File photo
File photo
The Smith County Commissioners Court gave the green light for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) to use the county’s CARES Act money to help improve local COVID-19 testing abilities.
According to the county website, the decision allows UTHSCT to spend $650,564 of the money for various resources like testing kits, facility upgrades, and new equipment for the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas.
The $650,564 is 12.2% of the $5.38 million the county has received in COVID-19 assistance and relief under the CARES Act.
“Certainly, there are consumables that require the use of our local CARES Act funding such as face masks and hand sanitizer, but I see this opportunity as an investment, rather than as an expenditure,” Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran said. “It will return health dividends for years to come for this community. It’s an opportunity to strategically partner with UT Health Science Center at Tyler where the benefits are tangible, long-lasting, and have multiple uses beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. In my opinion, this will be the most impactful use of our grant funding.”
The county has until the end of this year to use the money it’s been allocated.
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