Rolla Presbyterian Manor reports employee tests positive for COVID-19

As we continue to monitor daily cases of COVID-19 in Phelps County, Rolla Presbyterian Manor received word today that a direct care employee tested positive for COVID-19 as part of our ongoing surveillance testing.

The individual last worked on Tuesday, October 27. The staff member screened in before their shift and wore personal protective equipment (PPE) while working.

The employee was tested on October 27 as part of ongoing surveillance testing. They began to notice symptoms on Wednesday, October 28 and sought testing at that time, which was negative. However, the results of the October 27 test came back today, and the employee is positive. They will recover at home.

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 once a week.

We conducted contact tracing and determined that the employee had exposure to 5 residents and possible exposure to a staff member. The Phelps County Health Department has recommended testing all residents and staff on Monday, November 2. We will follow their recommendation.

The exposed residents have been quarantined and we have performed antigen testing. So far, four of the residents tested negative. One test is pending.

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 the employee’s 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.

Rolla 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 Rolla Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

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