By Alison Steinbach | Arizona Republic
The Arizona Department of Health Services received $150 million from the federal government to help with its COVID-19 response efforts, according to a department announcement on Tuesday.
The grant is from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is supported by the federal Paycheck Prevention Program and Health Care Enhancement Act of 2020. Arizona’s health department previously received $28.6 million in grants from the CDC in March and April.
Dr. Cara Christ, director of the health department, said in a written statement that the money will be used to expand testing, contact tracing and disease surveillance. No specifics about programs or planned spending were provided.
“This additional funding will support the critical needs of Arizona public health departments as we work with our partners to augment activities to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19,” Christ wrote.
Testing and contract tracing have been two priorities of the department in recent weeks as COVID-19 has continued to spread across Arizona’s 15 counties.
