Hamilton is bleeding millions of dollars each week because of COVID-19

Mayor Fred Eisenberger doesn't know exactly how much money the city of Hamilton is bleeding because of COVID-19, but he believes the figure is in the millions in terms of lost revenue and rising expenses.

"This is the first time I've ever experienced anything like this," he said during a media briefing on Friday.

"It is a bad movie getting worse."

With businesses closed, city services shuttered, free transit, 60-day deferral on penalties for late tax payments and extra costs to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, the city's bank account is suffering.

Premier Doug Ford also announced today the province will be shutting down some parts of the province's construction industry. 

A new list of essential businesses includes makers of primary metals and steels, but local manufacturers that can remain open are struggling to do so because of personal protective equipment shortages.

The growing problems have led some factory workers to question if enough is being done to protect the city's economic "backbone."

Situation similar to 'Great Depression'

Eisenberger said mayors from across Ontario spoke with the province to discuss "how to keep municipalities whole."

In Toronto, the virus is costing the city $65 million a week.

"People liken this to the Great Depression of 1929 to 1930 where the whole economy collapsed and there was a demand for infusion into the economy," Eisenberger said. 

"This decline in revenue and shutting a city down, shutting a country down is obviously unprecedented, has never happened in my lifetime and anyone else's lifetime that's currently on the planet ... the adjustments that are needed to be made are pretty dramatic."

But he's optimistic the economy won't implode.

"The big difference between now and the Great Depression is governments of that day did not make a capital infusion into the economy and literally, the economy collapsed," Eisenberger said. 

"I don't sense that's what's happening here, I think the government has taken the right steps to support our country and economy."

Eisenberger said the province sent $6.8 million to Hamilton for the fiscal year 2020-2020 from its social service relief fund.

As soon as the first half of the sum arrives the coming weeks, the city plans to funnel it into the local shelter system, food security needs and addressing other issues, especially those related to marginalized communities.

Eleven new cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton

There are 138 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Hamilton as of Friday at noon.

Almost one in four cases is linked to community spread — people who contracted the virus with no link to travel or an existing case — but that number seems to be rising.

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city's medical officer of health, said 44 per cent of cases in the last 10 days are linked to community transmission.

This comes as provincial health experts say COVID-19 could kill 3,000 to 15,000 people in Ontario over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the ramifications of which could last up to two years.

But Richardson also highlighted the backlog the city experienced in test results seems to have cleared and 45 people have recovered.

"We may look hopeful and look at the numbers today and think 'we're doing well' and we are, we're doing better than we could be, but it's time to double down and continue to take this very seriously as we enter into what we're calling the surge period," she said.

Here are tips to protect yourself:

• Stay home if you are ill or not.

• Avoid non-essential trips in the community.

• If you need groceries or essential items, practice physical distancing and stay two metres away from others.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.

• Avoid contact with people who are ill and their items.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands. Wash hands after coughing and sneezing.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet, exercise and enough sleep, to enhance your body's immune system.