On December 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is recommending the isolation time for those who contracted COVID-19 be reduced from 10 days to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others. The CDC also updated the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19 based on vaccination status.
Governor David Ige and the Hawaii State Department of Health are reviewing the CDC guidance and have not yet indicated their stance on the newly released guidance. As our member resources such as white papers and sample policies follow local and state guidance, these resources will not be immediately updated/refreshed until further guidance from the state.
For people who are unvaccinated or more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than two months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for five days followed by strict guidelines mask use for an additional five days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, an exposed person must wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for ten days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following exposure but should wear a mask ten days after the exposure. Best practice would also include a test at day five after exposure for all those exposed. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
Why are the changes being made?
The CDC contends that these changes are being suggested given what is known about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. The CDC says that science demonstrates that most SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to the onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for five days and, if asymptomatic at that time, may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for five days to minimize the risk of infecting others.
The CDC guidance opens the door for people to more quickly return to work and public spaces after contracting COVID-19, as long as asymptomatic and properly masked, a move the CDC says is in line with recent research about how long fully vaccinated individuals with COVID-19 remain contagious.