Five employees, including four direct-care and one non-direct care, tested positive this week for COVID-19 at Salina Presbyterian Manor.

According to the organization, no residents or any other employees tested positive.

“Our top priority continues to be the safety of our residents and staff members,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist.

The Salina campus is now conducting routine employee surveillance testing for COVID-19. Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested for COVID-19 on a frequency determined by the county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on the Saline County rate, they are testing employees once a week.

The positive cases this week were identified through employee surveillance testing and resident testing conducted on October 30. They are in contact with the Saline County Health Department and per their recommendation, tested all residents and employees on Wednesday.

The employees are quarantining at home and will not be allowed to work until they meet 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, they will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

Last week two residents and one non-direct care employee at Salina Presbyterian Manor have tested positive for COVID-19. COVID-19 concerns prompted the facility to temporarily suspend all visitations as well. Two-weeks ago the facility temporarily ceased all communal activities and dining after one Salina Presbyterian Manor non-direct care employee and one direct care employee tested positive for COVID-19.