Worker with COVID-19 continues working with older adults | News Headlines – KMOV.com

ST. CLAIR, Mo. (KMOV.com) — Last week, 3 employees at Victorian Place of St. Clair tested positive for COVID-19.

One, who is asymptomatic, could have taken a leave of absence but chose to stay on the job to care for residents with COVID-19. That’s according to Patricia Cokingtin, senior vice president for sales and marketing with Americare Senior Living, which owns the long-term care center.

“We’ve always had a very dedicated group of employees,” said Cokingtin.

The Center for Disease Control has guidelines on it’s website for essential workers who’ve been exposed to the coronavirus and are continuing to work at their job:

“To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, CDC advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community.”

Cokingtin said the employ works exclusively with residents who’ve tested positive, in an isolated section of the facility, while wearing proper personal protection equipment.

“You have separate entrance and exit, you have separate care equipment. The donning of PPE is very very specific, and they don’t commingle with other residents, or employees,” she said.

Twelve residents at Victorian Place in St. Clair have been infected with the virus. One resident died, but 6 have fully recovered and 5 still test positive but are asymptomatic.