TORONTO -- Ontario health officials confirmed an additional 640 cases of COVID-19 Friday morning as well as 50 deaths related to the virus.

This marks the highest number of cases reported in a single day as the government continues to ramp up its testing across the province.

The new cases bring the province’s total number of COVID-19 infections to 13,519, including 7,087 recoveries—up 407 from Thursday—and 763 deaths.

Friday’s epidemiologic summary shows that another patient between the ages of 20 and 39 has died, the second this week. There are now three deaths listed in that age group, representing the youngest patients to die of COVID-19 in the province.

There are 209 deaths between the ages of 60 and 79 and another 36 deaths between the ages of 40 and 59.

No deaths have been reported in patients 19 years of age or younger, though there are 292 confirmed cases in that age group.

The province’s older population continues to be hit hardest by the spread of the virus. As of Friday morning, there are 515 deceased patients who were 80 years of age or older, an increase of 34 deaths in the last 24 hours alone.

Long-term care residents represent the 75 per cent of all recorded deaths in the province. Since yesterday, there have been 57 more deaths in those facilities, accounting for 573 deaths overall.

Of the 630 long-term care residences in Ontario, 131 are facing outbreaks of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called in the Canadian Armed Forces to assist five of the most affected long-term care homes in their day-to-day operations.

Soldiers will be sent first to help care for residents at a Pickering long-term care home where 40 residents have died of COVID-19. Staff at Orchard Villa informed families of residents on Thursday that 131 of the 233 residents at the facility have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Right now, there are 910 people in hospital receiving treatment for the novel coronavirus, 243 of which are being treated in an intensive care unit. Of those 243, the province says that 193 patients are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.

Of the more than 13,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, 11.5 per cent of all patients were hospitalized at one point.

Status of COVID-19 testing in Ontario

The province has continued to increase its testing capacity in recent weeks with 207,040 tests conducted since the outbreak began in late January.

Over the last 24 hours, laboratories across Ontario completed 12,295 tests, with a goal to complete 16,000 tests daily by May 6.

However, there are 5,414 tests under investigation, which Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams has been reluctant to call a “back log”, but instead describes as a result of enhanced testing.

It should be noted that the total number of tests completed does not represent individual patients, meaning that one patient may have been tested for the virus several times.

Quick facts on all Ontario COVID-19 patients