OTTAWA—Forget “flattening the curve.” Canada’s chief medical officer is asking you to “plank it.”

Dr. Theresa Tam again urged Canadians on Thursday to stay home and avoid social interactions, actions aimed at slowing the rate — known as flattening the curve — of COVID-19 infections.

She called on Canadians to not just flatten the curve but use social distancing to “plank it” or drive the infection rate to zero.

“We don’t just need to flatten the curve, we need to plank it and we need everyone from government to communities, families and individuals to work together,” she said.

But even with a full-out effort, Tam said, it will be some time before the number of COVID-19 cases decreases.

“I always tell people it’s a bit like watching the light coming from a star, what you’ve reported today is something that actually happened a while back,” Tam told reporters.

“So maybe what we’re seeing now, with the day-over-day increase is something that happened before.”

And Tam said that she’ll be watching to see how effective the message of social isolation has been.

“But even beyond that you’ve got to keep going,” she said.

That echoed a message earlier in the day from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who said that Canadians should be ready for weeks — or even months — of social isolation as provinces attempt to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to reporters outside of Rideau Cottage Thursday, Trudeau did not say how long he expects Canadians to remain in their homes.

“We are going to continue to follow the best recommendations from experts. We’ve heard anything from weeks to months,” Trudeau said.

“We know this is a difficult and extraordinary time in which Canadians are taking difficult and extraordinary measures. We’ll continue to do that until Canadians are safe.”

Citizens across the country have been encouraged to stay home if at all possible as the coronavirus global pandemic continues. Simple measures like staying in, washing your hands, and maintaining distance from people in public could save lives.

The Trudeau government unveiled a massive $82-billion relief package for Canadians and businesses facing financial strain during the pandemic on Wednesday.

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Trudeau has so far resisted declaring a national state of emergency, even as multiple provinces — including Ontario, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island — grant themselves emergency powers.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos said that the federal government has the capacity to deliver the $82 billion support package announced Wednesday — even as much of the public service works remotely.

“So we’re going to do something that (is) extraordinary, but that’s fine in extraordinary times,” Duclos said.

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