As coronavirus case numbers continue to remain high in the Central Valley, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday over $50 million in financial support to Valley counties in an effort to curb the pandemic.
California is spreading $52 million across the eight Central Valley counties. Newsom said the money is distributed from a federal grant that the state received.
The financial support will go to supporting and improving testing – both increasing supplies and shortening the turnaround time for results. Newsom said the funds will also go toward helping health care workers and will allow the counties to bring in more health care personnel.
Newsom also announced that the state has created three “strike force” teams that will be deployed to different parts of the Central Valley to help enforce the state’s various orders regarding the pandemic.
Sources told The Sun on Monday, the three teams would monitor Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties.
The strike teams will include different bureaucratic agencies such as the Office of Emergency Services, CalOSHA, the Department of Social Services and various community based organizations at the local level.
Newsom said the state’s actions in the Central Valley come from the high COVID-19 positivity rates, which range from 10-17% over a 14-day average.
State Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno) applauded the financial support from the state.
“I am thankful that the Central Valley is getting necessary resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Borgeas in a statement. “This $52 million investment from the CDC is a positive step and demonstrates the power of a unified voice in the Central Valley.
“Additional funding for contact tracing, testing and healthcare personnel can help mitigate the spread of the virus so we can safely get our businesses back open and our children back in school.”
