New Federal Guidance Issued on Quarantine

Published on December 04, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new guidance related to quarantine for those who have been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.  Quarantine prevents the spread of disease by keeping a person who might have been exposed away from others.  

The CDC still recommends a quarantine period of 14 days, but the agency has added two acceptable alternatives to shorten the window for quarantine:

• Quarantine can end after 10 days without testing if no symptoms have developed during daily monitoring.
• Quarantine can end after seven days if the person seeks a COVID-19 test on day five following their exposure, that test is negative,  and the person is not experiencing symptoms.

Those who choose the shorter quarantine options should continue to monitor symptoms and take other protective measures like wearing masks through day 14. 

During quarantine, exposed individuals should watch for a fever of 100.4F or higher, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms.  They should also say away from others as much as possible, especially from those who are at a higher risk for complications. More information on quarantine and isolation (for those with COVID-19) is available at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov.

“As new information and research becomes available during the pandemic, we have continued to make adjustments to our recommendations based on new information,” said Health Director Pat Lopez. “The science is now showing that a shortened period of quarantine along with other measures can also be effective in reducing the risk of transmission.”

The COVID-19 Risk Dial remains in red, indicating that the risk of the virus spreading is severe.  For more information, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the Health Department at 402-441-8053.