Canada's coronavirus death toll rises to 13 as repatriation efforts step up

FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a mask, amid rising global numbers of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, exits a subway train in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

(Reuters) - Canada's death toll from the coronavirus rose to 13 on Saturday, and the country stepped up efforts to repatriate Canadians stranded overseas as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the situation "unprecedented, exceptional and very difficult."

The government has tested around 83,000 people so far for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, Canada's deputy chief public health officer Howard Njoo told reporters. There have been 1,099 confirmed cases.