March 29, 2022 5:50am
The Board of Health of the Grey Bruce Health Unit has adopted a $19.4 million budget.
That includes about $3.4 million in one-time provincial funding for costs related to COVID-19 case and contact management, the COVID-19 vaccine program and recovery or resumption of services and programs.
In a release, the health unit states the amount is 27 percent less than the one-time funding requested for 2021.
However, the 2022 budget does not require an increase in funding from Grey and Bruce counties.
This is the fourth straight year that county costs for public health have remained unchanged.
The combined county allocation is $2.86 million, with Grey County contributing $1.67 million and Bruce County contributing $1.19 million, based on population share.
“Management has done a fantastic job of building a budget that is both conservative and flexible in a year of uncertainty due to COVID-19,” said Grey-Bruce Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra. “This budget was created utilizing both top-down and zero-based budgeting approaches.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Grey Bruce Health Unit managed to mount an emergency response with provincial extraordinary funding equivalent to 6 percent of its base budget. And through 2021, a mass COVID-19 vaccination program rollout was initiated.
“We are grateful for the support of community partners, municipalities and volunteers who assisted with our mass immunization program. Municipalities donated space for our Hockey Hub clinics, volunteers provided a helping hand at the clinics and community partners were generous with their support,” stated Board of Health chair Sue Paterson.
The Grey Bruce Health Unit reported it’s pandemic response required $1.9 million in additional provincial funding to provide first, second and booster dose COVID-19 vaccines to all residents who wanted them in 2021.
Case, contact and outbreak management required $1.7 million in provincial funding.
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