The state Emergency Commission has voted to accept up to $6 million in federal funds for response and containment of the new Coronavirus disease.
The money is a part of the $8.3 billion Congress allocated toward the response.
"Some of the things we've been looking at is to be able to expand the laboratory capacity for us," said North Dakota Health Department Medical Services Section Chief Kirby Kruger. "We want to make sure we are able to work with and provide resources for our local public health people to do the work they need to do to help us with this response."
The line items:
- $700,000 to cover salaries and wages of those devoting time to the emergency;
- $3.2 million for personal protective equipment for the state’s medical cache and other supplies;
- $200,000 for equipment to efficiently and effectively test samples submitted to the state lab; and
- $1.9 million to grant to partners including the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, North Dakota National Guard, local public health units and hospitals in their efforts to assist the Department of Health.
Kruger said part of the money will go toward public education.
"That is, being able to field calls from the public and providers," Kruger said.
Kruger said the money will help with the contact tracing that he said needs to be done, He said working with community partners on the response is critical.
"We want to make sure we're there for them, to help with some of the decision making that's going to be coming down the road."
North Dakota has had no confirmed Coronavirus cases. A UND student has recently been tested for the disease. The test was negative.
