COVID-19 response remains large part of 2022 Ottawa Public Health budget
Spending on the COVID-19 response remains a significant part of Ottawa's health budget in 2022, even as vaccination coverage approaches 90 per cent.
Ottawa Public Health's 2022 draft budget was tabled at Monday's Board of Health meeting. It projects a balanced budget of $123 million next year, including $41.5 million on COVID-19 measures.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said there is still a lot of work that will go into the COVID-19 response in the new year and beyond.
"It takes case and contact management to keep things under control. All of the outbreak prevention work to reinforce infection prevention control measures in many kinds of settings continues," she explained. "The school support work will continue. Today and in the new year we expect to have the highest rates among five to 11-year-olds and that requires a lot of effort to limit transmission. And with changing pandemic needs, there's a lot of ongoing need to communicate what is needed and what the rules are."
Etches said she anticipates some COVID-19 work could continue into 2023, but she also noted that the budget includes a plan to gradually de-escalate the COVID-19 response in 2022.
"The 2022 plan is to maintain the current response level until the end of April. In May, a gradual process of de-escalation of the pandemic response is expected to be initiated and a reduction of the additional resources down to 75 per cent of existing levels. A further reduction of the response is expected in July to approximately 50 per cent of existing levels and then again in the last quarter of 2022 – down to 30 per cent," a report prepared for the Board of Health says.
The budget currently does not include associated costs with COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. Staff say a full costing to administer booster vaccines will be provided to the Board of Health if and when they are identified in provincial plans.
While the budget COVID-19 response is high, it is roughly $5 million less than the spending in 2021 to fight the pandemic.
The budget also includes $47.7 million in one-time expenditures on COVID-19.
"The remaining addition of $47.7 million is the one-time request related to COVID-19 and OPH’s need to maintain the fall 2021 response level through the winter, before decreasing the intensity of the response over the year," the staff report says.
Staff say the Ministry of Health has told Ontario's health units that there will be a process to request reimbursement of 2021 COVID-19 extraordinary costs.
"Thus it is anticipated that Provincial funding will fully offset all pandemic related costs therefore balancing the budget," staff said.
In addition to COVID-19 expenses, the budget includes $22.3 million for core programs at OPH, such as dental health, mental health, and school immunizations (non-COVID), which the health unit began to restore in the summer and fall after many staff were shifted to the COVID-19 response. $2.7 million is included for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program and $4.5 million is budgeted for the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program.
The 2022 draft budget report will be presented to city council on Wednesday. The board will consider the budget for approval at its subsequent meeting on Nov. 29 before the full budget is tabled at city council on Dec. 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Bouchard scores late to lift Oilers over Canucks, tie series
After a final frame that saw the visiting Vancouver Canucks claw their way back and tie the game late, a slap shot from the point by Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard with 38 seconds left (until what seemed like certain overtime) iced the 3-2 victory for Edmonton to knot the series.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month, working women in commencement speech
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month, working women, President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Alberta announces the 4 health agencies that will replace AHS later this year
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.