STATEWIDE- Governor Janet Mills has announced new grants to help lessen the impact COVID-19 has had on Maine’s retail, health care and tourism industries.
In Monday’s CDC briefing, Maine Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said Mills has launched two new grant programs worth $70 million.
All of the money comes from Federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds, with Lambrew saying $40 million of it will fund a new economic recovery grant program for Maine’s tourism, hospitality and small retail businesses.
That money will go to places like restaurants, bars, tasting rooms, lodging and retail shops, which have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and now face additional challenges with the coming winter months.
The other $30 million will go to grants for Maine’s health care organizations.
“A new financial relief opportunity for health care organizations like hospitals that had no quite been previously eligible for coronavirus relief funds. This includes hospitals and nursing facilities of any size as well as behavioral health and community based organizations with more than 250 employees,” Lambrew said.
As with the Maine Economic Recovery Grant Program, the Maine Health Care Financial Relief grants can be used for payroll costs and other necessary operating expenses
“This program will be modeled on the Maine economic recovery grant program and provide up to $100,000 in financial relief for these health care organizations and we feel strongly that this will help Maine’s healthcare providers who have risen to the challenge to continue to provide services throughout this pandemic,” she said.
She said businesses can start applying for the grants on December 1.
