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Texas To Receive Additional $2.5B For COVID-19 Response

January 28, 2021 / 2:10 PM CST / CBS Texas

DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday, Jan. 28, it has obligated an additional $2.5 billion in funding to the State of Texas for costs related to the COVID-19 mission.

"The pandemic created an immediate threat to the health and safety of the general public requiring emergency response and protective measures throughout the state," FEMA said in a news release.

In response to the event to the pandemic, the Texas Department of State Health Services has provided medical care and transport in support of hospitals, nursing homes and long-term health care facilities. Department staff purchased and distributed commodities, such as personal protective equipment, medical supplies and ventilators.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 27, data from Johns Hopkins University showed there were nearly 13,000 people hospitalized in Texas with COVID-related symptoms and the state is eighth in the nation in the number of new cases per capita with 961.5 per 100,000 residents during the past two weeks.

There have been nearly 35,500 deaths in Texas due to COVID, according to the Johns Hopkins data and the seven-day rolling average of deaths has risen in the past two weeks from 285.7 per day to 329.5 while the rolling average of new cases declined from 21,734.14 to 19,727.29 per day.

Grants for emergency protective measures are funded through FEMA's Public Assistance Grant program, which reimburses communities for actions taken in the immediate response and during recovery from a disaster.

For more details on FEMA's nationwide response and COVID-19 vaccine-related questions, click here.

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