EL PASO COUNTY — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, El Paso County Commissioners are extending the county's emergency disaster declaration that is set to expire on September 16.
The county needs to have a declaration in place to activate response and recovery assets concerning COVID-19. It also allows the county to request a reimbursement for COVID-19 related expenses, such as the free testing site at the Citadel Mall.
While this is generally an administrative action, there was one dissenting vote.
"We've done six months. I think we've done some great work in responding to the COVID situation and we continue to see just extensions and extensions. At what level does this expire?" said Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez Jr., District 4. "If we don't do this we lose out on, again, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in FEMA aid," said Commissioner Mark Waller, District 2."
Tuesday's extension of the Emergency Disaster Declaration ends on November 1.
