OTTAWA – With strong control measures, the federal public health agency projects that 11,000 to 22,000 Canadians could die of COVID-19 in the coming months.

The agency released modelling data this morning with different possible scenarios, warning that what happens depends very much on how Canadians behave to keep the respiratory illness from spreading.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says short-term estimates are more reliable, and it anticipates 500 to 700 deaths nationally by the end of next week.

On the importance of Canadians following strong measures to keep deaths between 11,000-22,000, Dr. Tam says "we are the authors of our own fate" #COVID19 #cdnpoli — Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) April 9, 2020

With poor containment measures, the death toll could be much, much higher, the agency says.

It adds the COVID-19 battle in Canada is still in its early stages, but that the country’s numbers of confirmed cases have been increasing more slowly than in other countries.

The agency says the fight against the novel coronavirus will likely take many months and require cycles of tighter and weaker controls.

-with files from NEWS 1130