The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services canceled around $12 billion in federal grants to states that were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal department and state officials said on Wednesday.

State and local public health departments are bracing themselves as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pulls back about $11.4 billion in grants that were allocated to state and community health departments during the Covid-19 pandemic response.

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced on Friday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has cut some of its COVID-related grants this week.This comes as the federal government cut $11.

The changes would reshape the nation’s health agencies and close regional offices.

The Trump administration will lay off 10,000 workers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a major reorganization, officials announced Thursday. The changes reflect efforts to cut the size of the federal government and follow Health Secretary Robert F.