ODH announces updated COVID isolation, quarantine periods

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Staff report

DARKE COUNTY — On Dec. 30, 2021, Bruce Vanderhoff, the director of The Ohio Department of Health (ODH), announced that the ODH has aligned with the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) updated COVID-19 recommended isolation and quarantine for the general public.

Because of this, the Darke County General Health District will be adopting these guidelines.

These new guidelines are as follows: If you test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, you must stay home for 5 days. If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional 5 days. If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves for 24 hours. If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 and have had your vaccine series with the booster, have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna within the last 6 months, or have completed the primary series of the J&J vaccine within the last 2 months: wear a mask around others for 10 days and test on day 5 after exposure, if possible. If you are unvaccinated, have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted, or have completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted: stay home for 5 days. After that, continue to wear a mask for an additional 5 days. Test on the fifth day after exposure, if possible. If you develop symptoms, get tested and stay home until a negative test confirms that symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

Isolation is the behavior after a confirmed infection; while quarantine is the time following exposure to the virus or close contact with someone known to have COVID-19. These updates effective for isolation and quarantine time periods come as the Omicron variant is spreading throughout the United States and reflects current science regarding how long an individual is ill and is most infectious. These recommendations from the CDC do not supersede state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, nor do they apply to healthcare workers for whom CDC has updated guidance.

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