Another Salina Presbyterian Manor resident has tested positive for COVID-19 in continued outbreak testing at the senior living community.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to protect the health and safety of our residents and staff members,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist.

According to the organization, the resident, who lives in the PATH (Post-Acute to Home) area, previously tested negative for the virus in last week’s mass testing. The community tested 109 employees and 75 residents on Monday, November 9. All the other test results from Monday were negative. A second round of employee surveillance tests were completed November 11. Those results are pending.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires surveillance testing of all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested for COVID-19 on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on the Saline County rate, we are testing employees twice a week.

They are in contact with the Saline County Health Department and will follow the recommendations they provide. They will continue to test residents weekly until we have completed two rounds of tests with no new positive cases. Surveillance testing will continue as required.

The COVID positive resident will recover in isolation and be cared for by designated staff. They will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the residents may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may leave isolation when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the resident’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the resident’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive residents will quarantine for 14 days. Designated staff members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following CDC infection prevention protocols.

They encourage all staff members and residents 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.

Earlier this week a resident who previously tested positive dies, and two employees tested positive.

Last week, five employees, including four direct-care and one non-direct care, tested positive. Two weeks ago two residents and one non-direct care employee tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 concerns prompted the facility to temporarily suspend all visitations as well, and temporarily cease all communal activities and dining.