A staggering new report shows that without a complete shut down of our public life, we could see as many as 45 million deaths worldwide from coronavirus.

We need to act, now.

The report says that limited quarantine and social distancing isn't enough. We need governments to order a total shutdown: social distancing for everyone, closing schools and most workplaces, cancelling all public gatherings.

But so far, things have been haphazard. Some cities have shut down, sports leagues have cancelled seasons. It isn't enough -- federal governments need to make this tough call NOW to stop a total breakdown of our health systems.

The good news is shutdowns work. After 2 months, Wuhan, China has had less than 10 new cases this week.

But every day counts -- if Wuhan had shutdown just one day before it did, the city would have had less than 20,000 cases. Now think about that on a global scale.

Our governments need to act quickly, but decisively. Put the right exceptions in place to ensure vulnerable people are fed and housed, and people who miss out on critical work income will be compensated. Ensure food supplies are protected. Then shut down all public gatherings.

This isn't out of control panic. It's the only way to stop a global catastrophe when our response is only as strong as the weakest link. This can't be left to individuals or even local governments alone. We need a united response at the highest level, as soon as humanly possible.

If we act smart, and work together, we can minimize the impact of this virus and save the lives of millions. But we need to do it now. Join in.

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