Two Salina Presbyterian Manor (SPM) employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
No residents or any other employees tested positive, the facility noted this afternoon in a news release on its Facebook page.
“Even as the positivity rate in Saline County rises, we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep COVID-19 at bay,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist.
The first employee provides direct resident care and last worked Tuesday. The employee passed the pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required. The employee sought testing when a close contact tested positive for the virus.
The second employee participated in our campus’ routine employee surveillance testing. The employee is not involved in providing direct resident care. The employee, who last worked Friday, passed the pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required.
The campus tested 186 employees and residents in health care, memory care and assisted living on Wednesday. The other 185 tests, including those of all residents, were negative.
The facility noted that it is in contact with the Saline County Health Department and will follow their recommendations. Additionally, it also will continue with mass testing at the facility.
SPM is now conducting routine employee surveillance testing for COVID-19. Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at the Salina campus to be tested for COVID-19 on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on Saline County’s rate topping 10 percent, the facility will test employees twice a week beginning Monday.
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, the Salina facility will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.