Five Canadian military members test positive

Ottawa : Five members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who were serving in nursing homes in Quebec and Ontario, have tested positive for COVID-19, the Defence Ministry said. Out of the five members, four were serving in Quebec and one in Ontario, reports Xinhua news agency.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the five cases at his Friday press conference but did not provide details. Almost 1,700 military members are reportedly working in 25 nursing homes in Quebec and five in Ontario after many of the regular staff were infected by the COVID-19.

They are reportedly responsible for cleaning, serving food and assisting with seniors' basic needs.The country's nursing homes have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths in nursing homes account for more than 80 per cent of the nation's coronavirus fatalities, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

So far, Canada has reported 74,750 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,553 deaths.The Ministry said it will provide updates to inform Canadians about the number of military members tested positive for COVID-19 every two weeks.