BOISE, Idaho — The Center for Disease Control plans to send millions of dollars to Idaho to help the Gem State fight coronavirus.
The $ 4,567,500 in funding to Idaho is part of $560 million in federal money that will be distributed nationwide.
"State and local health departments are on the frontlines of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, and we are deeply grateful for their work," said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement. "CDC is distributing this new funding extremely rapidly, as called for by Congress. President Trump, and his entire administration will continue working to ensure state and local jurisdictions have the resources they need to keep Americans safe and healthy."
The CDC will contact state health officers Wednesday to move forward with distributing the money, but it's unclear how quickly it will be available to use. A breakdown of which jurisdictions will receive funding, and how much, is available here.
"Our state, local, tribal and territorial public health partners are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. The action we are taking today will continue to support their efforts to increase public health capacity where it's needed most," said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. "These funds will allow public health leaders to implement critical steps necessary to contain and mitigate spread of the virus in communities across the country."
As of Wednesday, March 11, Idaho has zero confirmed cases of coronavirus. In nearby Washington, two dozen people have died of coronavirus among 267 confirmed cases.
In addition to the federal funding, Gov. Brad Little has asked the legislature to approve an additional $2 million for an emergency fund for coronavirus testing and other use around the state.
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