Area public health departments are providing additional details on the recent announcement of changes to COVID-19 quarantine guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Quarantine day counts begin from the last day of exposure and self-isolation can now be discontinued on day seven ONLY with a negative test result and lack of symptoms. That test must not have been conducted prior to the fifth day of the quarantine. Symptom-free individuals can be released after the 10th day without a test and anyone currently on day 11 or later who is symptom-free can discontinue quarantining. However, these individuals are required to monitor their symptoms through day 14 and to continue to practice efforts to minimize the chance of transmission with mask wearing, social distancing and good hand hygiene. Healthcare experts remind everyone that this is a very fluid situation and the guidelines can change at any time. They also say that individual circumstances differ and if a 14-day quarantine is warranted, it will be ordered.
