CDC Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Quarantine

On December 2, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on how long a person should quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19. “Quarantine” keeps someone who has been in close contact with a known COVID-19 case away from others to prevent the spread of the virus.

The CDC’s current recommendation is that an exposed individual should quarantine for 14 days after last exposure. The CDC continues to endorse its existing 14-day quarantine recommendation. However, the CDC’s new guidance recognizes that reducing the length of quarantine in some instances may make it easier for people to quarantine by reducing economic hardship if they cannot work during that time. A shorter quarantine period may also reduce stress on the public health system.
Under its new guidance, the CDC provides two additional, abbreviated options for the length of quarantine. Assuming a person does not develop any symptoms of the virus:

  • Quarantine may end on the 10th day after exposure without testing
  • Quarantine may end on the 7th day after exposure with the receipt of a negative test result

After ending quarantine under either abbreviated option, a person should continue to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms until 14 days after exposure, wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from others, and take other recommended mitigation measures. If symptoms develop at any time, the person should immediately self-isolate.

Finally, the CDC guidance reaffirms that local public health authorities make final decisions about how long quarantines should last in their respective communities, based on local conditions and needs. Businesses and organizations should thus be aware of the CDC’s updated guidance, but they should continue to follow the specific quarantine recommendations of their local health departments.

Lake Effect is here to answer your questions about protecting your workforce and complying with CDC guidelines, state, and local public health orders. We continue to monitor important legal and HR developments, including COVID-related updates from federal, state, and local authorities. Please keep watching our blogs and emails for these important updates, as well as discussions of how compliance meets culture. To dive into these issues, contact us at info@le-hrlaw.com or 1-844-333-5253.

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