Employee, contract therapist test positive for COVID-19

Farmington Presbyterian Manor announces that a non-direct care employee and a contract therapist have tested positive for COVID-19.

“We remain vigilant as cases rise in our area and around the nation,” said Jane Hull, executive director.

The non-direct care employee last worked yesterday, November 23. The contract therapist last worked November 10. Both screened in before their shifts and wore personal protective equipment (PPE) while working.

The St. Francois Health Department has been notified and we will continue with mass testing following the holiday weekend. The next scheduled testing date is Monday, November 30.

Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency caregivers, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on our county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, our campus has been testing employees twice a week.

We will follow CDC guidelines for when an employee or contractor may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees or contractors may return to work when at least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and their symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees or contractors will quarantine for 14 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

Farmington Presbyterian Manor continues to screen all employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before they have any direct contact with residents.  In addition, staff members are wearing masks per CDC recommendations.

For more information about Farmington Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.