8/21 Aberdeen Heights employee tests positive for COVID-19

One non-direct resident care employee at Aberdeen Heights has tested positive for COVID-19 during surveillance testing at the campus this week.

The employee, who last worked August 18 in independent living, wore personal protective equipment as required and passed pre-shift screening.

We have notified the St. Louis County Health Department and will follow any additional guidance provided. Aberdeen Heights continues to comply with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate to test staff on a frequency determined by the county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests in St. Louis County. We are currently testing staff twice a week.

The employee will quarantine at home until cleared to return to work. We will follow CDC guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic individuals 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 will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

Aberdeen Heights continues to screen all employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before they have any direct contact with residents.  Residents will continue to be monitored for signs and symptoms of the virus. Employees and residents are encouraged to follow CDC guidance for preventing and containing the spread of COVID-19.

Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. PMMA strongly encourages our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones.

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

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