Federal Funding To Help Colorado's Epidemiologists & Scientists
DENVER (CBS4) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave $10.3 million to Colorado from the CARES Act. The funding will help enhance coronavirus epidemiological work and lab testing.
The state received the funding last week. As the state waits on spending guidance from the CDC, they expect to use it over the next two years.
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"This is fantastic," Rachel Herlihy, the state's epidemiologist said. "We have our work ahead of us to slow the spread of COVID-19, and this additional funding will allow us to bolster our testing, case investigation, contact tracing, and outbreak investigation work at a critical time."
State health officials say the funding will help:
- Enhance case investigation, contact tracing, and outbreak response, especially in high-risk settings and among at-risk populations.
- Improve surveillance and reporting.
- Strengthen and enhance laboratory testing for response
- Improve laboratory coordination and outreach to improve efficiency.
- Enhance workforce capacity.
- Enhance coordination between epidemiologists and laboratorians.
- Advance electronic information exchange implementation.
- Sustain and/or enhance information systems, especially with healthcare systems and between state and local public health agencies.
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