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
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.