TORONTO — Ontario reported 640 new COVID-19 cases Friday, and 50 more deaths.

That’s the largest single-day increase in new cases so far, though the growth rate in total cases remains relatively low, at five per cent.

Hospitalizations, and the numbers of people in intensive care and on ventilators all increased in the previous day.

Ontario has now a total of 13,519 cases, including 763 deaths and 7,087 resolved cases.

Long-term care deaths — which are reported in a different database that often doesn’t sync up with the total provincial numbers — increased by 57 over the past day.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care reported 573 resident deaths, and a total of 2,287 confirmed cases in residents, plus 1,089 confirmed cases in long-term staff.

The ministry said there are outbreaks in 131 homes, down one from Thursday.

Ontario has called in support from the Canadian Armed Forces for operational help at five long-term care homes. The government announced Friday that those homes are Orchard Villa in Pickering, Altamont Care Community in Toronto, Eatonville Care Centre in Toronto, Hawthorne Place in Toronto and Holland Christian Homes’ Grace Manor in Brampton.

The premier’s office said military support may be redeployed to other sites, as the situations as various homes change.

“Our top priority is ensuring the staff at these long-term care homes can focus on providing care and have the resources they need to combat the spread of this virus,” spokeswoman Ivana Yelich said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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