FEMA reimburses Onondaga County for COVID-19 response costs

FEMA is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The medical supplies and materials include personal protective equipment (PPEs); cleaning/disinfecting facilities; distribution of food and water; staffing for the emergency operations center; set up and operation of temporary testing sites; dissemination of information to the public and guidance regarding COVID-19; isolation and quarantine related sheltering; security and law enforcement; and medical monitoring of COVID cases within the county.

It represents a 75 percent reimbursement, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said during his Thursday afternoon coronavirus briefing at the Oncenter.

“There’s talk that maybe we can get 100 percent reimbursement. That’d be excellent news,” McMahon said in response to a reporter’s question.

McMahon noted that not everything that Onondaga County spent is eligible for a FEMA reimbursement.

“Our continuity of care program, our continuity of food program we did last spring … those are all costs that didn’t get reimbursed,” said McMahon.

He credited his finance team with its work on pursuing the FEMA reimbursement.

“Pandemic recovery begins by tackling the costs local government have incurred managing the crisis and keeping residents safe throughout the pandemic,” Schumer said. “Onondaga County and localities throughout New York have heroically stepped up to fight the pandemic on the front lines, resulting in increased spending, while experiencing significant revenue losses. I am proud to deliver this funding that will help Onondaga stave off disastrous layoffs and tax hikes, keep essential services running, and rebuild its economy.”