Ten people associated with the Anglicare Newmarch House aged care facility in western Sydney have now tested positive for Covid-19, after a staff member worked for six days while symptomatic and infectious. The facility, located in Caddens, said on Monday that a staff member and a resident had tested positive for the coronavirus, with a second resident awaiting test results. This figure has now risen to six staff members and four elderly residents. New South Wales chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said the worker was “incredibly distraught”. “As you’re aware the first case reported there was in a healthcare worker who worked whilst she had very mild symptoms. And I have spoken to the director of the public health unit and this person is absolutely mortified. “So, I think I would urge people to remember that the symptoms of Covid can be incredibly mild and the key point is, do not go to work. It doesn’t matter how mild those symptoms are – runny nose, sore throat, just a scratchy throat in this case. Please don’t go to work.” Anglicare chief executive Grant Millard said the staff member did not disclose they were unwell and did not display any symptoms. “The critical issue at this stage is to ensure that we have the testing results for everyone in the home, who has been tested yesterday, and all staff who were working yesterday were also tested. We need those results,” he said. The worker’s last shift at Newmarch House was on 6 April. Prior to the outbreak at Newmarch House, Anglicare’s company-wide health screen procedure required staff to self-declare if they were displaying Covid-19 symptoms. “Entering the home all staff, visitors, contractors and volunteers would be required to answer the screening questions in the negative, record their responses and sign in before they were permitted to enter,” the spokesperson for Anglicare said in a statement. “Anyone that responded yes to any one of those questions could not enter the site and had to return home.” The spokesperson said that a shortage of medical equipment caused temperature testing to be done on an ad hoc basis, and did not form part of daily staff health screenings. “Temperature checks are being carried out for staff. There is currently a shortage of medical equipment across Australia, including portable thermometers … We are currently awaiting supplies through our procurement process that includes additional supplies of personal protective equipment. ” It is understood that some temperature checks that were carried out from 30 March onwards and since the worker tested positive have become part of daily screening. The NSW Health Services Union secretary, Gerard Hayes, said more needed to be done. “There’s clearly been a system failure here. How someone with flu-like symptoms was able to work multiple shifts is a real and pressing concern. Anglicare should urgently review its procedures.” Currently in NSW any healthcare worker who has a fever or respiratory illness is eligible for Covid-19 testing. Hayes also noted that the aged care industry’s reliance on casual employees exacerbates the issue of staff working while unwell. “Nobody should be going to work sick under any circumstances. It would be far less likely to happen if the sector employed people on a permanent basis with proper sick leave and full-time hours.” But Guardian Australia has been told the worker was on a part-time contract. “The member of staff is permanent part-time and is entitled to sick leave,” a spokesperson for Anglicare said. “During the pandemic, we have offered additional sick leave to employees who are required to self-isolate due to close contact with COVID-19 positive persons.” Louise Payne, whose mother Yvonne Vane is a resident at Newmarch House, said she is now terrified for her mother could be infected. “Early on I was telling her ‘you’re in the safest place in Australia Mum’, then this came out yesterday and I was like ‘oh my god’ I feel like I’ve left her there at high risk,” she said. “She is nearly 90 and if she contracts this, it’s very likely to kill her. She will die alone.” Payne said she has struggled to get any information from the staff at the facility as to what was going on. “My biggest concern is the communication has not been open and transparent … I think it’s wrong that we’ve heard that that worker was there for six days on the news. “It’s frightening … I’m worried sick.” Millard said communicating with all families was a “work in progress”. “Communicating the facts when they are known is a real challenge. But we’re updating families every day,” the chief executive said. Newmarch House has been in lockdown since 23 March, with no visitors allowed. These measures have been tightened since the outbreak began. “All residents in the home are in self-isolation in their own rooms. All staff have been directed to wear full personal protective equipment when caring for residents,” a spokesperson said. NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said the worker’s actions had put people’s health at risk. “No doubt she thought she was doing the right thing, she was unfortunately not doing the right thing … The potential is disastrous consequences” The worker also attended shifts at a Greystanes Disability Services facility in Penrith during this time. This house has now been placed in quarantine. It’s understood this includes several residents and six workers. Guardian Australia was told by a spokesperson for Greystanes the worker was not displaying any symptoms when she last worked at the home. “To date, no staff that worked with her, or on the shift afterwards, or the four people we support in the house, have shown any symptoms.”