Pritzker asking downstate gov'ts to apply for reimbursement funding

ILLINOIS (WAND) - Gov. JB Pritzker is urging downstate local governments to apply for a program that will reimburse COVID-19 related expenses.

The CURE program, which involves $250 million in Illinois, features money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund using dollars given to the state as part of the CARES Act. Local governments are reimbursed for "necessary expenditures" due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Medical expenses, public health expenses, payroll expenses, expenses for actions taken to facilitate compliance with mitigation measures and other COVID-19 related expenses "reasonably necessary for the unit of local government to respond to the public health emergency that satisfies the Local CURE Program eligibility criteria" can be covered with CURE money.

Local governments are required to document how their expenses are related to COVID-19. Click here for more information about CURE.

Dozens of local governments in central Illinois have not yet been certified for CURE funding. A total of 350 local government units across Illinois have not taken initiative for it.

The full list is attached to this story as a PDF document.

The governor said he knows COVID-19 has created new costs for local governments. He said CURE program funding is important because reimbursements can help keep governments from having to cut into schools and other areas to cover costs.