U.S. Health Department pauses, then resumes $5 billion in public health grants, Bloomberg reports

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) restored about $5 billion in public health grants to states just hours after it sent notices pausing such ‌grants, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

A spokesperson ‌for the agency said ‌that states would be notified that the pause had been lifted, the report added.

HHS did not ​immediately respond to a ‌Reuters request ⁠for comment.

“The temporary pause is for HHS to implement ‌a new review process and to ensure funds are used for their ‌intended purposes,” the HHS spokesperson earlier told Bloomberg.

Public Health Infrastructure Grants are awarded over a ‌five-year period ​to ‌help departments aid their workforce and carry out data modernization as per the grant’s ‌website.

Last year in March, the department canceled more than $11 billion in ​federal grants to states that were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic and were being used for tracking mental ⁠health services, addiction treatment and ​other urgent health issues.

Reuters ⁠could not immediately verify the report.