18-month total of FEMA COVID funds to Utah reaches more than $292 million

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has approved more than $292 million in total assistance for Utah as of Oct. 1, supporting the state’s fight against COVID-19 over the last 18 months. The assistance was authorized under the major disaster declaration issued for Utah on April 4, 2020.

Earlier this year, FEMA increased reimbursement from 75 percent to 100 percent funding for projects related to the pandemic response, retroactive to Jan. 20, 2020. This federal funding was received by the state and distributed to Utah tribes, counties, cities, individuals and other state and local partners.

The total includes $113 million from FEMA’s Public Assistance program for vaccines, testing sites, medical staffing and supplies (including ventilators, masks and personal protective equipment), long-term care facilities, meals for vulnerable community members and other identified COVID-19-related management, communication, transportation and administrative costs.

An additional $66 million was provided by FEMA to reimburse other agencies that provided staffing or resources to augment state efforts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Veterans Administration all supported COVID-19 operations in Utah.

FEMA also contributed almost $80 million in lost wages assistance to individuals to help ease the economic burden of Utah residents struggling financially because of the coronavirus pandemic, and $3.8 million for crisis counseling to assist individuals and communities in recovering from the psychological effects of the pandemic through outreach and educational services.

Another $5.1 million has been approved for FEMA funeral assistance, which delivers funding to families for pandemic-related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. At this time, there is no deadline to apply for COVID-19 funeral assistance for families who have lost a loved one. Information is available at 844-684-6333.

Utah also has been allocated $25 million from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to invest in mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks from natural disasters.