BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $43 million to the State of Rhode Island to reimburse the state health department for the costs providing testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $43,089,992 in Public Assistance grants will go to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) for setting up a network of community-based testing sites and collaborating with both private and public laboratory partners to complete a total of 413,175 COVID-19 tests between January and September 2021.
Some of the funding will also reimburse the cost of setting up and operating monoclonal antibody (mAb) infusion sites for individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and met the treatment criteria.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the State of Rhode Island with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
These grants brings the total awarded by FEMA to the State of Rhode Island to almost $458 million to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.
Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program is available at https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. To learn more about the COVID-19 response in Rhode Island, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4505