security of our communities,” the lawmakers said. “We are proud to announce this federal funding which will reimburse governments across the state for their leadership in securing, storing, and distributing PPE, running COVID-19 testing sites, and providing non-congregate shelter to vulnerable populations.”
More specifically, the FEMA funds will reimburse the state and its local governments for costs associated with the following:
- The purchase of medical equipment and PPE such as ventilators, respirators, face shields, N95 masks, surgical masks, and gloves;
- Setting up and running COVID-19 testing sites; and
- Providing non-congregate sheltering (NCS) to vulnerable populations.
Recipients of the funding include:
- The City of Baltimore for providing non-congregate sheltering ($4,582,952)
- The Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management ($3,291,747)
- The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ($30,400,063)
