9/1 Good news following additional testing for COVID-19

Farmington Presbyterian Manor received good news after a third round of mass testing at the community September 1 and 2, after two employees and a contract health care worker tested positive at the community last month. All employees and residents tested Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 were negative for COVID-19. The St. Francois County Health Department does not recommend further testing and has closed the outbreak at the campus.

“This is good news,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s infection preventionist and vice president for health and wellness. “Farmington Presbyterian Manor will continue its efforts to keep its residents and employees safe from COVID-19.”

The health care workers who tested positive for the virus earlier in August will remain in isolation until cleared to return to work by the Health Department. Per CDC guidelines, team members may return to work once they have been symptom free for 24 hours without the aid of a fever reducer and demonstrate improvement in respiratory symptoms, and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.  Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

The campus will continue to pre-screen employees before they have contact with residents and check residents for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during each shift.

Presbyterian Manor implemented a strict no visitor policy at the community and discontinued group activities and communal dining for the entire campus per guidelines released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CDC on March 13. With the negative tests, the community will be able to resume its reopening process in the coming days.

All employees are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all staff that an employee should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

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