Public Health – Idaho North Central District will be following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about quarantine periods related to COVID-19, according to a news release posted today.
Symptom monitoring, face coverings, hand hygiene and social distancing should be continued for 14 days after the start of symptoms or the positive test result.
The rest of the guidance applies to people who are not healthcare workers and do not live in residential congregate settings, or groups living in close proximity to each other, like long term care facilities, correctional institutions, group homes and rehabilitation facilities. College dormitories do not count as a residential congregate setting in this context, the news release stated.
If not testing regularly, quarantine can end after 10 days if no symptoms are reported during daily monitoring. If testing regularly, quarantine can end after seven days if a test comes back negative and no symptoms are reported during daily monitoring.
If using the testing strategy, the molecular amplification method must be used, the specimen may be collected as early as five days after exposure and quarantine can end only after the negative test but no earlier than seven days after exposure.
“Reducing the length of quarantine will reduce the burden of quarantine on individuals, families and businesses,” the news release stated. “However, shortening quarantine risks may be less effective in reducing transmission than the currently recommended 14-day quarantine.”
If symptoms develop at any time over the 14 days, people are encouraged to isolate and seek medical care or testing. If planning to shorten the quarantine period to seven days, PH-INCD recommends taking a PCR test no sooner than 48 hours before the seventh day.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]