The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to provide billions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funding to help rural communities battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money will be targeted to assist rural hospitals and health care providers, according to a White House news release. The money will also be used to expand access to testing and vaccines as well as to train more health care workers.

The statement said 138 rural hospitals have shuttered since 2010, with 19 hospitals closing in 2020 alone.

“For many rural communities, keeping rural hospitals open means the difference between life or death for community members.”

Some of the money will be used to pay health care workers who were not able to work because of the pandemic.

“These funds will help ensure that providers can effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and will place them on a stable financial footing to continue serving their communities into the future,” the statement said.

Funding will also be used to increase access to telehealth services.

Source: Voice of America