Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a news conference at Rideau Cottage, as efforts continue to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Blair Gable
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said isolation measures to fight the coronavirus had to stay in place for the time being even as data showed the death toll had risen by less than 10% for the seventh day in a row.
The public health agency said the total number of people killed by the coronavirus climbed by under 6% to 2,489 in a day.
The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus was 45,791, according to a statement. On Saturday there were 2,350 deaths and 44,364 positive diagnoses.
“We all must do our part by following the recommendations of public health experts and staying at home. We will get through this together,” Trudeau said in a statement to mark national medical laboratory week.
The 5.9% increase in deaths on Sunday over Saturday was the lowest day-on-day rise seen in the last week since the toll jumped by 12% on April 19.
Some of Canada’s 10 provinces have announced plans to gradually reopen their economies, in part by insisting on social distancing and protective equipment in workplaces. Measures will differ as infection rates vary among provinces, but require national coordination, Trudeau said on Saturday.
Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Daniel Wallis