Close to 500 Alberta health-care workers have tested positive for COVID-19

There have been a total of 472 cases of COVID-19 in Alberta health-care workers as of the afternoon of April 28, and the vast majority have been in the Calgary zone.

READ MORE: Alberta reports 216 additional COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths; outbreak confirmed at First Nation

The data, released by Alberta Health, is the first time those figures have been released by AHS zone and is part of a commitment by the department to be transparent about the number of cases in front-line workers.

READ MORE: 1 health-care worker tests positive for COVID-19 in Kingston region over the weekend

Out of the 472 cases, 338 cases have been in the Calgary zone; of those, 139 cases are still active while 199 cases have recovered.

The Edmonton zone has the second-highest number of cases with 74 total, including 16 that are active and 58 that have since recovered.

In total across the province, 181 cases are active and 291 have recovered. There have been no deaths among Alberta health-care workers.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Spokesperson Tom McMillan said the numbers are not just from AHS staff; they include nurses, physicians, continuing care workers and other health-care workers who self-reported during the testing process.

When it comes to AHS staff specifically, spokesperson Kerry Williamson said 137 employees and 22 physicians have tested positive for COVID-19.

2:17 Alberta announces investigations into possible COVID-19 outbreak at 2 Edmonton zone hospitals

Of the 22 physicians who have tested positive, none have been confirmed to have acquired their infection through a workplace exposure, Williamson said.

Of the positive cases confirmed to be a result of workplace exposure, AHS said none were the result of faulty personal protective equipment.

RELATED: Health-care workers stay away from families: ‘I’d rather do that knowing she is safe’

McMillan said the vast majority of cases are believed to have acquired the virus from outside of the workplace.

During her daily update on Monday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said there is no reason to assume health-care workers present a higher risk of spreading infection.

“We need to support these workers and their effort to protect patient health, not to create fear or stigmatize them,” she said.

1:41 Albertans should be proud, but cautious about response to COVID-19