Pacific territories, FAS awarded $858K for COVID-19 testing kits and machine

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of the Interior has awarded $858,924 in emergency grant funding to the Pacific Island Health Officers Association to provide GeneXpert testing kits and a machine for the U.S. Pacific territories and Freely Associated States so that they may now conduct on-island testing during the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding will be used to buy newly developed COVID-19 testing kits for American Samoa, Guam, and the CNMI, as well as the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

The funds—which DOI is providing under its Technical Assistance Program—will also be used to purchase one GeneXpert back-up machine for the region.

“[Interior] Secretary [David] Bernhardt and I are pleased to support the purchase of testing materials and the machine in facilitating island health officials to conduct on-site testing for COVID-19 cases during this pandemic,” said Assistant Secretary Douglas W. Domenech, Insular and International Affairs. “Travel restrictions imposed to protect island communities from COVID-19 have delayed and restricted options for centralized lab testing services, but recent Emergency Use Authorization announcements made by President [Donald J.] Trump and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have opened other opportunities for on-site testing. This is critical for island area health officials as they work to protect their communities.”

The PIHOA has confirmed that all health departments in the Pacific territories and the Freely Associated States currently have the testing equipment, lab infrastructure, skills, and practical knowledge base to set up and run localized COVID-19 testing using the GeneXpert platform as they currently run similar tests on the same platform for other diseases, such as tuberculosis. PIHOA is working with regional and local health authorities to assess needs and will conduct a regional bulk procurement of newly developed COVID-19 testing kits and a back-up GeneXpert machine for the island areas.

For guidelines on how to apply for OIA TAP funding, visit the OIA website at https://www.doi.gov/oia/financial-assistance. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Office of Insular Affairs has also extended the previously announced grant application deadline for fiscal year 2020 TAP funding from April 1 to May 1, 2020. (PR)