Peterborough Public Health Receives $3 Million To Fight COVID-19 Efforts
/Peterborough Public Health (PPH) has received $3,043,300 from the Ontario Government to help in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in a media conference at the King Street health office unit announced on Monday.
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra (pictured) will retire this September after 13 years of service. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The announcement was made by MPP Dave Smith and was joined by Dr. Rosana Salvaterra and Larry Stinson, PPH Director of Operations.
The funding will cover two parts:
$2,027,300 in relief funding to support ongoing efforts
$1,015,000 COVID-19 mitigation to offset expenses incurred from previous work
“We are grateful for this one-time funding from the province to support our local COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “As we look ahead to resuming vital public health services while the pandemic continues to unfold, provincial funding will be essential to ensure Peterborough Public Health has the capacity to keep our community safe and healthy on many fronts.”
Dr. Salvaterra cautions the city of a possible fourth wave with doubling of new cases over the weekend she said.
She encourages that immunization is the most powerful tool against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. Salvaterra wants to see 90 per cent of our eligible population get the necessary shots in the pandemic battle.
Larry Stinson (pictured) will act as the interim CEO before Dr. Thomas Piggott will assume Dr. Salvaterra’s role. Photo by David Tuan Bui
Stinson — who will become the interim CEO after Dr. Salvaterra’s retirement on Sept. 19 — says the government money to offset the increase that would have come to the municipalities. More than $1 million will help mitigate PPH’s funding from 25 to 30 per cent.
The money will also go towards school-based public registered nurses and a public health inspector practicum program.
Health unit staff and volunteers have delivered vaccinations across Peterborough County and surrounding Indigenous communities.
“More than 212,000 vaccine doses have been administered,” says Stinson. “More than 57,000 residents have been tested for COVID-19 at least once. We’ve been able to successfully manage 52 outbreaks since the pandemic began.”
Nearly 75 per cent of local residents are protected from COVID-19 Stinson added.
Additionally, Smith announced that as of Aug. 1, the Ontario Government’s new Low-Income Senior’s Dental Care Program will expand.
The income eligibility thresholds for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program are being updated. In 2019, the Ontario government launched the Ontario Seniors Dental Care program to provide free routine dental care for eligible low-income seniors across the province.
“Peterborough-Kawartha has the highest number of seniors in Canada. They have put a lifetime of effort working, investing in our community and paying for the social services we all enjoy,” said Smith. “This program provides comprehensive, free dental care for our lower-income seniors. This expansion will offer the program to more,”
Since the launch of the Seniors Dental Care Program in 2019, over 50,000 Ontarians have enrolled in the program. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
