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FEMA is covering over $25M in state COVID-19 costs from 2021

A health care worker administers a throat swab test at a drive-in COVID-19 testing center.
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
A health care worker administers a throat swab test at a drive-in COVID-19 testing center.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is awarding the state Department of Health over $25 million to cover funds used during the COVID-19 delta surge last year.

The DOH opened 30 testing and community outreach sites last year from July through December in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaiʻi.

The testing sites also offered education, counseling, and referral services. Mobile teams handed out free self-test kits to underserved areas.

“Access to rapid testing that is no cost to members of our community has been so important during this pandemic. The Department of Health worked closely with FEMA and HI-EMA to obtain this funding for our state. We are grateful to have these resources as we continue to navigate through this pandemic,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char.

Zoe Dym was a news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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