Burlington County To Get $3M For Coronavirus Fight: Officials

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Burlington County will receive close to $3 million to support its coronavirus testing program as part of a new partnership designed to ensure that residents have access to testing and other assistance during the ongoing pandemic, officials announced.

The county will receive another $565,000 in reimbursements for other expenses related to their response, according to officials. These expenses are not directly covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The reimbursement will allow the county to continue offering other coronavirus services without overburdening its property taxpayers, officials said.

The Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved the agreement Thursday morning. Burlington County Freeholder Deputy Director Tom Pullion joined Gov. Phil Murphy, Rep. Andy Kim (D-3) and other county and state officials to make the announcement in Morristown.

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“From the start of the pandemic, our governments have made the health and safety of all residents the top priority and our actions continue to reflect that commitment,” Pullion said. “While COVID-19 has posed challenges unlike anything we’ve ever encountered, I’m proud of our response and even more proud to enter into this new partnership with the Murphy administration.”

“There is no denying that COVID-19 has placed an incredible amount of strain on resources across all levels of government,” Murphy said. “I’ve been clear from day one of this crisis that we’ll spare no expense to protect the health and safety of New Jerseyans, and that requires us to provide our communities with the support they need. Together, this funding will help us save lives and emerge stronger as one New Jersey family.”

The money comes from the federal CARES Act funding that was allocated to New Jersey in the spring, according to officials. It is expected to cover money spent by Burlington County on testing so far, as well as what the county expects to spend on testing through the end of the year. This includes the expansion to at home mail-order saliva tests.

Burlington County was the first county in New Jersey to provide free coronavirus testing to residents, first responders and health care workers. More than 8,000 residents and workers have been tested for the coronavirus through Burlington County’s program according to officials.

The program was started in March at a fixed testing site at the county Emergency Services Complex in Westampton before being moved to mobile locations throughout the county last month.

The county returned to testing at a fixed clinic outside the county Health Department this week but plans to expand next month to at-home testing with a mail-order and return system.

However, the county has received no CARES Act money directly because its population was slightly below the law’s 500,000 population cutoff for direct funding.

Eleven other counties also received no CARES Act because their populations were below the cutoff. The Murphy administration has entered into similar agreements with those counties to provide testing.

Collectively, all 12 counties are expected to receive about $37 million in federal funding to assist with their coronavirus response.

“I voted for the CARES Act because I saw first hand the impact this crisis has had on Burlington County and our townships,” Kim said. “The expanded testing paid for by this funding will go a long way towards helping us put an end to this pandemic and keeping our families safe, but it’s not enough. Congress needs to step up and finish the job to deliver additional funding to our state and counties. This crisis has hit us hard enough, we shouldn’t see teachers and police laid off or services cut because Washington didn’t stand up for New Jersey. I’ll continue working with the Freeholders, our state leaders, and my colleagues to fight for that funding and help our communities get through this crisis.”

“Early on we identified access to COVID-19 testing as one of the most critical actions our county could take to help fight the spread of this disease, and we went so far as to budget millions for our response without knowing whether any state or federal funds would be made available to us,” Pullion said. “By partnering with the state, we can access CARES Act funding and ensure our testing can continue and remain accessible for as long as it is needed.”

In addition to offering free testing, Burlington County has distributed close to two million pieces of personal protective equipment to long-term care facilities, municipal government and first responders in the county and help give out more than 3,000 boxes of food and fresh produce to families impacted by the pandemic.

“From free testing to our residents, distributing food and protective equipment to deferring loans for our small businesses, our county has done everything in our power to help our residents get through these challenging times and let them know they’re not facing it alone,” Pullion said. “We will continue to offer help and assistance, and through partnerships like this one, and with leaders like Gov. Murphy and Congressman Kim in our corner, we will beat this virus.”

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