A $600,000 federal health grant meant to help McHenry County health officials track and respond to respiratory illness outbreaks has been reinstated.

The grant was cut in March as part of President Trump’s administration’s wide-ranging efforts to streamline the federal government and reduce spending.

But Illinois and other Democratic-led states sued to block those cuts. As a result of rulings in that suit, Illinois held onto most of its grants that had previously been terminated, with 19 of the 21 grants scheduled to end being reinstated.

The McHenry County Department of Health’s health department’s respiratory illness grant was among the grants reinstated.

The grant has helped to cover surveillance, investigation, control and reporting of respiratory illness outbreaks, as well as helping with “onsite infection prevention education in high-risk congregate settings,” county documents indicated.

The grant also supported public education on preventing respiratory illness.

Health department spokesperson Nick Kubiak said the grant “remains in place, and the MCDH is not required to return any funds. Earlier this year, a temporary restraining order was issued, followed in May by a federal judge granting a permanent injunction that reversed the earlier cuts.“

When the grant was terminated, the health department said it hadn’t received any information about when, how or how much money would have to be paid back from dollars already spent.

Kubiak said other grants have had had funding amounts reduced but not terminated.