A health-care worker at a long-term care home in Markham has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said the frontline worker contracted the disease after a resident in the home was confirmed to have had the virus last week.
SEIU said additional workers who may have been exposed are waiting for their test results.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Markham woman becomes first York Region resident to die from COVID-19, officials say
SEIU confirmed to Global News that the worker is an employee at the Markhaven Home for Seniors, which recently declared an outbreak.
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“Today’s alarming news is a consequence of a system that is moving too slow to protect workers and the public,” SEIU Healthcare president Sharleen Stewart said in a statement.
“It’s time decision makers put themselves in the shoes of the frontline health-care workers who are putting themselves in danger to fight the war on COVID-19.
“While they fight for us, health system administrators and the provincial government should be there for them.”
Meanwhile, Ontario health-care workers have been warning of an impending shortage of masks and protective gear.
On Saturday, Premier Doug Ford appealed to businesses in the province to reach out to the provincial government if they are able to help produce medical supplies.
In Toronto, 13 health-care workers are confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19.
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