File photo
File photo
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry has authorized nearly $400,000 to increase staffing at the county health department as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
The funds support nine new positions at the Galveston County Health District, including three epidemiologists, two nurses, and one nurse case manager. Each of the positions is related to the health district's effort to monitor and investigate cases of COVID-19 according to the Galveston County Daily News. Funding comes from the CARES Act.
Galveston County received $2.3 million in CARES Act funding. The county has also requested 18% of CARES Act funding from each of the 13 cities in the county to assist with coronavirus testing costs.
As of July 4, Texas reported 183,532 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 2,575 deaths. Galveston County has 3,778 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The University of Texas Medical Branch has partnered with the county to provide free mass testing and has been doing so since May 20. The county estimates the program will cost $3.5 million through the end of 2020, but is committed to providing the testing through the end of 2021.
Alerts Sign-up