BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $5.7 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the Boston Public Health Commission for the costs of setting up and operating testing sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $5,696,152 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the commission for contracting to set up and operate testing and treatment centers around the city between November 2020 and April 2021 at the following locations:
- LCG Health Wellness and Recovery
- Codman Square Health Center
- Dot-House Health Center
- East Boston Neighborhood Health
- Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center
- Whitter Health Center
- Uphams Corner Health Center
These sites not only provided 66,609 COVID-19 tests but also provided accommodation for new patients without insurance to obtain care as needed; incorporated educational resources on the Coronavirus; and provided registration and traffic control services.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the Boston Public Health Commission 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.
So far, FEMA has provided more than $1.2 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.