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

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress, signed by the President, and enacted on March 27, 2020. The purpose of this act is to provide funding to localities for expenditures incurred due to COVID-19.

Stafford County employed guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to help control the spread of COVID-19. Stafford County changed operations in a variety of ways.

• Temporarily closed County buildings to the public and operated by appointment only

• Some Departments were forced to reduce operational hours

• Closed all park buildings to the public

• Enforced a strict social distancing policy and required masks of individuals entering County buildings

• Performed temperature checks

• Temporarily postponed summer camps and programs

• Encouraged and maximized teleworking among staff

• Canceled or postponed several community programs and events

• Provided training to staff on how to respond to and prevent the spread of the virus

Like other localities, the County saw a decline in the revenues necessary to sustain normal operations due to everyday living and consumption changes. The County also incurred additional new and increased costs associated with cleaning, disinfecting, employee and citizen protection, and preventing the spread of COVID-19. The federal government responded by enacting the CARES Act in response to this national emergency. The

CARES Act provided funding to local governments for necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency concerning COVID-19 to cover costs that were not accounted for in the budget and cover COVID-19 related costs incurred from March 1, 2020, through December 30, 2021.

CARES Act allocations were sent in two rounds to states and localities based on population, and Stafford County’s share for each allocation was $13,338,365, for a total amount of $26,676,730.