Three Rivers advises parents of prom-goers to get their child tested

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UPDATED: Twelve new cases in Pendleton County over the past seven days is the largest weekly amount and accounts for 27 percent of all cases in the county since counting started in March. The first Pendleton County case associated with the Prom was recorded on Tuesday, August 4. Three Rivers is opening up for testing on Thursday, August 6 and their regular testing each Monday.

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"We continue to monitor multiple events that have occurred in our district over the last couple of weeks for possible outbreaks. We are encouraging anyone who was in attendance of Pendleton County's high school prom to be tested due to possible exposure," said Three Rivers District Health Department on their Facebook post Tuesday night and sent social media into a frenzy.

It ended a 7-day period that saw the number of cases that has been in Pendleton County jump from 32 to 44. Easily, the twelve positive cases is the biggest jump in a single week and the past 7 days accounts for 27 percent of ALL Pendleton County cases since the urgency from early March.

Dr. Brian Schack of St. Elizabeth Physician Group posted the following on his Facebook group "Anyone who attended the Pendleton County Prom on July 24th at Bingham Meadows should be in quarantine until at least this upcoming Friday August 7th (14 days) and should strongly consider getting tested. If you are a patient of our practice, please contact us so we can arrange this for you"

Dr. Georgia Heise, Three Rivers District Health Department, told Falmouth Outlook that the first positive case of a Pendleton County resident who had been present at the Prom was recorded on Tuesday, August 4. They issued the warning later that evening.

Previously Falmouth Outlook reached out to Three Rivers on Monday morning concerning the rumor from over the weekend and Christina Perkins had the following response, "We have not been informed of anyone testing positive for COVID19 who attended PC prom. In saying that, we would not be involved with contact tracing of an individual who does not live in our district or for an event held outside our district."

With the venue in Grant County and the unconfirmed case from Campbell County, neither location falls in Three Rivers District.

The confirmed Pendleton County case was the third positive case that was affiliated with the event. The other two cases were being handled by a different health department. Three Rivers was brought into the issue when the first Pendleton County case was recorded on Tuesday.

"We did not think it was a good idea to have it," said Heise. "These type of events have had bad results in other places and this is the first type of this event in Pendleton County. Some people might take more precautions because of the advise and I hope so."

As far as the increase in cases in Pendleton County over the past seven days, Dr. Heise does not attribute it to one specific event or occurrence.

"We are doing a lot more testing and it is easier to get tested. In the spring, we were shutdown and people were scared. As they got out, they became more lax and then a little defiant about attending things," she explained while indicating that Three Rivers is doing 25-50 tests each Monday. They are expanding their testing this week and will have it on Thursday, August 6. For those interested they need to call Three Rivers to make an appointment. She said that they have nine individuals signed up for testing after the warning and have handled numerous phone calls from people with questions.

Reaching out to those involved in holding the prom, they pointed out that when they heard the rumors concerning a positive case from a person from Campbell County who was outside of the building the entire time except for a photo, they contacted Three Rivers and according to their statement were told that the health department "would handle this from this point on."

Since then, they have not heard back from any health department concerning any positive cases or a need to provide their listing of those who attended for contact tracing.

"KRT and some of the parent organizers were notified over the weekend that an individual who had dropped a prom goer off had tested positive for the COVID virus. The individual who possibly tested positive was never inside the venue or around any of the prom goers other than the one he dropped off," KRT board said in a statement. "KRT and the parent committee’s position was to notify everyone who attended of the potential risk once the Health Department confirmed the positive test and advised us to do so. KRT nor anyone associated with the prom have been contacted by the Health Department nor any other healthcare provider to provide a list or to confirm whether or not or any of these people actually tested positive. To date no one who attended the prom, to the best of our knowledge, has tested positive for the Covid Virus."

Dr. Heise explained that they just find out their first case on Tuesday and she would be interested in the list but cautioned they have learned that people are not always truthful during the contact tracing step of the process.

"In general, people are guarded in their answers. They don't want their friends to have to be quarantined and in some cases their friends have told them to not mention their names," she said.

She added, "I just want all folks to take care of themselves and those they care about."