NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Governor Bill Lee announced $200 million in grants to be distributed to every county and city government across Tennessee for one-time local expenses for the 2021 fiscal year.
“Capital maintenance, public safety and road projects don’t pause for disasters like the March tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gov. Lee. “This grant fund will ease the burden on local governments as they work to meet infrastructure and safety obligations.”
The funding is based on population and may be used for road projects, I.T. upgrades, capital maintence, utility system upgrades, and public safety projects. Certain disaster-related expenses are also eligible.
Each county will receive at least $500,000 and each city or municipality will receive at least $30,000. The three Metro governments (Davidson, Moore, and Trousdale), will receive one allocation, whichever is largest.
One-time expenses related to COVID-19 are eligible including supply and equipment purchase, cleaning, as well as emergency food and shelter programs. Counties impacted by the March 2020 tornadoes including Benton, Davidson, Putnam, and Wilson counties may also use the funds for tornado relief efforts.
The grant application process opens April 30 2020 and the funds will be made available after July 1 2020.
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
