Board of Health
The full agenda, as filed
All 5 items in the clerk’s order. Each carries the city’s own words: the staff recommendation, what the body decided, and its status. Nothing below is written by us.
HL18.1amended
Toronto Public Health's Response to COVID-19: Context, Status Update, and Next Steps
This report responds to the request from the Toronto Board of Health for the Medical Officer of Health to report on the status of COVID-19 recovery planning and a potential second wave outbreak in 2020 and beyond. This report also explains the context in which Toronto Public Health's response is influenced by uncertainty concerning COVID-19, its effects, and the effects of mitigation measures. Specifically, Toronto Public Health must make evidence-based decisions, often urgently, despite having incomplete and/or conflicting information. It is challenging to distinguish between real effects and those which are the result of confounding information. Planning and communications must be adjusted frequently to accommodate the changing reality. In addition, this report highlights Toronto Public Health's steps taken in the response to COVID-19 to date, including recommendations to support the most vulnerable, a COVID-19 monitoring dashboard, and the release of public health guidance documents. The guidance documents are intended to support the City of Toronto, its businesses, and community organizations to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with their activities. Lastly, this report also includes an overview of how multiple areas of Toronto Public Health's work have developed since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in January 2020. These include: Outbreak Management; Surveillance and Data Management; Media and Communications; Stakeholder and Issues Management; and Policy Development. These core public health functions are being continuously tailored to address the containment of the COVID-19 crisis, recovery, and the gradual restoration of programs addressing other public health needs.
The Board of Health recommends that: 1. City Council request the City Manager to engage the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Ontario, and the Ontario Ministry of Health to support Toronto Public Health's work on the establishment of a volunteer isolation/quarantine centre system as well as other methods to achieve effective isolation for individuals who are unable to safely and effectively isolate at home. 2. City Council: a. urge the Ontario Ministry of Health and the relevant Local Health Integration Networks to provide the necessary resources and supports for proactive mobile COVID-19 testing in neighbourhoods where data shows a high incidence of COVID-19, including northwest Toronto, and for demographic groups suspected of being at higher risk due to the social determinants of health, including occupation; and b. request the Chair, Board of Health, to communicate the position in Recommendation 2.a. above to the Ontario Ministry of Health and the relevant Local Health Integration Networks, on behalf of City Council and the Board of Health.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Medical Officer of Health recommends that: 1. City Council request the City Manager to engage the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Ontario, and the Ontario Ministry of Health to support Toronto Public Health's work on the establishment of a volunteer isolation/quarantine centre system as well as other methods to achieve effective isolation for individuals who are unable to safely and effectively isolate at home. 2. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to continue working with the General Manager, Transportation Services, on the ActiveTO program, in particular to support vulnerable individuals and communities who have limited access to space for physical activity. 3. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to provide data and analysis on how the City of Toronto's most vulnerable populations have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild to inform the recovery strategy. 4. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to work with the City Manager to support City Divisions and the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild on the design and implementation of ways to address the social determinants of health for the City of Toronto's most vulnerable populations who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
HL18.2amended
2020 Board of Health Committees and Appointments
This report provides the Board of Health with an overview of its current formal and informal committees. The Board of Health is asked to appoint new directors to the Budget Committee and Performance Appraisal of the Medical Officer of Health Committee. The Board of Health is also asked to appoint a director of the Board of Health to the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' Board of Directors and Board of Health Section.
The Board of Health: 1. Appointed the following Board of Health directors to the Board of Health Budget Committee for a term of office ending on December 31, 2020, and until successors are appointed: Councillor Joe Cressy Trustee Stephanie Donaldson Councillor Mike Layton Councillor Gord Perks Peter Wong 2. Appointed the following Board of Health directors to the Board of Health Performance Appraisal of the Medical Officer of Health Committee for a term of office ending on December 31, 2020, and until successors are appointed: Councillor Joe Cressy Kate Mulligan Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam 3. Appointed Kate Mulligan to the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' (alPHa) Board of Directors and Board of Health Section for a term of office ending on December 31, 2020, and until a successor is appointed and agreed to pay expenses incurred for attending alPHa's 2020 meetings and semi-annual meetings/conferences within Toronto Public Health's Approved 2020 Operating Budget. 4. Encouraged all Board of Health directors to attend the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' (alPHa) Board of Health Section meetings and semi-annual meetings/conferences in Toronto and agreed to pay expenses incurred for attending alPHa's 2020 meetings and semi-annual meetings/conferences in Toronto within Toronto Public Health's Approved 2020 Operating Budget.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Medical Officer of Health recommends that: 1. The Board of Health review the current directorship of its Budget and Performance Appraisal of the Medical Officer of Health Committees and appoint Board of Health directors for a term of office ending on December 31, 2020, and until successors are appointed. 2. The Board of Health appoint a Board of Health director to the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' (alPHa) Board of Directors and Board of Health Section for a term of office ending on December 31, 2020, and until a successor is appointed and pay expenses for attending alPHa's 2020 meetings and semi-annual meetings/conferences within Toronto Public Health's approved 2020 Operating Budget. 3. The Board of Health encourage all Board of Health directors to attend the Association of Local Public Health Agencies' (alPHa) Board of Health Section meetings and semi-annual meetings/conferences in Toronto and pay expenses for attending alPHa's 2020 meetings and conferences in Toronto within Toronto Public Health's approved 2020 Operating Budget.
HL18.3adopted
Service Agreements Awarded and Executed by the Medical Officer of Health for 2020
The purpose of this report is to provide information on the purchase of service contracts awarded and executed by the Medical Officer of Health for 2020, according to the delegation of authority by City Council.
The Board of Health recommends that: 1. City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to award, execute, and amend, on an ongoing annual basis, the purchase of service contracts for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program in Appendix E to the report (June 23, 2020) from the Medical Officer of Health, within Toronto Public Health's Approved 2020 Budget and in accordance with established provincial criteria and fee structures.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Medical Officer of Health recommends that: 1. City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to award, execute, and amend, on an ongoing annual basis, the purchase of service contracts for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program in Appendix E to this report, within Toronto Public Health's approved 2020 Budget and in accordance with established provincial criteria and fee structures.
HL18.4adopted
Appointment of Associate Medical Officers of Health
This report recommends the appointment of two public health physicians as Associate Medical Officers of Health (AMOH) for the City of Toronto Health Unit and updates the status of AMOH appointment By-laws.
The Board of Health recommends that: 1. City Council appoint the physicians in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 17, 2020) from the Medical Officer of Health as Associate Medical Officers of Health for the City of Toronto Health Unit. 2. City Council forward its decision to the Ontario Minister of Health for the approval of the Associate Medical Officer of Health appointments in Recommendation 1 above. 3. City Council authorize the introduction of the necessary Bill in City Council to appoint the physicians in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 17, 2020) from the Medical Officer of Health as Associate Medical Officers of Health, subject to approval by the Ontario Minister of Health. 4. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (June 17, 2020) from the Medical Officer of Health, once adopted by City Council.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Medical Officer of Health recommends that: 1. City Council appoint the physicians in Confidential Attachment 1 as Associate Medical Officers of Health for the City of Toronto Health Unit. 2. City Council forward its decision to the Ontario Minister of Health for the approval of the Associate Medical Officer of Health appointments in Recommendation 1 above. 3. City Council authorize the introduction of the necessary Bill in City Council to appoint the physicians in Confidential Attachment 1 as Associate Medical Officers of Health, subject to approval by the Ontario Minister of Health. 4. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1, once adopted by City Council.
HL18.5adopted
Advancing a Public Health Approach to Community Violence
Community violence is a social determinant of health, with physical and mental health impacts for those who are victimized and those who commit acts of violence, as well as friends and family, and whole communities. As the Medical Officer of Health reported to the Board in 2019, the root causes of community violence include: poverty, racism, racial/ethnic and gender inequities, discriminatory and stigmatizing educational practices such as zero tolerance, counterproductive criminal justice policies including over-incarceration, and a lack of economic opportunity. It is no coincidence that the root causes of community violence have much in common with two other public health crises that our city is working to overcome today: anti-Black racism and COVID-19. Maps of COVID-19 incidence, neighbourhoods where Black Torontonians live, and community violence will reveal similar, all too familiar patterns. The Board of Health and City Council endorsed numerous recommendations arising from Item HL11.1, Community Violence in Toronto - A Public Health Approach, this past year, with actions for all levels of government as well as the Medical Officer of Health. I am writing to recommend that the Board of Health request a status update on this important work to advance a public health approach to community violence.
The Board of Health: 1. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to report in the fourth quarter of 2020 on advancing a public health approach to community violence in Toronto, including an update on the City Council and Board of Health decisions arising from Item HL11.1, Community Violence in Toronto - A Public Health Approach.
Staff recommendation as filed
Councillor Joe Cressy recommends that: 1. The Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to report in the fourth quarter of 2020 on advancing a public health approach to community violence in Toronto, including an update on the City Council and Board of Health decisions arising from Item HL11.1, Community Violence in Toronto - A Public Health Approach.