The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $2 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the City of Boston for the cost of purchasing emergency supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $2,006,134 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Boston Public Health Commission for the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies distributed to both its staff and community partners to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
The PPE and supplies purchased between March and December 2020 included masks, gloves, safety glasses, face shields, N95 masks, disinfecting wipes and sanitizer.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the Boston Public Health Commission with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and to 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 more than $1.5 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.