COVID-19 Spending Report

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Total COVID-19 Spending to Date: $181.8 million

Figures as of June 14, 2021, unless otherwise noted.

Pinellas CARES Programs

Pinellas County received $170.1 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to address the community’s most pressing needs related to COVID-19.

The County has committed all CARES Act funds to the programs below, and payments are ongoing.

Pinellas CARES Funds Committed to Date: $170.1 million

Pinellas CARES Programs Costs to Date: $154.4 million


Individual & Family Financial Assistance*

Financial assistance for overdue rent, mortgage and utility bills for households who have lost income due to COVID-19.

  • Launched: April 28, 2020
  • Est. Program Investment: $26.2 million
  • Total Approved: 21,716 payments assisting 8,654 households
  • Total Awarded: $24.6 million

Figures per 211 Tampa Bay Cares as of December 29, 2020.

Nonprofit Partnership Fund*

Support for nonprofits that provide critical services and investments in countywide COVID-19 response in the areas of food, behavioral health, and eviction mitigation.

  • Launched: Aug. 7, 2020
  • Est. Program Investment: $30.0 million
  • Total Approved: 60 applicants
  • Total Awards: $17.9 million
  • Costs to Date: $16.5 million

Figures per Pinellas Community Foundation as of May 31, 2021. Visit https://pinellascf.org/grants/pinellas-cares for more information.

Licensed Child Care Grants*

Grants to child care organizations whose business was negatively impacted due to COVID-19.

  • Launched: Aug. 7, 2020
  • Closed: Oct. 2, 2020
  • Est. Program Investment: $5.0 million
  • Total Approved: 530 applicants‡
  • Total Awarded: $7.4 million

Local Business Grants*

Grant funding for Pinellas-based businesses most affected by the pandemic.

  • Launched: May 4, 2020 (initial program); Aug. 31, 2020 (new program)
  • Est. Program Investment: $48.9 million
  • Total Approved: 5,389 applicants
  • Total Awarded: $55.6 million

See latest figures for the Local Business Grant Program.

Nonprofit Attractions and Cultural Facilities

Grants for pre-qualified nonprofit arts and cultural organization that suffered economic damages as a result of COVID-19.

Workforce Re-employment & Training*

Workforce reemployment, retraining, and placement for residents that suffered economic impact due to COVID-19.

  • Launched: Oct. 16, 2020
  • Est. Program Investment: $2.0 million
  • Total Enrollments: 57
  • Total Awarded: $227,372
  • Costs to Date: $227,372

Costs to Date figures based on general ledger. All other figures per CareerSource Pinellas Final Report as of Feb. 8, 2021.

Third-Party Administration of Pinellas CARES Community Grant Programs:

  • Awarded: $2.1 million
  • Costs to Date: $1.4 million

COVID-19 Mitigation & Response

Bolstering local pandemic response through increasing local capacity for testing, contact tracing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other public health measures.

  • Est. Program Investment: $55.9 million
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Stockpile†:
    • Costs to Date: $8.3 million
  • Community Testing Sites:
    • Costs to Date: $831,189
  • Vaccination Sites:
    • Costs to Date: $551,036
  • Testing and Contact Tracing
    • Awarded: $4.4 million
    • Costs to Date: $3.7 million
  • County, Cities, Towns, & Independent Fire Districts:
    • Awarded: $27.3 million
    • Costs to Date: $14.3 million
  • School Board of Pinellas County:
    • Awarded: $17.3 million
    • Costs to Date: $17.3 million

Other Externally Funded Direct Expenses

Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Financial assistance for qualifying low-income households who have lost income due to COVID-19

  • Launched: March 31, 2021
  • Awarded: $20.4 million
  • Total Approved to Date: 328
  • Total Awarded to Date: $2.3 million
  • Administrative Costs to Date: $125,858

Figures reflect unique applicants approved and dollars awarded as reported by the entity issuing payment as of June 4, 2021. There is a delay in these costs reflecting in expenditure reports.

Health Care for the Homeless Program

Supplemental COVID-19 funding provided by the following three grants:
FY 2020 Coronavirus Supplemental Funding for Health Centers

US Department of Health and Human Services funding from the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 for preventing, preparing for, and responding to COVID-19.

  • Awarded:  $58,607
  • Costs to Date: $45,464

Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Funding

US Department of Health and Human Services CARES Act Supplemental Funding for Health Centers to support the detection and/or prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. 

  • Awarded: $626,255
  • Costs to Date: $228,727

FY 2020 Expanding Capacity for Coronavirus Testing (ECT)

US Department of Health and Human Services funding from the H.R. 266, Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act to support activities to purchase, administer, and expand capacity for testing for COVID-19.

  • Awarded:  $142,609
  • Costs to Date: $54,010

Mobile Command Units for Emergency Call Takers

US Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance FY20 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program

  • Awarded: $175,217
  • Costs to Date: $165,639

Emergency Medical Services Healthcare Provider Expenses

US Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

  • Awarded: $1.9 million
  • Reimbursable Costs to Date: $1.1 million
  • Local Match: $831,634

Florida Housing Finance Corporation Rent and Mortgage Assistance

State Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) CARES Act through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for rent and mortgage assistance

  • Awarded: $2.8 million
  • Approved to Date: 324 payments
  • Awarded to Date: $772,371
  • Administrative Costs to Date: $103,070

COVID-19 Homeless Response

Tampa Bay Resiliency Fund Grant through Pinellas Community Foundation

  • Awarded: $43,500
  • Costs to Date: $23,161

Hygiene Kits

Local Donations

  • Costs to Date: $4,826

Other State Funds Awarded

  • COVID-19 Florida E911 Board Special Disbursement to protect 911 personnel: $84,000

Other Federal Funds Awarded

  • US Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant to fund local to economic and housing disruptions resulting from COVID-19: $3,883,784
  • US Housing and Urban Development Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Homeless Assistance Grants: $4,736,891
  • FY2020 Coronavirus Supplemental Funding for Airports (COVID-19): $8,737,268

Other Direct Expenses

County Department Costs to Date: $18.4 million 

  • Election Support: $278,221
  • Emergency Medical Transports: $26,116
  • Personnel: $7.4 million
  • Goods and Services: $7.9 million
  • COVID-19 Testing Sites: $693,599
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Sites and Support: $2.0 million

County Staff Time on CARES Grant Programs:

  • Individual & Family Financial Assistance Program: $1,158,856
  • Local Business Programs: $829,298
  • Non-profit Partnership Fund: $8,327

View the COVID-19 Expenditure Summary by Project here.

*Figures reported on Community Grant Programs in the COVID-19 Spending Report reflect approved and awarded dollars as reported by the entity issuing payment. There is a delay in these costs reflecting in expenditure reports. Depending on how the program is administered, this delay may be significant.

†Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 90-Day Stockpile costs reported in the COVID-19 Spending Report consolidates costs from the following projects and tasks: Project 90007B4, Task 5.1; Project 90007B1, Task 30.3; and Project 900007B3 Task 1.1.

‡Child care grant data reported for the week of November 20, 2020, was for number of payments rather than number of applicants.