An allocation of $3.1 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan will help the state of Hawaii detect and prevent potential COVID-19 outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness and prison populations.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) late last month said that no Hawaiian should be unaccounted for, given the increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
“As Hawaii experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant, we can’t leave anyone behind in our efforts to stop the spread of this virus,” Schatz wrote in a July 26 Facebook post. “More than $3 million in new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan will help make sure homeless shelters and correctional facilities across the state have the resources and support they need to keep people healthy and safe.”
The nearly $2 billion American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11.
Hawaii will use $1.44 million for homeless shelters and group homes.
The Hawaii Department of Health “will use this funding to hire workers to coordinate resources, develop strategies and support community partners to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness and residents of congregate settings, including group homes and encampments,” Schatz told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “The funding will also be used to supply these vulnerable communities with COVID-19 tests and other mitigation resources like handwashing stations, hand sanitizer and masks.”
His office said that $1.75 million will be used for federal, state and local prison populations.
“The funds can also support other mitigation efforts -- including COVID-19 contact tracing, isolation and quarantine strategies, infection control practices, and education and training on ways to minimize the spread of COVID-19 for facility staff and people who are incarcerated or detained,” Schatz said in a statement, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.