The Ontario government has passed Bill 269 in an effort to launch the next phase of its response to the pandemic.
The bill, entitled Protecting the People of Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021, includes $1 billion towards the vaccination effort.
Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board Peter Peter Bethlenfalvy says the money will allow the province to further accelerate the vaccination rollout process once more doses arrive.
"Right now, vaccines are the light at the end of the tunnel. We have the infrastructure to get Ontarians vaccinated with boots on the ground to get vaccines into arms as they arrive in the province. What we need now are more supply of vaccines."
The plan also includes $2.3 billion for testing and contact tracing, $5.1 billion to create 3,100 hospital beds, and $1.4 billion to provide personal protective equipment to frontline workers and vulnerable people.
Other items on the bill include the Ontario Job Training Tax Credit, which provides up to $2,000 in relief for workers in the midst of a career change or re-training, and a 20 percent enhancement of the CARE tax credit, increasing child care support for families.
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