FY 21: Strengthening Public Health

As the current COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, preparedness and response activities in the Pacific territories rely on the speed of diagnostic testing. The Marianas has done well in this area; rapidly developing the capability to test for COVID-19 and greatly reducing the reliance on the public health labs in Guam and Hawaii. But developing and maintaining lab capacity in the Pacific territories continues to be a challenge. The FY 2021 Labor, HHS-Education appropriations bill report includes my language encouraging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve lab capacity in the Pacific territories. The FY 2021 Labor, HHS-Education appropriations bill provides the CDC with a $25 million increase to support state and local health departments in strengthening public health systems.

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