The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be granting more than $14.6 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the costs of purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) for use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
The $14,659,688 in Public Assistance grants will go to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to reimburse it for purchasing nitrile gloves, hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, N95 disposable respirators, disposable face masks, non-surgical isolation gowns, medical goggles and hand sanitizing wipes for healthcare workers, patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, and first responders.
In total, EOHHS received and managed the distribution of emergency materials and equipment on behalf of over 250 state agencies, group homes, congregate facilities, and essential healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs,” said FEMA Region I Acting Regional Administrator Paul Ford. “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 almost $835 million in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program is available at https://www.fema.gov/publicassistance- local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. To learn more about the COVID-19 response in Massachusetts, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4496.