MADISON, Wis. -- Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday announced an additional $1 billion in funding to fight the novel coronavirus in Wisconsin.
The effort is funded by an allocation of $1.17 billion from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and will be used to support to COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, operations, and resources for local communities.
- Coronavirus in Wisconsin: Live Updates From Across the State
- The Rebound Milwaukee: Resources For Getting Back To Normal
- We're Open: These Restaurants Are Still Offering Carryout And Delivery
“As I’ve said before, regardless of the political overtones of the past week, we still know what we need to do to box in this virus and help keep people safe,” Gov. Evers said. “Our statewide approach to containing the spread of COVID-19 will continue with robust testing and contact tracing efforts in all corners of Wisconsin, resources that ensure our critical workers have the equipment they need to do their jobs safely, and direct investments in local communities and health providers. Wisconsin’s Safer At Home order may have ended, but our all-out war on this virus has not.”
The state says it has already allocated about $260 million to testing efforts and $75 million for contact tracing. Here's where the money will be going:
- $202 million will go to providing test collection kits to Wisconsin hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, local health departments, and others at no cost.
- Just under $3 million will be distributed as local preparedness grants to support testing efforts into the fall.
- $45 million will go to local community and occupational testing pilots, including a program that would give eligible providers $35 per COVID-19 test administered to a Wisconsin resident.
- $10 million will go to local and tribal public health departments.
- Up to $50 million will be available to local and tribal public health departments to hire additional staff.
- $40 million will go toward procuring ventilators.
- $445 million will be allocated to "ensure Wisconsin hospitals and communities are prepared to handle a surge of COVID-19 patients over the summer and fall."
Check back often for updates on this developing story.