Health Canada worker tests positive for COVID-19

AHealth Canada employee who works at Tunney's Pasturein Ottawa has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in self-isolation.

A Health Canada spokesperson said Wednesday certain colleagues have been contacted by public health officials and asked to stay home unless it's absolutely necessary to leave.

An area of anunspecified building in thelarge federal government complex has been cleaned. It includes common work spaces shared with Statistics Canada.

As of Wednesday noonOttawa had14confirmed cases of the respiratory illness, which comes withcold- and flu-like symptoms. There's no treatment and no vaccine.

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It's not known whether theHealth Canada employee has been included in that number.

Federal government departments have been told to let staff work from home whenever possible.