A COVID-19 test kit is shown at a coronavirus evaluation clinic in Montreal on March 10, 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Jack L. Rozdilsky, York University, Canada
As the COVID-19 crisis evolves, it is becoming apparent that the gradual progression of multi-national containment strategies is failing. In multiple countries, the community-level spread of the novel coronavirus is generating a growing sense of urgency. The time is now for all Canadians to take all necessary actions to stop the community spread of COVID-19.
Canada?s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam speaks during a news conference on March 9, 2020.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
In late February, there were indications that we were heading into a situation of societal disruptions. On Feb. 24, Canada?s chief medical officer of health, Theresa Tam, acknowledged that ?Canada may no longer be able to contain and limit the virus if it continues to spread around the world.?
On Feb. 25, Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, issued a dire warning: ?Disruptions to everyday life may be severe, but people might want to start thinking about that now.?
Flattening the curve
The critical message right now is that we need to slow the spread of COVID-19, or ?flatten the curve.? A reduced number of cases at any given time will allow emergency response to take place without the system beco...