With COVID-19 cases now pushing close to 80,000, Gov. Charlie Baker is calling for a $1 billion supplemental budget to cover a range of pandemic-related costs, including more protective gear for frontline healthcare workers.
Baker said he expects the $1 billion in spending would be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund.
“It’s actually a net-zero to the state. We need to spend first to get them to reimburse,” said Baker said Tuesday after touring a life sciences company in Ashland that manufactures protective equipment.
“We’re not yet out to the woods and we should all remember that,” Baker added, as he described the phased efforts expected in coming weeks to ease restrictions on businesses.
Source: WGBH