"We need to plank the curve, not just flatten it."
That's the plea from Canada's top medical health official, Dr. Theresa Tam, as cases of COVID-19 continues to spiral across the country.
As of Thursday morning, there were 772 cases of the potentially deadly virus in Canada, causing nine deaths.
Globally, there are 230,452 reported cases of the virus in 177 countries, causing 9,390 deaths. More than 86,000 cases have fully recovered.
Most of the initial deaths were in China, where the virus started late last year, but it has since spread rapidly to the rest of Asia and Europe, where South Korea, Italy and Iran being hit the hardest.
"What concerns us the most, is the continuing community spread (of the virus)," Tam said Thursday morning.
"The epidemic continues to grow in Canada...we try to find ways to interrupt by social distancing. We can help stop this spread.
"We have an opportunity to learn from each other about resolve.
"(But) to get through this, we need to practice social distancing and protect the elderly.
"The price of not getting it right is too high."
Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, also made a plea for everyone to practice social distancing, pointing towards the particular vulnerability of Indigenous communities.
"We need to back this up with action and this is what we have done."
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