Health care employee tests positive for COVID at Arkansas City PMMA 11/21

Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor’s surveillance testing revealed one new case of COVID-19 this week.

An essential health care worker tested positive during surveillance testing Thursday, November 18. The employee last worked November 18, passing pre-shift screening and wearing personal protective equipment as required. The employee tested negative on November 11.

The Cowley County Health Department has been notified and the community will follow their direction. Under the health department’s direction, all residents and employees who may have been in contact with the employee will be tested. Residents were tested Thursday, and all tested negative. No additional staff cases were detected. Staff will be tested in 5-7 days. The residents will be tested again in 7 days. Any unvaccinated residents will be quarantined as a precaution.  

Employee surveillance testing will continue next week as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor 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.