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Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States on Tuesday, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of masks and other supplies for front-line doctors and nurses. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
WASHINGTON (KHON2) – Congressional leaders reached an agreement to provide $8.3 billion in emergency funding to respond to the Coronavirus outbreak, Hawaii will receive $4.5 million.
The deal also includes telehealth legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i).
Schatz’s legislation will expand the use of telehealth during the current outbreak, allowing more patients to receive care at home, while freeing up health care resources and helping limit the spread of infections in emergency rooms and hospitals.
The package is expected to pass easily through both houses of Congress and be signed by the president this week.
“While there are still no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Hawaii, this federal money will help fund our state’s response efforts and give us additional resources to keep people safe,” said Senator Schatz.
Other details from the deal include:
- $2 billion to help federal, state, local, and tribal governments prevent, prepare, and respond to the crisis, including:
- $1 billion directly to state and local governments to conduct public health preparedness and response activities; Reimbursement incurred by state and local governments for costs incurred responding to the outbreak.
- $3 billion for the research and development of vaccines, other treatments and tests.
- $500 million to purchase pharmaceuticals, masks, personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies, which can be distributed to state and local health agencies in areas with a shortage of medical supplies.
- $100 million to fund Community Health Centers, supporting smaller health clinics in under-served urban and rural areas.
