Montreal is having a tough time with the pandemic and it's now starting to implement more stringent measures to ensure it gets past this thing.

As the city struggles to flatten the curve, Montreal 's public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin said yesterday that the situation is getting worse.

"We are not lowering the epidemic curve," she said. "We can see a plateau and even an increase in cases."

The city currently has 16,991 confirmed cases and 1,488 deaths, while Quebec remains the province with the most infections.

I don't know man, Montréal is Canada's epicenter, we're not lowering the curve, our ERs are over capacity and it's killing all the old folks but I can't imagine why it's causing anxiety. https://t.co/YFQQqF2JFy

— At least 6 feet away from each other 🌉 (@rabelazy) May 5, 2020

As a result, the city plans to ramp up testing from 5,000 to 14,000 daily, and it's even employing some of its transit vehicles to help.

Six city buses are being transformed into mobile clinics that can test roughly 100 people per day while some walk-in clinics are being converted into new testing sites.

It also plans to test literally everyone with symptoms like fever, coughing and difficulty breathing. Health officials are also asking residents to wear masks in any space where maintaining a distance of two metres apart from others is not possible.

City police will also be continuing to ticket people not practising physical distancing in public spaces, something Dr. Drouin said is a problem.

The covid curve still going up in montreal cause people still hanging in parks.

— disrespectfoo (@cavepersonriff) May 5, 2020

Police will also be ticketing anyone gathering at private dwellings, in stores or in public parks, some of which were closed over the weekend.

Apparently some parks were so busy last weekend, police had to barricade parking lots.

Hey Montreal, stay home and fuck off please until this curve flattens. Cause a lot of y’all ain’t doing it right now that’s for sure.

— Robert Smith (@Aka_Robbie_Ray) May 5, 2020

Montreal has already made temporary changes to its pedestrian infrastructure, including widening some sidewalks and freeing up parking lanes.

It's also closed several streets in the neighbourhood of Plateau Mont-Royal and may extend this to others.

Montreal: The curve is not decreasing
Also Montreal: Wants to open elementary schools soon

— Baylie (@baylie_m13) May 5, 2020

Provincial plans to reopen the economy, including Montreal's, are underway. But some aspects, such as reopening its retail sector, have been pushed back while hospitalization rates remain high.