Manitoba Nurses Union:

"Today, MNU can confirm that of the 40 nurses that were asked to self-isolate, some are considered asymptomatic and are being asked to return to work. This development has occurred only two days after they were sent home to self-isolate for 14 days."

"Research has shown that symptoms may take up to 14 days to present themselves, and that even asymptomatic individuals are capable of spreading the virus."

"The asymptomatic nurses have not been tested for the virus, and therefore have no way of knowing if they are carriers of the virus. Forcing them back to work would only put the health of staff and patients at serious risk."

"Of those 40 nurses, 4 have tested positive for COVID-19. This was deeply troubling for many reasons, including the fact staff were made aware of this exposure on March 20."

"The fact it took 12 days for the employer to isolate staff following knowledge of the exposure is simply unacceptable, and it deserves further investigation and scrutiny."