New Year, New Quarantine Rules

On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that "given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others." The CDC explained that the shortened isolation time requirements are based on the fact that the majority of COVID-19 transmission typically occurs in the first one-to-two days of sickness, before the individual even exhibits symptoms and then for two-to-three days after.

Similarly, the CDC shortened the quarantine period for individuals exposed to COVID-19 but who have yet to test positive. The recommended quarantine period for individuals who have been exposed depends on whether the individual is symptomatic and whether they are fully vaccinated and boosted.