DENVER – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided $36.5 million in expedited funding to the City and County of Denver for response efforts undertaken to combat spread of the coronavirus. The assistance was made available under the major disaster declaration issued March 28 by President Trump.
The funding comes for a number of different actions taken by the city:
- $18.8 million for Denver Health response costs, including increased ICU capacity and necessary medical supplies, as well as support of a COVID hotline;
- $10.2 million for costs relating to sheltering high-risk populations and for safely isolating persons who are confirmed to have COVID-19;
- $6.1 million for purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed through June 30, 2020;
- $1.4 million for operations costs for City of Denver’s Emergency Operations Center from March 1 to May 31, 2020
“These expedited funds support Denver’s efforts in preparing for and battling COVID-19 while also assuring that the city and county can maintain other vital services,” said FEMA Region 8 Administrator Lee dePalo.
This funding is 50 percent of the federal share for estimated costs. The additional funding will become available when actual costs are documented and provided to FEMA for review. FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides funding for emergency actions undertaken by communities to protect public safety, providing at least a 75 percent funding share for eligible costs. Remaining costs are the responsibility of the state and local applicants for assistance.
For the COVID-19 response, FEMA has simplified the Public Assistance application and funding process to address the magnitude of this event and to allow local officials to receive eligible funding more quickly. These reimbursements can play a critical role as state, local and tribal officials work tirelessly to assist their communities during this response.
To date, FEMA has provided $57 million toward the COVID-19 response in Colorado.