Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement that $10 million is available for businesses that have worked to maintain access to fresh, healthy food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is welcome news.

The grants, funded through the federal CARES Act, will be available to for-profit, nonprofit or cooperative entities affected by COVID-19.

These include grocery stores, corner stores, convenience stores, neighborhood markets and other establishments with a direct connection to direct-to-consumer retail outlets.

It aims to strengthen local food systems and improve food security and nutrition.

Food sellers have incurred additional expenses through the pandemic, among them:

- Higher operating costs related to cleaning and social distancing requirements.

- Infrastructure improvements, including renovation, new construction or adaptive reuse directly related to COVID-19.

- Equipment purchases, including additional refrigeration to manage volume or personal protective equipment such as plexiglass dividers.

- Higher cost of goods, transportation or delivery.

- Other one-time or increased expenses incurred related to COVID-19.

To be eligible, more than 50 percent of sales must be from staple and perishable foods to consumers, and the retailer must serve customers who live in a low-to-moderate income area. Applicants also must provide access to affordable, high-quality fresh produce, meat and dairy products and other healthy grocery items for low-to-moderate income shoppers, and must accept SNAP and WIC to the maximum extent possible.

Also, $15 million recently was awarded to the State Food Purchase Program to provide grants to counties for the purchase and distribution of food to low-income individuals.

The money comes on the heels of $20 million awarded to the state’s food security programs and dairy industry.

Those grants include

- $5 million to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) program, which helps reduce waste from agricultural surplus by donating excess dairy products to the state’s charitable food system.

- $5 million to dairy farmers who participated in PASS.

- $15 million in direct relief payments to dairy farmers.

The pandemic and months of uncertainty have taken a toll on all sectors of the economy, including agriculture and the dairy industry.

Food supply chains have needed to adjust rapidly to demandside shocks, including panic buying and changes in food purchasing patterns, as well as plan for any supplyside disruptions due to potential labor shortages and disruptions to transportation and supply networks.

The grants will provide a financial shot in the arm to food sellers who remained in operation throughout the pandemic and its shutdowns.

Applications will be accepted through Aug. 14. The grants will cover coronavirus-related costs incurred between March 1 and Nov. 30 of this year.