Center Presbyterian Manor reports another COVID-positive employee
A non-direct resident care employee at Clay Center Presbyterian Manor has tested positive for COVID-19 this week.
This case of COVID-19 was detected during Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated surveillance testing of our employees. CMS requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on the county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, Clay Center Presbyterian Manor is surveillance testing twice a week.
“With cases rapidly increasing in Clay County, we continue to be vigilant in our efforts to keep residents and employees safe and healthy at our community,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s infection preventionist and vice president for health and wellness.
The campus tested 58 employees and 3 therapists on Monday, November 16, and 25 health care residents. All residents, therapists and the remaining 57 employees were negative for COVID-19.
The employee, who last worked Tuesday, November 17, pass pre-shift employee screening and wore personal protective equipment as required. The employee is in quarantine at home.
Contact tracing is underway to determine who may have been in direct contact with the employee.
The Clay County Health Department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment have been notified. All health care residents will be tested again next week and employee surveillance testing will continue as required. Employees will be tested today, November 18, for the second time this week.
Families, residents and employees have been notified regarding the positive employee. This brings our total new COVID-19 cases to 3 employees since November 1.
Due to these positive cases and the rapidly rising county positivity rate, outdoor visits are suspended and communal dining and group activities are on hold. Residents are encouraged to wear a face mask or cloth covering, maintain social distancing and wash their hands frequently.
Clay Center Presbyterian Manor will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the employee’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees will quarantine for 14 days. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.
All employees and residents are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. We have been screening employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before employees have any direct contact with residents. We educate all staff to stay at home if they are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.
For more information about Clay Center Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.
