The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $2 million to the State of Rhode Island to reimburse the state health department for the costs of setting up a quarantine resource center during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $2,016,951 FEMA Public Assistance grant will go to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) for contracting for services and using its own personnel to set up a resource center to provide individuals and families with information and access to vital services in order to ensure their compliance with quarantine and isolation protocols between July and December 2021.
The center also provided data analytics support for evaluating existing data and analytical reporting processes, and provided a plan to refine and enhance practices. The data was then used by the state’s executive team to inform decisions.
“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 $544 million to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.