Minutes - July 15, 2021 - Board of Health Meeting

Members Present:

Ms. Maureen Cassidy (Chair)
Ms. Aina DeViet (Vice-Chair)
Mr. Matt Reid
Mr. John Brennan
Mr. Bob Parker
Ms. Kelly Elliott
Mr. Mike Steele
Ms. Tino Kasi
Ms. Arielle Kayabaga
Mr. Aaron O’Donnell (arrived at 8:05 p.m.)

Others Present:

Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health (Secretary-Treasurer)
Ms. Stephanie Egelton, Senior Executive Assistant to the Medical Officer of Health/Associate Medical Officer of Health (Recorder)
Dr. Alexander Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health
Ms. Emily Williams, Director, Healthy Organization/Interim CEO
Mr. Dan Flaherty, Manager, Communications
Ms. Carolynne Gabriel, Communications Coordinator/Executive Assistant to the Board of Health
Ms. Heather Lokko, Director, Healthy Start/Chief Nursing Officer
Mr. Stephen Turner, Director, Environmental Health and Infectious Disease
Ms. Maureen MacCormick, Director, Healthy Living
Mr. Darrell Jutzi, Manager, Child Health
Ms. Misty Golding, Manager, Oral Health
Mr. Joe Belancic, Manager, Procurement and Operations

Chair Maureen Cassidy called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

Chair Cassidy inquired if there were any disclosures of conflicts of interest. None were declared.

Approval of Agenda

It was moved by Ms. Arielle Kayabaga, seconded by Mr. Bob Parker, that the AGENDA for the July 15, 2021 Board of Health meeting be approved.
Carried

Minutes

It was moved by Ms. Kelly Elliott, seconded by Mr. John Brennan, that the MINUTES of the June 17, 2021 Board of Health meeting be approved.
Carried

It was moved by Ms. Elliott, seconded by Mr. Brennan, that the MINUTES of the June 17, 2021 Governance Committee meeting be received.
Carried

Reports and Agenda Items

Verbal Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting Summary from July 15, 2021

Mr. Matt Reid, Chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee presented the Finance and Facilities Committee Summary from July 15, 2021.

It was moved by Mr. Matt Reid, seconded by Mr. Parker, that the Board of Health extend a one-year contract for janitorial services to Grete Services for $163,161 for leased premises located at 355 Wellington Street, Suite 110, London Ontario.
Carried

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Ms. Tino Kasi, that the Board of Health receive an update on COVID-19 Case and Contact Management and Vaccine Clinic budget as described in Report No. 18-21FFC re: “COVID-19 Case & Contact Management / Vaccine Clinic Budget Update.”
Carried

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Ms. Elliott, that the Board of Health request that the Board Chair send a letter to the Ministry of Health requesting the timely delivery of funding for COVID-19-related expenses, as assured by the Province, and the maintenance of adequate cash flow from the Province, in order to ensure effective operations.
Carried

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Mr. Mike Steele, that the Board of Health:
1) Receive for information Report No. 19-21FFC re: “Request for Over-hire to Ensure Retention of Critical Health Human Resources”;
2) Approve the over-hiring of 22 additional permanent positions (16 Public Health Nurses, three Public Health Inspectors, one Human Resources Specialist, one Health Equity Worker, and one Manager); and
3) Defer permanent budget decisions to the 2022 budget process.
Carried

Program Update: Child Health

Mr. Darrell Jutzi, Manager, Child Health provided an update on the Child Health program. Highlights of this program included:
• Enhancing partnership and planning with school boards and schools through the implementation of Partnership Declarations and Data Sharing Agreements.
• Developing and coordinating an engagement and communication plan for MLHU programs and services in the school setting.
• Collaborating and planning with Settlement Service Agencies to support newcomer families in schools.
• Developing and implementing evidence informed toolkits and resources to support healthy school environments.
• Act as a school’s primary public health contact for IPAC (infection prevention and control) support, guidance, surveillance, screening and management of a COVID-19 case or outbreak within a school.

Program Update: Oral Health

Ms. Misty Golding, Manager, Oral Health provided an update on the Oral Health program. Highlights of this program included:
• Providing dental screening for all JK, SK and Grade 2 students in all publicly-funded elementary schools located in Middlesex-London
• Reporting monthly program data to the Ministry as required.
• Promoting oral health to increase awareness and access to oral health services.
• Providing preventive dental services to children who are eligible for Healthy Smiles Ontario at the Citi Plaza Dental Clinic.
• Providing preventive and treatment dental services to seniors who are eligible for Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program at the Citi Plaza Dental Clinic.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to expand the pre-school and school-based fluoride varnish program.

Verbal COVID-19 Disease Spread and Vaccine Update

Dr. Alex Summers and Dr. Chris Mackie presented the verbal COVID-19 update.

Discussion about this verbal report included:
• Cases have plateaued and seen positive impacts of vaccination.
• Delta variant has demonstrated to be highly transmissible; majority are delta variant in the region.
• Five to 10 cases per day on average.
• Reproductive number was around .88, now 1 (has risen).
• Majority of cases (85-90%) are from unvaccinated clients.
• As of July 10th, the region has administered 559,109 doses of vaccine and 77.8% of those aged 12 and over have received at least one dose.
• Responded to comments from Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (WHO) that were taken out of context, that mixing vaccines (Pfizer, Astra Zeneca and Moderna) is still safe. Dr. Swaminathan was referring to the United States’ offering additional mNRA vaccines (3rd and 4th doses) to those already vaccinated.
• Mass vaccination clinics and pop up clinics are now taking walk ins for first doses.
• The vaccine does not interfere with menstruation or male/female fertility.

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Ms. Elliott, that the Board of Health receive the verbal report on COVID-19 Disease Spread and Vaccine Update for information.
Carried

Medical Officer of Health Activity Report for July 2021 (Report No. 32-21)

Dr. Mackie presented the Medical Officer of Health Activity Report for July 2021.

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Mr. Steele, that the Board of Health receive Report No. 32-21 re: “Medical Officer of Health Activity Report for July 2021” for information.
Carried

Correspondence

It was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Mr. Brennan, that the Board of Health endorse correspondence item a) re: Mitigation Funding in 2022 from Simcoe Muskoka District Board of Health, dated June 21, 2021.
Carried
It was moved by Ms. Elliott, seconded by Ms. Kasi, that the Board of Health receive correspondence items b) through d).
Carried

Other Business

It was moved by Mr. Steele, seconded by Ms. Kasi, that the August 19, 2021 Board of Health meeting be cancelled, such that the next meeting of the Board of Health be September 16, 2021.
Carried

Ms. Emily Williams, Director, Healthy Organization/Interim CEO noted that this meeting would be Mr. Joe Belancic (Manager, Procurement and Operations)’s last Board meeting. The Board thanked Mr. Belancic for his service.

Adjournment

At 8:12 p.m., it was moved by Mr. Reid, seconded by Ms. Kasi, that the July 15, 2021 meeting of the Board of Health be adjourned.
Carried

Maureen Cassidy
Chair

Christopher Mackie
Secretary-Treasurer