First in a new Sentinel series
The Arrival of COVID-19
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) was a global pandemic. The first documented case was of someone being infected in December 2019, and in March 2020, the World Health Organization classified the outbreak as a global pandemic as the virus had spread worldwide.
Middlesex County was not spared, and the impact of COVID-19 touched the lives, in some way, of everyone in the county. The United States federal government sent billions of dollars to localities across the country to fight the impact of COVID on the physical and mental health of society.
Federal Relief Reaches Middlesex County
The first line of funding came to Middlesex County in 2020 under the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the CARES Act. The county received $1,846,478 in CARES monies, which were used to support both public and private sectors in the county.
Breakdown of CARES Act Spending
The county allocated funds across various areas, including public health, telework, distance learning, small business assistance, and community support.
- Public health: $746,555
- Telework infrastructure: $545,544
- School distance learning: $199,022
- Small business assistance: $90,612 (via the Middlesex Economic Development Authority)
- Food programs: $83,776
- Housing support: $9,360
- Personal protective equipment: $5,983
Support for Urbanna and Local Organizations
From the CARES funds, the Town of Urbanna received $24,429 for telework improvements (including Zoom and other remote meeting technology) and public health measures such as purchasing masks and making municipal buildings safer for the public and staff.
The $83,776 allocated for food programs was distributed among several organizations:
- Middlesex County Public Schools (MCPS): $20,000
- Hands Across Middlesex: $29,960
- Bay Aging: $28,580
Hands Across Middlesex received a total of $51,540 in CARES funds from the county.
Economic Support for Businesses and Nonprofits
Under the economic support category, several organizations and businesses received funding:
- Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation: $8,547
- Virginia River Realm: $35,000
- Each of the four county volunteer fire departments: $20,000
- Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad (MCVRS): $40,000
- Museums of Middlesex (MOM): $2,075
Additional public health funds went to:
- MCVRS: $40,102
- Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department: $3,881
Grants for Private Businesses
The Economic Development Authority (EDA) provided grants to support local businesses:
- Something Different: $3,839
- Bay Design Group: $15,395
- Title Associates LLC: $32,850
- Attorney Andrew G. Bury Jr.: $9,581
- Big Oak Cafe: $1,419
- The Table: $3,217
- Deltaville Tap & Raw Bar: $6,870
- Middle Peninsula Regional Planning District Commission (PDC): $16,000
Investments in Public Health and Education
Middlesex County Public Schools received $95,767 for cleaning supplies and air filters to maintain safe environments for students and staff.
Additional funding was used for emergency childcare, worker protection, and regional pandemic response efforts:
- Middlesex Family YMCA: $4,437 for emergency childcare
- Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center: $15,000 for worker protection
- PDC: $3,000 for regional advertising for the “HD Pandemic Response” initiative
Housing Support Initiatives
Housing assistance was a smaller but vital part of the spending:
- Hands Across Middlesex: $7,980 for community support
- Urbanna Associates: $1,380 for rental assistance
Strengthening Infrastructure for Remote Operations
Much of the early CARES funds were dedicated to improving technology and infrastructure, allowing local government operations to continue safely. Efforts included enhancing remote meeting capabilities and ensuring public spaces met strict sanitation standards.
“Remember that in the early days of COVID, there was a great deal of extra work going on to keep things clean,” said Assistant County Administrator AnnMarie Ricardi.
Looking Back: The Impact of CARES Funding
The information for this first article in the series was provided by Ricardi and EDA Administrator Trent Funkhouser. The financial figures were sourced from CARES county financial records maintained at the time by former Middlesex County Treasurer Betty Bray.
The information for this first in a series story was provided by Ricardi and EDA Administrator Trent Funkhouser. The figures were taken from CARES county financial records kept at the time by former Middlesex County Treasurer Betty Bray.
