Newton Presbyterian Manor reports COVID-19 testing results 8/20

Newton Presbyterian Manor received good news with the second round of campus-wide COVID-19 testing last week. All residents and employees tested August 10 were negative for the virus. The community tested 50 residents and 134 employees on August 10.

“Our team has worked very hard, and continues to work hard, to keep our residents health and safe,” said Marc Kessinger, Newton Presbyterian Manor executive director. “We will continue to monitor residents for signs and symptoms of respiratory illness and other COVID-19 symptoms during each shift.”

Our community’s reopening remains on hold until we are cleared of the COVID-19 cluster designation by the Harvey County Health Department. Our campus was designated as a COVID-19 cluster after 5 employees and 1 resident tested positive for COVID-19 in a 7-day period.  A cluster is two or more non-household cases of COVID-19 tied to a specific location in a specified period of time. The health department is consulting with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Epidemiology Hotline to determine our next steps for testing. Our campus must not have a positive case for 28 days in order for the cluster designation to be lifted.

The COVID positive resident and the resident’s roommate have cleared by the Harvey County Health Department and may be removed from isolation. The previously COVID positive employees have also been cleared by the health department to return to work. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

The community will continue with the preventive measures we have in place for combatting COVID-19. These measures include wearing personal protective equipment as recommended by the CDC, employee screening as they arrive for work. We encourage all staff members to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated.  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 Newton Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.