The National League of Cities group--New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr.; Arlington, Massachusetts, Selectman Charlie Lyons; and Dearborn, Michigan, Mayor Michael Guido--learned that Toronto officials had to track SARS on a daily basis, develop a plan to isolate patients, provide care for infected citizens, quarantine 8,500 residents and convey complex information to multiple constituencies in eight languages every day. The city set up information hotlines where it fielded 55,000 phone calls.
Toronto health officials underscored how critical consistent messages were in managing public perception of the outbreak. For instance, when masks were deemed to be no longer necessary outside of a health care setting, bus drivers and other public employees were asked to go maskless to demonstrate that the disease was contained.
Getting important announcements and developments to frontline workers, managing medical information about infected people, and establishing and reviewing clear legal powers and lines of authority in case quarantine becomes necessary were among the lessons imparted by Toronto officials.
The Canadians made it clear that containing the illness quickly was not only a health consideration but a fiscal one. After the World Health Organization issued a travel advisory at the height of the epidemic, Toronto lost $30 million a day in tourist revenue.
