Montana to receive $71M+ for COVID testing, vaccine distribution

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines announced that Montana will receive more than $71 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat COVID-19 through large-scale testing and vaccination efforts.

The year-end bipartisan COVID-19 relief and stimulus package allocates $61,517,133 for COVID-19 testing and provides $9,657,321 for vaccine distribution.

Tester said, “With the news this week that Montana has passed the grim milestone of more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths, these critical resources are needed more now than ever to help get this virus under control once and for all and get folks back to work.”

Daines said, “I’m glad I could help secure this critical funding to help expand testing and vaccination distribution in Montana and I’ll continue working to ensure our state is equipped to beat this virus.”

The funding will support testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment, and mitigation efforts to monitor and suppress the spread of COVID-19 and is expected to arrive before Jan. 19.