UPDATED COVID ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE GUIDANCE
Effective December 28, 2021, The Department of Public Health is adopting updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding isolation and quarantine periods for the general population, effective immediately. For the general public, this updated guidance shortens the recommended time for isolation and quarantine from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others.
For individuals unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second Pfizer or Moderna dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted who have been exposed to COVID-19, the CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.
Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our communities.
Note: The updated isolation guidance applies to K-12 schools. At this time, quarantine guidance for K-12 schools remains unchanged. DESE’s current mask requirement and Policy on Vaccination Rate Threshold remains in effect.
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