Riley County Friday reports 33 new positive COVID-19 tests and 1 recovery since Wednesday’s report.
Despite the increased numbers of newly identified positive cases, that has not translated to increased hospitalizations at this point. Manhattan’s Ascension Via Christi Hospital as of 1 p.m. reported no positive or suspected positive patients in their care.
Overall, the county reports 185 active cases as of Friday — a net increase of 65 cases since the prior Friday. Additionally, 375 patients have recovered since the pandemic began in March. Since last Friday, 5 people have been reported as recovered. No local patients have died since July 30. Five individuals of 565 overall confirmed cases have died since March.
Twelve of the 565 cases are listed as probable cases, or are individuals who were not tested for the novel coronavirus but did receive positive results from antibody testing. Approximately 6,429 tests have been conducted — not counting the 478 performed at the pop-up testing site Thursday at Vineyard Community Church.
Those tested at the Vineyard site had their test kits immediately sent to the lab following the event. Their information is being entered into the Riley County Health Department system and results are expected within 48 hours of their receipt by the lab. At that point, contact tracers will be reaching out to participants to inform them of their results.
Percent positive rates are updated on Mondays, so no new information is available regarding this week’s figures. As of Monday, the county had been seeing a downward trend of percent positivity rates — reported at 3.58 percent, down from 4.67 percent the prior week.
Two of the newly reported positives are linked to an outbreak within the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in Manhattan. That brings the total number of positives there to 15 cases. No new positives have been linked to outbreaks such as those residents who participated in a Shawnee County wedding or that occurred within the Blue Valley-Randolph USD 384 district office.
“Our members that have been tested positive are regularly checked in on and are doing well,” writes Phi Delta Theta Chapter President Zach Hoeven in a statement. “Our fraternity has been fully cooperating with all of the right people and will continue to do so. We are doing the right thing by getting people tested to ensure the health and safety for both our members and our community.”
K-State Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Jordan Kocher says Greek organizations spent the summer creating reopening plans and protocols with the help of FSL staff, local personnel and national or international leadership of their groups.
“The health and safety of the student members as well as the volunteers who advise, work with and feed them are a top priority,” Kocher writes. “We will continue to communicate and address issues of the pandemic directly, as our community leaders recognize the role fraternities and sororities play in Manhattan’s public health.”
Resources for Greek housing are available through the Fraternity and Sorority Life at K-State (FSL) at www.fslatkstate.com. Find additional resources and guidance for group living quarters on the Riley County website at https://www.rileycountyks.gov/
Those who have symptoms of COVID-19 or were in close contact with a confirmed positive individual should contact their health care provider and the Riley County screening line at (785) 323-6400. That’s staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional questions can be sent to RileyCountyCovid19@gmail.com. Konza United Way is also offering free face coverings at its office at 555 Poyntz Ave St 245 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m.
