Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced the award of a $4,397,522.03 grant to the state of Mississippi to support COVID-19 disaster response efforts.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will use the funds to purchase medical supplies, personal protective equipment and other resources. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith, of Brookhaven, and Roger Wicker made the announcement.

“This federal grant is great news for MEMA and the many first responders in Mississippi who have been on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak,” Wicker said. “With additional support to purchase much-needed medical supplies, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and face shields, our state will be better equipped to sustain the fight against this virus.”

“The current trajectory of the coronavirus indicates that Mississippi’s healthcare providers, first responders, and citizens will need substantial and sustained supplies of masks, gloves, and equipment. This funding is representative of FEMA and MEMA coordination to supply and distribute these resources where they’re needed most in our state,” Hyde-Smith said.

President Donald Trump approved Gov. Tate Reeves’s request for a federal disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi in April, unlocking federal resources to help the state fight the coronavirus outbreak.