Businesses in Windsor-Essex are preparing for a slow and methodical restart of the economy.
Premier Doug Ford announced Friday he would release a framework for reopening the economy early next week.
The Windsor Essex COVID-19 Economic Task Force, made up of representatives from the many sectors in the local economy, has been tracking jobs and revenue lost because of the pandemic and preparing to support businesses as the economy starts to ramp up again.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says they are working on a framework to bring back Transit Windsor services to support residents as the economy restarts.
"Once these businesses start getting back moving again we want to make sure that we're operating in tandem so that we don't leave people stranded either in the county or in the city," said Dilkens.
Even with a slow start-up to the economy, none of the task force members expects things to go back to business as usual.
Many small to medium-sized businesses, 22 per cent of the nearly 400 surveyed by the Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, indicate they expect some layoffs to be permanent.
Representatives from the tourism and hospitality industry expect it could take up to two years to rebound to levels seen before the pandemic hit.
