Mayor of Toronto John Tory said on Friday that city finance staff have determined that the COVID-19 pandemic is costing the city $65 million dollars a week, mostly from a revenue drop from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) which contributes $20 million to the city.
He added that the city’s finance staff have also determined that a three-month lock-down and a six-month recovery period could end up costing the city $1.5 billion dollars in the best-case scenario.
Mayor Tory also said he will be convening a meeting next week with the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area mayors to discuss how “we can work together as mayors of this region to successfully and smoothly re-open the regional economy when the time comes.”
Tory added that the city is working with Beck Taxi after they've expressed concerns on driving people to and from COVID-19 testing sites.
He said that he has asked the emergency operations centre under the direction of Fire Chief Matthew Pegg to work with Beck Taxi to set up protocol to protect both drivers and residents and make sure people have transportation.
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, said on Friday that Ontario’s plan to expand COVID-19 testing, particularly in long-term care homes and shelters, is now underway.
She added that the city should expect to see an increase in the number of confirmed cases and that the more information available on COVID-19, especially in vulnerable communities, “the better we’re equipped to respond and direct our actions.”
The city reported a total of 154 deaths due to COVID-19 in Toronto as of Friday.
A total of 3,145 cases of COVID-19 was also reported in Toronto as of Friday, which includes 2,818 confirmed cases and 327 probable cases.
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