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Cost of operation vs COVID reaches $94M mark to date
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Posted on Feb 16 2022
To date, the CNMI government has received over $40 million from the public assistance program alone and expects an additional $35 million to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, according to Patrick Guerrero, who is the governor’s authorized representative to FEMA.
Speaking yesterday before the House of Representatives’ Health and Welfare Committee, Guerrero said they expect the $35 million eligible costs will be reviewed by FEMA and reimbursed sooner than later to encompass the first two years of the CNMI’s operations against the pandemic.
He said millions of dollars in additional direct federal assistance have been provided and continue to be provided to the state, whether it’s through FEMA contractors or direct support to public health.
Guerrero said FEMA does have a team of providers and nurses on Saipan currently working at both the Alternative Care Site and Medical Care and Treatment Site at the hospital.
“Our cost of our operations to date is right around the $94-million mark. And it goes to the Alternate Care Site, quarantine, emergency operations support, testing and supplies, disinfection services in support of vaccination efforts, and other activities,” he said.
Guerrero said that, aside from public assistance support from the federal government, they do have three other programs that they’ve been able to develop.
He said currently they have the crisis counseling program, which is under the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s Community Guidance Center. He said over a million dollars has been awarded for that program to provide crisis counseling services.
Guerrero said the Lost Wages Assistance Program was a short-lived program but they are just in the final phase of closing that out in terms of grant closeout program. He said they were able to utilize roughly $5 million and a half on that program.
He said the funeral assistance program is “still an ongoing active program.”
