​​​​​Last week, the CDC announced changes to their COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidance for the general public, which will shorten both the isolation and quarantine periods based on new data regarding infectiousness and the Omicron variant.

The CDC now recommends that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days, if asymptomatic or if symptoms are resolving, followed by five days of wearing a mask. This has been shortened from ten days.

For individuals who have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, the guidance is based on vaccination status:

• People who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.
• Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.

Regardless of vaccination status, CDC recommends all individuals exposed to COVID-19 test at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

The return to work criteria for healthcare workers remains unchanged.