The city of Ottawa announced Monday that it would be prolonging their state of emergency until the end of June due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, leading to the temporary layoffs of thousands of municipal employees.
This decision would also extend closures of many municipal services, and prohibit large gatherings in the city until June 30.
The city’s state of emergency was first called March 25, but on Monday, in a digital press conference, Mayor Jim Watson announced the city was bleeding money due to limited services.
According to Watson, the city is currently losing an estimated $1 million a day in revenue due to the current state of emergency.