Nursing homes are at the center of Connecticut's COVID-19 outbreak. The state says the situation is getting better, but unionized workers say they're still working under dangerous conditions.

Zina Bennett says her son was just tested for coronavirus and she's worried it came from her job at a Trumbull nursing home.

"When you watch your 12-year-old ask the emergency room doctor how many kids died from it, that's something you never want," said Bennett.

One union says some workers are using garbage bags to protect themselves because there's not enough personal protective equipment.

The state Health Department says it investigated and found workers chose to wear trash bags, because they're more comfortable.

In a statement, SEIU 1199NE said, "On behalf of our nursing home members, we are completely shocked by the approach taken by the Department of Public Health in their press conference today. The idea that workers 'prefer' to wear trash bags instead of personal protective equipment is outrageous and insulting to the real heroes of this crisis – frontline caregivers. Our members, unfortunately, are put in positions where they have no choice but to use trash bags as personal protective equipment. They and those they care for are not trash and should not be treated as such. We know compassionate caregivers only resort to wearing degrading, makeshift PPE made out of trash bags for protection when the available alternatives given by the employer are even worse. Statements about nursing home workers voluntarily wearing trash bags devalues them as working-class black, brown, and white caregivers in Connecticut. It seems that their risks, sacrifices, and suffering are not seen by DPH. A real partnership across our union begins with respect."

On Friday afternoon, Lamont's office said it has only received two complaints of nursing home workers wearing trash bags, and one was a food service employee. Both were instructed to wear full PPE, which was available at their facilities, according to Josh Geballe, Connecticut's chief operating officer.

"It's completely unacceptable," Geballe said, but "there is no evidence it's a widespread problem."

News 12 Connecticut spoke to one of the workers in the photos provided by the SEIU union. She said she never reported the incident to state health officials, and her facility has since stocked up on protective equipment.

Gov. Ned Lamont's office says they've already inspected more than half the state's nursing homes and found few issues.

The union also says three health care workers have died at homes in Windsor, Enfield and West River Rehab in Milford. But the state is now reviewing many deaths to see if they were misreported.

Bennett says she won't abandon her patients.

"I still go to work because I know that these residents still need us. They're our family," said Bennett.

The state Health Department says it checks purchase orders to make sure nursing homes aren't hoarding supplies.