The New Jersey Department of Health has announced that $32.3 million in federal funding will be awarded to county and local health departments to support COVID-19 response initiatives.

“Throughout this pandemic, local health departments have been working around the clock to prepare, respond to and contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state,” said Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli. “These funds will provide health departments with more resources to identify, track and address local outbreaks quickly.”

Health departments in each of the 21 counties and the city of Newark, which are responsible for preparedness coordination in their jurisdictions will be allocated $13.7 million of the federal funding received by the New Jersey Department of Health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These 22 health departments are known as Local Information and Network Communication System (LINCS) agencies. The funding will allow these agencies to hire additional employees to coordinate testing, contact tracing and isolation and quarantine activities in their communities.