COVID-19 vaccine rollout costing Ottawa Public Health, city of Ottawa millions of dollars
Ottawa Public Health and the city of Ottawa are spending millions of dollars to make sure all Ottawa residents can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
A report for Monday's Board of Health meeting shows the health unit is projecting a $61 million deficit in 2021 due to, "continuing efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19."
Staff say the mass vaccination campaign for COVID-19 vaccines, two large and lengthy waves of COVID-19 cases in January and April and the corresponding case and outbreak management efforts contributed to higher than anticipated expenditures.
"The Ministry has provided all health units with an assurance 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," said the report.
The report shows the health unit spent $27 million on the vaccine rollout in the first six months of 2021 as the vaccination campaign ramped up. Staff estimate the vaccine program will cost $55.7 million by the end of the year.
As of Wednesday, a total of 1,573,498 COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in Ottawa.
Ottawa Public Health and the city of Ottawa, including Ottawa paramedics, have administered COVID-19 vaccines through community vaccination clinics, pop-up vaccination clinics in neighbourhoods and visits to long-term care homes and retirement homes. Staff are now offering vaccination clinics in businesses and other locations.
CITY OF OTTAWA COSTS
The city of Ottawa estimates it will spend $11.8 million on the vaccine rollout in Ottawa this year, on top of the Ottawa Public Health costs.
The money includes Emergency and Protective Services, and Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services.
A report for the Finance and Economic Development Committee this month showed the city spent $6.1 million in the first six months of the year on the vaccination program, which will be covered by the Ministry of Health.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.