Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday Canadians will need to stay at home and practice physical distancing for months as the first wave of COVID-19 cases in the country won´t end until the summer and Canada won´t return to normal until there is a vaccine - which could take a year and a half, reports AP.

Trudeau said the country is in the early stage of the outbreak because the virus came to Canada later than to some other nations and he said the first wave won´t reach its peak until late spring. Trudeau called it the "challenge of our generation."

"This is the new normal, until a vaccine is developed," Trudeau said. "It will take months of continued, determined effort. We´ll need to keep practicing physical distancing, staying home and washing our hands."

Once Canada gets through the first wave, some economic activity will start up again, he said.