CDC awards North Carolina $13.8 million to fight COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded North Carolina $13.8 million on Monday to support state and local responses to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

The grant is a series of efforts the federal government has undertaken to provide funding to public health officials across the country in an attempt to stem the spread of the newest global pandemic. 

Kelly Haight Connor, a spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, identified many ways the state may use the money.

Among the top priorities for the NCDHHS was public health management and risk assessment, particularly when it comes to those who have potentially been exposed to the virus. Haight Connor said case identification and efforts to ensure the health of travelers are among the main ways the state will attempt to address these issues.

The funding will also be allocated to assist with administrative costs and improving the state’s health infrastructure. The grant money will help the state increase its supplies of medical and laboratory equipment, as well as improving shipping and other distributive infrastructure across the state. 

She also stressed the importance of communication, saying that some of the grant money will be allocated to risk communication, data management and surveillance of cases. 

This measure comes after the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act became law on March 6. The legislation made an additional $2.2 billion available to the CDC through September 2022, with $475 million to be allocated before April 6.

This act had overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, including all of North Carolina's representatives. 

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was among many lawmakers to call for increased funding of state and local programs to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 across the country.

“I’ll continue to work on a bipartisan basis to make sure our state has the resources it needs to prepare and respond to this public health crisis,” he said in a statement. 

He has also voiced his support for other COVID-19-related legislation, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Community Bank Regulatory Relief Act. The former provides for the increased availability of testing kits, funding for nutritional programs and virus-related leave, while the latter is meant to reduce regulations for local banks in an effort to help them cope with economic losses encumbered during the outbreak. 

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has also voiced his support for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, saying that it was important to provide targeted relief to those impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Burr also discussed the importance of the grant the CDC awarded to the state, calling it a key step in providing state and local officials the resources they need to help combat the spread of novel coronavirus and ensure the safety of the people of North Carolina. 

“This funding will help coordinate and deploy needed supplies throughout the state and increase our ability to test, identify and track coronavirus cases,” Burr said in a press release.

His remarks, however, come amid a revelation that he sold off a significant amount of his stock holdings, worth between $580,000 and $1.6 million, in February — a move that preceded large losses in world markets this month over coronavirus fears.    

Yet, many in Congress have acknowledged more needs to be done. Among them is U.S. Rep. David Price (D-District 4), who called the Trump administration’s response to the crisis “woefully inadequate.” 

He said many states, including North Carolina, are still running low on tests, protective gear and even patient beds as the outbreak progresses. As a result, he has pledged that he and his colleagues in Congress will continue doing all they can to help states deal with this crisis.

“I’m committed to ensuring the full force of the federal government is brought to bear to combat this virus,” Price said. 

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