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Kosrae gets $1.5M to build COVID-19 quarantine facilities
WASHINGTON, D.C—The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs announced yesterday that $1,530,000 in Compact of Free Association and CARES Act funding has been approved to help build several quarantine buildings in Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia.
“We are glad to see that construction has begun on new buildings to be used in Kosrae State for quarantine and isolation purposes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,” said assistant secretary, Insular and International Affairs, Douglas W. Domenech. “This important support provided by the Compact and the CARES Act will help Kosrae isolate and address potential COVID-19 cases, thereby reducing the potential for community transmission of the disease as repatriations and the relaxing of travel restrictions are considered.”
In March of 2020, the FSM government restricted travel due to the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic and, to date, the FSM has no reported cases of the coronavirus. The U.S. government has been providing ongoing support and assistance to the FSM and the other freely associated states to help address the pandemic.
Certain economic assistance provisions under the Compact of Free Association agreement (U.S. Public Law 108-188) between the FSM and the United States are set to expire in 2023. Bilateral discussions are underway related to the expiring provisions. (PR)
