Home $14.8M in federal funds will boost COVID-19 contact tracing in Virginia
Virginia

$14.8M in federal funds will boost COVID-19 contact tracing in Virginia

Chris Graham
Virginia covid-19
(© Ingo Menhard – stock.adobe.com)

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $14,857,347 in federal funding to strengthen the Commonwealth’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The funding, awarded through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases cooperative agreement, was made possible by the CARES Act, which was supported by Sens. Warner and Kaine.

“We are glad to know that the Virginia Department of Health will be able to count on this federal funding to help assess the effects of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth and strengthen the fight against this virus,” the senators said in a joint statement. 

The funding may be used by the Virginia Department of Health to establish or enhance the ability to aggressively identify cases, conduct contact tracing and follow up, as well as implement appropriate containment measures.

It can also be used to improve morbidity and mortality surveillance, enhance testing capacity, control COVID-19 in high-risk settings and protect vulnerable or high-risk populations, as well as help healthcare systems manage and monitor system capacity.

Support AFP

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].