Toronto Public Health wants to cut $9 million, 423 jobs from COVID-19 response

Toronto Public Health wants to cut more than nine million dollars from its COVID-19 funding and over 400 jobs next year as it transitions away from its heightened response at the peak of the pandemic.

The city’s health agency submitted its 2023 operating budget to the Board of Health Committee for consideration last week and is proposing an overall budget of over $369 million and 2,309.9 positions.

The budget is an overall decrease of $1.2 million and 423.9 positions lower than the 2022 approved operating budget.

TPH says its operating plan for next year includes in-year changes, base changes “and a confidential program efficiency pending City Council approval.”

Within the budget, TPH wants to reduce spending on its COVID-19 response as the city nears three year since the pandemic was officially declared in March 2020.

“Toronto Public Health is reducing its budget request for the COVID-19 General Response by $9,111.9 thousand gross and 209.0 positions; however, an increase of $36,978.3 thousand gross is being requested to continue the mass immunization campaign. Funding for these COVID-19 programs will be requested from the Ministry of Health as part of its extra-ordinary COVID-19 cost recovery initiative,” TPH wrote in its submission on Oct. 28.

It is not clear what the reduction in COVID-19 funding will impact.

TPH is also proposing to eliminate 102 positions and $4.3 million from the COVID-19 School-Focused Nurses Initiative.

The agency’s proposed budget comes as it prepares for a busy viral season.

TPH is currently encouraging residents to get a COVID-19 booster shot for more protection against increasing virus spread, as more people congregate indoors this fall and winter.

Last month, the province expanded eligibility for the COVID-19 bivalent booster shot, which targets the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, to residents aged 12 years old and up.

As of Oct. 27, 87 per cent of all Toronto residents have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 83 per cent have received two doses and 53 per cent have received three doses.

TPH’s overall budget also proposes a reduction of $2.7 million to its Temporary Retention Incentive for Nurses Program and a decrease of nearly $14 million related to the transition of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services' Early Abilities program.

Alternatively, TPH is planning to increase funding for The Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program by $689,000 and the Student Nutrition Program by $827,000.

TPH’s budget will be reviewed and considered by the Board of Health on Nov. 8.