200318 Canada
A traveller wearing a protective mask walks through Vancouver International Aiport (YVR) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Image Credit: Bloomberg

Ottawa: The coronavirus pandemic could kill between 11,000 and 22,000 people in Canada, the government projected Thursday.

It said the country could see between 934,000 and 1.9 million cases of COVID-19 by the time the pandemic ends, assuming Canadians observe strict social distancing and other safety measures over the next few months.

These are the federal government's first projections on the pandemic's possible toll in Canada.

As of Thursday morning the virus had killed 476 people in Canada, according to figures provided by provincial authorities.