Counties may allow shorter quarantines

Image
Body

Quarantines just got a little shorter for many people exposed to COVID-19.

On Dec. 2 KDHE issued a press release saying counties may choose to opt-in to shorter quarantine periods.

“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to reduce the quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19, [and] KDHE is issuing similar guidance in Kansas,” the press release read. “Counties may choose to opt-in to the shortened quarantine period, either 10 or 7 days with testing, or continue with the 14 days.”

“KDHE continues to recommend the 14-day quarantine and monitoring after being exposed to COVID-19,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “The incubation for this disease is still 14 days. The guidance is being changed at a federal level to encourage more people to get tested and encourage better compliance with quarantines.”

With the shortened quarantine period there are two options, one with testing and one without, with both requiring people to be symptom-free. Due to high risk situations, those residents in longterm care and assisted facilities as well as offender populations in Kansas Department of Corrections prisons are not eligible for shortened quarantine periods in any county, according to the press release.

The Washington County Health Department announced on Dec. 4 that quarantines for close contacts of those with COVID would be shortened to 10 days if no symptoms. These guidelines do not apply to people currently on quarantine; it is for new cases after Dec. 4. According to the Health Department’s announcement, the 7-day quarantine with a negative test option is not available, but it will be available in the upcoming weeks.

The Washington County Health Department said close contacts of someone with COVID will be quarantined for 10 days from the last contact with the COVID positive person. If there are no symptoms during those 10 days, people will be released from quarantine without a test and should monitor themselves for symptoms for the remaining 4 days.

People who live in a household with a COVID-positive person will be quarantined for 10 days after the COVID positive person has been released from home isolation as long as those household contacts remain symptom free. This means household contacts will be quarantined for 20 days now instead of the previous 24.

The following guidelines were provided by KDHE in the Dec. 2 announcement:

10-day quarantine

In the 10-day quarantine, people can be released from quarantine without a COVID test as long as they have no symptoms during those 10 days of quarantine.

“KDHE recommends all exposed people should self-monitor for 14 days from exposure … the disease can still develop through Day 14,” according to the press release.

7-DAY QUARANTINE

The 7-day quarantine requires testing and no symptoms in order for people to get out of quarantine after Day 7. People must have a PCR COVID test on or after Day 5 of exposure. Antigen and antibody tests are not allowed. If the test is negative and the person remains symptom-free, they can be removed from quarantine on or after Day 7. If test results are pending on Day 7, the person cannot leave quarantine until the results are received.