WASHINGTON– The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs announced today that it has awarded $486,348 to the Navajo Nation to address the public safety challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. Funding is made available from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by President Trump in March.
“The people of the Navajo Nation have suffered the devastating effects of COVID-19 at rates unmatched by any other community in America, yet through it all they have maintained a faith and resolve that the rest of us could only hope to emulate,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We stand with their leaders, with their brave public safety and public health professionals, and with every Navajo citizen as they rise to meet, and overcome, this crisis.”
The Navajo reservation, which covers a territory larger than the state of West Virginia, has one of the highest per capita rates of COVID-19 infection in the country. More than 140 Navajo residents have died of the virus, according to the Navajo Department of Health. The Trump Administration has moved to deliver critical resources, including medical supplies and protective gear, to the Navajo people and to tribes across the country.
The Navajo Department of Public Safety (NDPS) reports that almost two dozen Navajo police, corrections officers and other personnel have tested positive for the virus. These new funds will support efforts by the NDPS to respond to the pandemic by allowing it to purchase personal protective equipment for front-line workers and address the medical needs of inmates and personnel in Navajo correctional facilities. The grant is part of the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program authorized by the CARES Act.
The emergency program makes $850 million available to support tribal, local and state efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing jurisdictions to hire personnel, pay overtime, purchase protective equipment and distribute resources to hard-hit areas. Funds may also be used to help correctional facilities cover costs related to COVID-19, including, but not limited to, sanitation, contagion prevention and measures designed to address the related medical needs of inmates, detainees and correctional personnel.
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for the emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations is available at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
For more information, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553.