Ottawa Board of Health approves 2022 budget
Ottawa's board of health has approved its 2022 budget, which calls for more than $124.8 million in spending, largely on the fight against COVID-19.
The draft budget was passed unanimously Monday night as concerns swirled around the arrival of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Dr. Vera Etches, the city's medical officer of health, confirmed two additional positive cases Monday, bringing the city's total to four following the confirmation of two cases on Sunday—Canada's first.
COVID-19 remains a large part of the public health budget for 2022. The budget calls for $41.5 million in funding to tackle the pandemic. It also includes an additional $47.7 million in one-time expenditures on COVID-19.
The province covers much of the municipal health budget, though about 21 per cent is covered through municipal taxes and the health unit expects to raise about $1.1 million through other revenue streams.
Staff anticipate the province will cover the city's COVID-19 costs in 2022, as it did in 2020 and 2021.
Etches also remains optimistic that some of the work required to combat the pandemic will be reduced as the year wears on.
"We are optimistically looking at less of that kind of response needed into the summer of 2022 and through the fall," Etches said, adding that more of the population is expected to be vaccinated by then.
"We expect under-fives will be eligible in the new year. This will make a difference," she said.
Appointments for COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five to 11 opened last week. In the first weekend of clinics, Etches said Monday that more than 8,400 children had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. OPH has said that about 77,000 children aged five to 11 would be eligible for vaccines in Ottawa and Etches says the 8,400 who’ve had their first dose and the thousands of others who have upcoming appointments account for 40 per cent of that population.
City council will vote on the full 2022 budget on Dec. 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.