THUNDER BAY - Its business as usual according to Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro but with health officials saying it is only a matter of time before Covid-19 arrives in the city that could change very quickly.
“At this point we are moving forward without any major changes, but that could change in short order,” Mauro said during a media conference on Friday.
According to Mauro, no city programs or services are being shut down or closed as of Friday, including public transit, city run day cares with the exception of one in Ogden Public School and one in Woodcrest Public School, and city facilities.
“So at this point, those programs and like everything else that we offer, as informed by the medical officer of health, will still continue,” he said. “Business as usual for now. That could change in one hour or that could change in a day.”
“The one operation within the city we are aware of that will be impacted now and will be on a go forward basis even more will probably be the Auditorium. We don’t know what it will mean for the Canada Games Complex. We haven’t made decisions around those facilities yet. Business as usual generally speaking but of course we are keeping a very close eye.”
Mauro said he understands that with social distancing being recommended by public health officials, businesses may be impacted economically as more people choose to stay home. But he said he doesn’t think the city of Thunder Bay as a corporation will see a significant impact.
There are also no plans to shut down public transit as of now and Mauro said it would be a difficult decision to make if there was reason to do so.
“There are impacts with those decisions that could be negative and consequential for people that rely on them,” he said. “Having said that, there could be negative consequences as we continue to provide services. We will be paying very close attention and getting our guidance from the medical officer of health as we make those decisions.”
Covid-19 was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and while there are no confirmed cases in the city of Thunder Bay yet, Janet DeMille, CEO of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, said it is only a matter of time before a case is found here.
According to Mauro, the city’s geographic isolation is actually beneficial in a situation such as this because it buys the city time to prepare.
“We’ve had time to plan,” Mauro said in a statement issued Friday. “The city of Thunder Bay has been working diligently to monitor and prepare for the impacts of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19). We continue to closely monitor developments related to Covid-19, and the health and safety of all residents remains paramount.”
The city is also continuing to work closely with Public Health Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. Mauro said the decisions that are being made are informed by the Medical Officer of Health, Janet DeMille.
“The medial officer of health believes so far there is no need, in the immediate term, for us to change anything that we are doing,” Mauro said. “But that could change tomorrow.”
