OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Canadians Thursday that the current social distancing and self-isolation measures may be in place for another year and half, telling the public it will have to remain vigilant for another 12 to 18 months.

“What I am saying is until there is a vaccine available, the reality of COVID-19 will still be with us,” Trudeau said, in French. “And so for the months that that will take, and there are some estimates that say six or eight months, some say a year or a year and a half, we will have to be vigilant.”

Trudeau suggested social distancing measures would be eased but could be re-introduced if there is a resurgence of the virus in certain parts of the country.

Watch: Duration of COVID-19 measures depends on Canadians’s actions, PM says

 

“Once we go through that first wave, we want to be able to allow some economic activity to start up again, that is why there will be a graduated return to normal economic activity compared to now,” he said. 

“There are things that we will not be able to do, but there will be a lot more things that we will be able to do, and that is if and only if we come through the next few weeks and the next few months properly and that’s why is why we will have to remain in this next current phase for some time,” he said.

Click Here: Golf Equipment Online

Trudeau made the comment shortly after the Public Health Agency of Canada released national modelling forecasting that under strong control measures, 11,000 to 22,000 potential deaths in the coming months.

RELATED

• Canada Could See 22,000 Deaths In Coming Months Due To COVID-19: Feds

• Canada's Unemployment Rate Jumps As Country Loses 1 Million Jobs

• B.C. Is Starting To Flatten The Curve. Here’s How They're Doing It

Canada’s public health officers suggested current social-distancing measures could be eased in the summer. But several smaller waves of the infection would likely occur after the worst is over.

Thursday morning, the federal government confirmed there were at least 19,774, cases of COVID-19 and 461 reported deaths.

This is a developing story. More to come.