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.