By Canadian Press

We won’t know if isolation is working for weeks, months: Tam

Mar 19, 2020 | 12:53 PM

OTTAWA — Canada’s top doctor says it could be weeks or even months until we know whether social distancing measures being employed across the country are slowing the spread of COVID-19.

The numbers of newly confirmed cases released daily reflect people who were tested days ago, and it would have taken them several days before that to develop symptoms.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says looking at those numbers is a bit like looking at the light from a star.

Across the country people have taken drastic measures to limit their contact with others and keep the virus from spreading.

Some provinces have even mandated the closure of certain businesses to make sure people don’t gather in large groups.

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Tam says other countries who experienced COVID-19 before Canada, like China, did not start to see similar measures take effect for about two and a half months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2020.

The Canadian Press