Riley County has 75 new positive cases and 86 additional recoveries since Wednesday’s report. Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan is caring for 3 positive patients at this time. The patients have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization.
Some reporting procedures have been changed in Riley County. All facilities, including physicians’ offices, nursing homes, and Lafene Health Center, will now share test results directly with the Riley County Health Department (RCHD) as well as with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). This new process will give RCHD access to data about the local situation in real time and allow for contact tracing to take place quickly.
Please note, the online data displayed on the KDHE website will be slightly behind the data reported locally. This is being caused by delays in the state’s electronic disease surveillance system, EpiTrax. “Medical care providers in Riley County have been very helpful and responded quickly when asked to add this additional step to their reporting procedures,” said Local Health Officer Julie Gibbs “Their cooperation will make it possible for us to take action quickly, and we are grateful for the support of the medical community.”
Anyone who has symptoms, is a close contact of a positive patient, or would like information about how to get tested should contact their health care provider or call the Riley County Screening Line at 785-323-6400. The Screening Line is staffed by nurses and is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you have had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, you are required to quarantine for 14 days after the last time you were in close contact with that person. This requirement is in place even if you test negative for COVID-19 during the quarantine period. “You cannot test out of quarantine,” said Gibbs “The virus can take up to 14 days of incubation time and that’s the reason behind the 14-day quarantine requirement. If you test negative on day 3, it doesn’t mean you won’t test positive on day 12. Stay home if you have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19.”Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.
Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, and monitor their health. For more information about quarantine and isolation requirements, and the science behind those designations, visit the CDC COVID-19 website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html or call the health department at 785-323-6400. Riley County Statistics for Wednesday, September 18, 2020:
- Total positive cases in Riley County Residents: 1,576
- Total active: 761
- Total recovered: 807
- Total deaths: 8