Hawaiʻi To Receive $95 Million for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, Testing and Tracing

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) announced Hawai‘i will receive nearly $95 million in a new round of federal funding to support the state’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, testing and contact tracing programs.

The funding from the new COVID-19 relief package, which was signed into law in December, will also support COVID-19 surveillance, containment and other mitigation activities.

“This money will go directly into making sure the vaccine gets into arms of Hawai‘i health care workers, seniors and everyone else as soon as possible, while also helping us stop the spread of the virus,” said Sen. Schatz, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We will continue working to make sure our state has the resources it needs to vaccinate everybody and keep our communities safe.”

The state is expected to receive $12.8 million for vaccination and $81.5 million for testing and contact tracing from this round of funding. More federal funds under the new COVID relief law to support these critical public health activities are expected in the near future.

Last month, Hawai‘i also received $558,492 for COVID-19 vaccine distribution from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARE) Act and $1.1 million for testing and contact tracing from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.