Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor staff tests positive for COVID-19
One new case of COVID-19 was detected at Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor this week through employee surveillance testing.
“Our efforts to protect the health and safety of our residents and employees continue,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist.
The non-direct resident care employee last worked Tuesday, August 3, passed pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required. We tested 102 employees on Wednesday, August 4, and all other test results were negative.
Through contact tracing, one employee has been identified as a close contact. The close contact will quarantine for 10 days and monitor for signs and symptoms of the virus. Employee surveillance testing will continue next week as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) based on the Cowley County positivity rate for COVID-19 tests.
The Cowley County Health Department has been notified and we will follow their direction. The health department does not recommend making any changes to visitation at this time.
We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee or contractor may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic individuals may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and their symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees and contractors will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.
PMMA continues to strongly encourage all staff, residents and their families to receive the vaccine. Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large.
All team members and residents are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all staff that an individual should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.
For more information about Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.
