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
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.