A man who traveled to Cowley County seeking employment has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release from Cowley County Public Health Officer Thomas Langer Wednesday afternoon.
The most recent test results were provided late Tuesday evening.
It’s the fifth positive cornavirus test result in Cowley County — though the official tally remains at four with one death. A woman with dual residency who tested positive in late April has recovered and her records have been transferred to a county health department in Oklahoma where her permanent residence is.
This is the second positive case announced in Cowley County this week. An employee of Creekstone Farms Premium Beef — a meat processing plant in Ark City — tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, according to a news release from the City-Cowley County Health Department Monday.
According to Langer Wednesday, two men traveled to Cowley County in hopes of acquiring employment, arrived late Friday night and checked into a local motel.
On Saturday, one of the men complained of back and shoulder pain and was transported to a local emergency room for treatment. He returned to the ER the next day and was tested for COVID-19 as a precaution and in line with the facility protocol to prevent disease spread.
The test results were provided to Langer Tuesday evening and quarantine and disease tracing procedures began immediately. Both men and several contacts are under quarantine at this time.
The disease investigation has so far revealed that there is little evidence to suggest that the two men had any broad based local community interactions — rather they stayed within a close group while waiting for the work week to start and apply for employment.
The City-Cowley County Health Department’s investigation has learned that the man who is ill claims to have had direct contact with a person ill with COVID-19 in another state before coming to Cowley County.
“This specific case is challenging to administer,” Langer stated in the news release. “There are barriers that we are facing including trust, language and the realization that the two men do not have a permanent residences in our state.
My greatest responsibility remains the health and safety of our Cowley County residents and our local workforce. Our success to date in keeping this illness out of our population and business community has been phenomenal. Obviously, it has created a sense of safety that people in other communities have noticed. This in turn results in people wishing to come here seeking employment.”
The health department said several local employers, notably Creekstone Farms, have partnered with them in efforts to help prevent a situation from occurring in Cowley County similar to those in other beef industry communities.
Langer said the man who tested positive Tuesday is not a Creekstone Farms employee and has not been to or inside the plant.
“This newest case again illustrates how easy it is for disease to enter a community, I implore our local residents to remain diligent and to take every precaution that they can to monitor their own health status to practice social distancing and enhanced hygiene, including hand-washing,” Langer said. “The local threat for this illness is very real and is likely to continue to grow in the months ahead as social activity increases.
“If you have any symptoms of illness please contact your health care provider. Testing for COVID-19 is available through many providers including the health department. We will help you be tested and connect you with the help you need.”
As of Wednesday morning, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports there are 7,468 positive cases of cornavirus across the state — excluding the latest Cowley County case — 704 hospitalizations, 164 deaths and 50,160 negative test results.
Sedgwick County has 484 cases, Sumner County posted its fifth case Tuesday, Butler County has 19 cases and Kay County, Oklahoma, remains at 48 cases.
