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Lawrence Presbyterian Manor reports more COVID-19 test results

Two essential health care workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in mass testing at the community August 26. The community tested 119 residents, therapists and employees August 26. All other tests were negative.

“After having all negative test results August 18, we were hopeful that we would have the same this week,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, vice president for health and wellness for PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America). “Throughout the course of the pandemic we’ve seen how quickly a community’s situation can change.”

Both employees tested negative for COVID-19 on August 18. One employee, who works part-time, has not worked since. The second employee last worked August 25 and passed the pre-shift employee screening.

The community is conducting contact tracing to determine who had direct contact with the positive employee during their last shift. Direct contact is defined as being within 6 feet of a COVID-positive person for 10 minutes or longer while they are symptomatic.

The Douglas County Health Department has been notified and the community will follow their direction for testing and quarantining of those affected. Testing will be conducted Sept. 1.

These positives mean Presbyterian Manor’s reopening plans will remain on hold with strict restrictions on group dining and activities and continued the restrictions on visitation. Due to the number of cases associated with our community, we are considered a COVID-19 cluster. A cluster is defined as two or more non-household cases of COVID-19 associated with a location during a specific time.

The COVID positive residents will remain in isolation in a designated COVID-19 area and be cared for by the COVID-19 Rapid Response Team. Rapid Response Team members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following CDC infection prevention protocols. We 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.

We encourage all staff members 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 Lawrence Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

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