Another COVID-19 related death is reported in Riley County

 Health officials confirm that a 63 year-old Riley County resident died Wednesday morning after testing positive for coronavirus on November 2. He lived at Via Christi Village and passed away at Ascension Via Christi hospital. He is the 13th COVID-related fatality in the county.

Riley County has 114 new positive cases and 20 additional recoveries since Monday’s report. There are currently 351 active coronavirus cases in the county.

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan is caring for 10 positive patients at this time. The patients have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization and four of them are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“It is essential that you follow health guidelines, wear a mask, maintain distance, and stay home if you are sick,” said Local Health Officer Julie Gibbs. “With the increase in cases we are seeing, it serves as a call to action for all of us to do our part so we can get through this. The more contact you have with people outside your home, the greater your risk for catching or spreading the virus.”

Free testing will be available tomorrow, Thursday, November 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at CiCo Park in Manhattan. Everyone is welcome and no appointments are necessary. Please wear a mask. Enter the park from the Kimball/Candlewood driveway and follow the signs to the 4H barns. Free testing will be available every Thursday, rain or shine, except the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

All of the results from last week’s free testing event have been received. Of the 525 tested, a total of 118 were positive. Contact tracing staff are still making calls to notify all participants, and are calling positive patients first. Please be patient as they work to call all patients and close contacts.