Feds will give SU $4.4 million to reimburse COVID-19 pandemic expenses

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The federal government will give $4.4 million to reimburse Syracuse University’s expenses in response to the pandemic, according to a press release from New York’s senators.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said the money comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA department and should be used to cover the costs of medical supplies, enhanced cleaning efforts, personal protective equipment, HVAC systems and testing efforts.

“The investments Syracuse University and Oneida County made in PPE and other safety measures undoubtedly slowed the spread of the virus and helped save lives,” Gillibrand said in a press release.

They also announced that Oneida County would also receive over $1.3 million from FEMA for their COVID-19 related expenses. Both Schumer and Gillibrand praised Oneida County and SU for their responses to the pandemic.

“Oneida County, Syracuse University, and so many other entities throughout New York heroically stepped up to fight the pandemic on the front lines,” Schumer said in a press release. “Pandemic recovery begins by tackling the tremendous costs the local government and our higher education institutions have incurred managing the crisis.”