Manor of the Plains reports one COVID-19 positive employee

After two weeks without a new positive case of COVID-19 at the campus, Manor of the Plains identified one new case during surveillance testing at the campus this week.

Sixty-six employees were tested Monday, December 21, and all were negative for the virus. The campus conducted a second round of surveillance testing with 61 employees and 34 residents on Wednesday, December 23. All resident test results were negative and 60 employees also tested negative.

The non-direct resident care employee last worked December 23, passed pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required. Contact tracing revealed no close contacts with either staff or residents.

We have notified the Ford County Health Department and will continue with ongoing twice weekly surveillance testing and weekly resident testing. Our next scheduled testing date is Monday, December 28.

We follow CDC and KDHE guidelines in determining when an employee may return to work.  Under the current CDC and KDHE guidelines, the employee 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. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions. Asymptomatic employees must quarantine for at least 10 days.

As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, it should play an instrumental role in eventually moving toward resuming our normal operations. Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. PMMA strongly encourages our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones. Assisted living and health care residents and clinical employees are set to begin receiving the vaccine Monday, December 28.

Employees and residents are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all employees that an employee should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or is not feeling well.

For more information about Manor of the Plains’ response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

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