Your isolation and quarantine periods for COVID-19 just got shorter. Here’s how it works
Boise-area residents appear set for looser COVID-19 restrictions starting this week following recommendations from U.S. health officials to cut the quarantine and isolation periods.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its recommendations Monday.
The new CDC guidance is not a mandate but simply guidelines for employers as well as local and state officials. The decision to loosen restrictions comes amid fears that the rapid spread of the omicron variant threatens to hamper hospitals and crush the ability of airlines and other businesses to operate.
Boise-based Central District Health, one of the seven public health districts within Idaho that implement local health policy, is set to follow the new guidelines.
Although the omicron variant seems to spread more quickly than the delta variant, omicron symptoms are milder than previous strains of the coronavirus, CDH told the Idaho Statesman in an emailed statement. The statement also said “other parts of the country are seeing increased pediatric hospitalizations from Omicron, something we have not seen in our area as of yet.”
“We hope this is a welcome change to our community,” CDH communicable disease control manager Lindsay Haskell said in an emailed statement. “CDH encourages people to continue to test, isolate and quarantine when necessary, but the shortened quarantine time will allow them to return to work, caregiving and other important aspects of their lives more quickly.”
Here’s how it works:
Isolation (tested positive, presumed positive): A five-day isolation period begins from the day a person tests positive. If no symptoms are present at the end of five days or symptoms are “resolving,” individuals are permitted to return to normal activities but should wear a mask around others for an additional five days. Individuals who continue to have a fever after five days should remain isolated until that symptom ends.
Previously, the isolation guideline was for 10 days after a positive test or symptom onset.
A person is presumed positive if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive but has not been tested themselves, or someone who exhibits symptoms but is unsure about a possible exposure. A person who is exposed and tests negative should follow quarantine guidance, however is symptoms develop they should switch to isolation guidance until they receive a negative test.
Quarantine (exposed, did not test positive): People who are unvaccinated or more than six months out from their last vaccine dose (two months in the case of the Johnson & Johnson shot) should stay at home for five days if they come into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and then should wear a mask for another five days. People who have received a booster shot or haven’t reached the six-month mark since their original vaccination (two months for Johnson & Johnson) may skip quarantine but should wear a mask for 10 days.
Both groups are encouraged to get a COVID-19 test on the fifth day.
A close contact is defined as spending a total of 15 minutes within 6 feet of the person in a 24-hour period.
Previously, the quarantine guideline was 10-14 days or until a negative test unless you were fully vaccinated.
The new guidelines come as the nation heads into the thick of winter and cases nationwide continue to rise. CDC director Rochelle Walensky said she expects there to be a huge amount of omicron cases in the coming month.
However, the CDC says the latest research shows that most transmission occurs in the one to two days before and two to three days after symptom onset.
Idaho’s last COVID-19 wave peaked in September and October. It hasn’t reported an influx in cases early this winter, but health experts expect that to happen eventually.
The omicron variant’s ability to spread quickly could be a cause for concern for the Boise area; the CDH has already seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases.
As of Tuesday, 51.9% of Idaho residents ages 5 and up were fully vaccinated. It’s 59.2% for adults only, which is far behind the national average of 72.7%. Ada County’s rate for 5 and up was 61% last week, CDH reported.
“We do not anticipate the new quarantine and isolation guidelines to increase cases or cause additional cases if individuals follow the recommendations,” Haskell said. “It is important, though, for people to continue to mask in public in places with substantial and high transmission levels, which at the moment includes Ada County and much of the state of Idaho.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 4:35 PM.
