More taxi and limo drivers operating out of Pearson International Airport have succumbed to the COVID-19 virus.

A total of ten airport taxi and limo drivers have died from the novel virus, according to The Toronto Star. 

Several of them were members of the Airport Taxi Association, which represents 700 drivers operating about 350 vehicles that are licensed to pick up passengers at Pearson.

Safety measures like thorough cleaning and disinfecting after each drop off, providing gloves, cleaning of high traffic areas at the airport and encouraging physical distancing with signage have all been implemented.

But due to the nature of the virus, which spreads through close contact and can linger in the air for hours, concerns have been increasing for the safety of public-facing workers responsible for transporting air travel passengers.

Government regulations stipulate that recent travellers are not allowed to take public transit, so many are still relying on drivers or family members to transport them home.

According to the report, it's not clear if the drivers picked up the virus on the job, but as a result, many have chosen to stay home.

"Out of 115 cars, we only have two cars working right now," Manpreet Khushdil, a dispatcher for Aerofleet told the Star. "We used to have 300 orders a day and now we have two or three orders a day."