The Kern County Board of Supervisors has approved a revision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding which would in part allocate $12 million to increase capacity at local hospitals’ intensive care units, boost the local small business forgivable loan allocation from $25 million to $30 million and provide $500,000 for a countywide campaign for COVID-19 related advertising.

Back in May, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a spending plan for $157 million in funding from the CARES Act. The funds were part of the over-$2 trillion U.S. CARES Act, designed to mitigate financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. The county received its funds, deposited into a Special Revenue Fund.

In a letter to the Board of Supervisors, Kern County Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop said: "As the pandemic progresses and new COVID-19 guidelines are issued by the State and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, our local response continues to evolve."

You can read Alsop's full request here.