WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $797,942 in new funding for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness.
These federal funds will go to the state Department of Health to develop vaccine-distribution plans, determine where the vaccine will be administered, and ensure an adequate number of vaccination providers.
“Once a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine is available, Hawai‘i must be prepared to successfully distribute it to families across our state,” said Schatz. “These federal funds will ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to quickly and widely administer the vaccine.”
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new playbook on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19. Authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this new funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC.
In July, Schatz joined with 27 senators in calling for Congress to provide at least $5.6 billion in additional federal funding to develop and support COVID-19 vaccine infrastructure.
3 more virus deaths,
83 new infections
The state DOH said Tuesday that the state has recorded three more coronavirus-related deaths and 83 new infections, bringing the totals since the start of the pandemic to 160 deaths and 12,937 cases.
All three women — two in their 80s who died at home and another in her 60s who died in the hospital — had underlying health conditions, state health officials said.
Tuesday’s new infection cases include 67 on O‘ahu, 14 on Hawai‘i Island, and two in Maui County, officials said.
The U.S. coronavirus death toll was over 210,000 Tuesday.
