The Federal Emergency Management Administration has approved more than $1.4 million in additional public assistance funding for the COVID-19 response in Utah, the agency announced. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued April 4, 2020. FEMA has now provided a total of $94 million for the Utah COVID-19 response.

The funding was received by Salt Lake County for COVID-19 to disseminate information to the public for warnings and guidance, provided security, law enforcement, barricading and patrolling jurisdiction-wide for COVID-19 safety measures. I also provided funds for law enforcement officers to staff the Emergency Support Function No. 13 (public safety and security) desk at the county’s emergency operations communications centers.

The additional funding was authorized under the Jan. 21, 2021, “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security” and Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.