By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


New funding will allow the Livingston County Health Department to hire new positions to help with COVID-19 response.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has received federal funding to provide local health departments with COVID-19 support and response. As a result, the Livingston County Health Department will be awarded $702,400 for a period that begins on October 1st and runs through September 30, 2021. This will help not only ensure that they can provide essential day-to-day public health services through the crisis, but will also allow them to create and hire for grant-funded term positions.

The resolution to accept this award was approved by the Livingston County Board of Commissioners as part of their consent agenda during their online-meeting, held earlier this week.

As part of the resolution, 9 new positions will be funded. Those positions are 2 epidemiologists, a communicable disease clerk, a health promotion specialist, 2 program clerk IIs, and 3 public health nurses. Once the funding from the grant is no longer available, the positions will be eliminated.

Funding not spent on new hires could be used to conduct testing, tracing, case investigations, infection preventions, and enforcement for the pandemic in the county.

The award will be included in the 2021 Comprehensive Agreement.