People who have been exposed to COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine under updated public health guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those exposed to the virus are now encouraged to wear a mask for 10 days and get tested on the fifth day after exposure, according to the CDC. However, they will not be required to quarantine for any period of time.
COVID-positive people are still encouraged to isolate from others for at least five days regardless of their vaccination status and for at least 10 days after testing positive if symptomatic.
According to the CDC, COVID-positive people who have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication like Paxlovid and whose symptoms are improving or remain asymptomatic will be allowed to end their isolation period after five days.
CDC officials argued that while transmission of the virus is ongoing and, in some places, at very high levels, the updated guidance reflects that “there is significantly less risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared to earlier in the pandemic,” due to the widespread availability of vaccines, therapeutic treatments, high-quality masks and both at-home and PCR testing.
In addition, according to CDC officials, much of the U.S. population now has some level of protection through vaccination, prior infection or both.
“This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives,” said Greta Massetti, the chief of the CDC’s Field Epidemiology and Prevention Branch.
The agency also said distancing from others by at least 6 feet is no longer recommended and lifted the recommendation that K-12 students exposed to the virus test negative regularly to avoid missing class time.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten praised the updated school guidance, suggesting that students, educators and parents all need “as normal a (school) year as possible,” after the previous two school years.
“We will continue to press for what children and educators need to recover and thrive, including enhanced ventilation; lower class size; emotional and social supports such as guidance counselors, paraprofessionals and nurses; and, of course, recruiting and retaining great teachers,” Weingarten said in a statement.
The California Department of Public Health had yet to issue a statement on the updated guidance.
The updates are intended to apply to broader county- and community-level settings, according to the CDC.
17 comments
Good write up, but left out the part about treating unvaccinated and vaccinated people the same.
“Unvaccinated people now have the same guidance as vaccinated people.”
https://twitter.com/NPR/status/1557816501796851714/photo/1
As an unvaccinated school staff employee, I’m so glad that I no longer have to take weekly tests.
Wait…this is no longer a pandemic of the unvaccinated?
Also, that was the longest 2 weeks ever.
Can’t wait until Ole Marky reacts to have a town meeting and Weenie-Weiner start bellowing about monkey pox!!
And just like that… poof… gone… like a fart in the wind
Problem is the local health officials here believe their farts do not stink. They will easily reinstate the protocols like flies to feces.
And a million people
Also, how about most, if not all, businesses please stop discriminating and demanding all their employees be jabbed. When our family member gets a rare phone interview for a job, they are told everyone in their office is jabbed.
Then they ask if my family member is jabbed, which they honestly reply they are not. Well, you know the outcome of that, even though my family member is very well qualified for the job. Will they also demand yearly flu shots now? This has all gotten out of control.
At this point, I just ignore anything from the CDC, Biden and Newsom.
That makes sense.
I stopped doing that the moment we were told to wear masks outside and that rioting doesn’t spread covid. I knew right then we were being played.
Unsettlingly the settled science, settling the unsettled science or just praying that no one remembers hoaxistan? You decide.
I have come to the conclusion that the science they must have been talking about all along is the POLITICAL science, not the MEDICAL science.
Hopefully our public and private schools will take mercy on students, staff, and parents. We all just want to be healthy (mentally and physically). Thank you Claycord!
It was a HOAX. The new one is that Trump stole nuclear documents. These people are sick and cringe level desperate.
From the CDC’s lips to DHCS’s (or maybe the County’s) ears so they stop requiring vaccinations for health care staff who can’t get a religious or medical exemption and quarantines for unvaccinated health care staff when a (almost always vaccinated) person at (as of last month) a “shared indoor airspace” work location tests positive for Covid. I only had a day and a half of work between the two enforced quarantines I’ve had since that new ruling…
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