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Coronavirus: B.C. reports 5 new deaths, 40 new cases

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus outbreak: Tam says projections show Canadians must ‘double-down’ on prevention measures'
Coronavirus outbreak: Tam says projections show Canadians must ‘double-down’ on prevention measures
Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam confirmed on Friday that the country had confirmed 21,243 cases and 531 deaths, with many deaths linked to long-term care homes. She said more than 383,000 people had been tested for the virus. She said Canadians have worked to help prevent the health care system from becoming overwhelmed and helped each other. She said while the projections are stark, it shows why people must "double-down" on abiding by the various measures to prevent the spread, "plank the curve, then crush it." – Apr 10, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of five more British Columbians, provincial health officials said Friday.

The province said three of those deaths are linked to long-term care homes, which have now accounted for 33 of the 55 COVID-19 deaths in B.C.

The province confirmed 40 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the provincial total to 1,410.

Of those cases, 879 people have fully recovered.

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Hospitalization numbers continued their slow downward trend Friday.

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The province said there were 128 people in hospital with COVID-19, down four from Thursday, and 65 people in intensive care, down three overnight.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in B.C. peaked at 149 on April 2, before holding steady over the weekend and declining throughout this week.

On Friday, the province announced that a makeshift hospital at the Vancouver Convention Centre — designed to accommodate non-COVID-19 patients should the outbreak worsen — was fully operational.

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