The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided $3.1 million in public assistance funding for the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics COVID-19 response. The assistance was made available under the disaster declaration issued last year. FEMA has provided a total of $100.6 million for Utah’s COVID-19 response to date.

The $3.1 million received by the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics breaks down as follows:

• $1.2 million in 2020 to rent humidifiers and ventilators to support the increased capacity of COVID-19-positive patients. Additionally, the university purchased personal protective equipment, medical supplies and equipment, powered air purifying respirators and disinfection supplies.

• $1.9 million in 2021 was also to rent humidifiers and ventilators and purchase personal protective equipment, medical supplies and equipment.

This funding was authorized under a Jan. 21 presidential memorandum. For the COVID-19 response, FEMA has simplified the public assistance application and funding process to address the magnitude of the event and to allow local officials to receive eligible funding more quickly.