An 81 year-old Riley County resident died at the Wamego Health Center on Wednesday. He tested positive for COVID-19 on November 1 and represents the 14th fatality for the county.
Riley County has 170 new positive cases and 96 additional recoveries since Wednesday’s report.
Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan is caring for 11 positive patients and 3 PUI patients at this time. The patients have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization.
“In addition to finding more evidence of community spread, contact tracing staff are also reporting that more patients have attended small gatherings,” said Local Health Officer Julie Gibbs. “People tend to let their guard down and forget to follow safety protocols when they’re with close friends and family. Please wear your masks, wash your hands, and keep your distance anytime you interact with someone outside your immediate household.”
A total of 630 people were tested at yesterday’s free testing event in CiCo Park. As results come in, positive patients will be contacted first. Due to the high volume, calls for negative patients may be delayed until the end of next week. Contact tracing staff will work as quickly as possible to notify all participants of their results. Riley County is hiring additional staff to help with these duties.
Riley County is also adding another testing date before the Thanksgiving holiday. Free, drive-up testing will be available at CiCo Park in Manhattan on Monday, November 16 and Thursday, November 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome and no appointment is necessary. Please enter the park from the Kimball/Candlewood entrance and drive to the 4H barns near Pottorf Hall for testing. Two lines will be available but participants may experience longer wait times.
Future testing dates are: December 3, 10, 17, 21, 28 and Jan. 7. Additional testing dates may be added in January.
If you are sick or would like information about testing, please call the Riley County Screening Line at 785-323-6400 or call your doctor. 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 are experiencing life-threating symptoms, call 911.
Riley County Statistics for Friday, November 13, 2020:
- Total positive cases in Riley County Residents: 2,807
- Total active: 425
- Total recovered: 2,368
- Total deaths: 14
- Total negative test results: 22,519
Case counts are preliminary and subject to verification.
There are nine active outbreaks in Riley County. The new outbreak is associated with Alpha Chi Omega, not Beta Sigma Psi. The Beta Sigma Psi outbreak was first identified on November 6.