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December 03, 2020
Health Law Daily

CDC Issues Revised Guidance Shortening Standard 14-Day Coronavirus Quarantine Period To Seven Or 10 Days

  • December 03, 2020

The New York Times (12/2, Rabin) reports that on Wednesday, CDC officials “effectively shortened quarantine periods for those who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, hoping to improve compliance among Americans and reduce the economic and psychological toll of long periods of seclusion.” The officials, “citing the spiraling number of infections nationwide,... also urged Americans again to avoid travel over the holiday season.”
      The Washington Post (12/2, Achenbach) reports that according to the revised guidance, “the standard 14-day coronavirus quarantines potentially can be shortened to 10 days or even seven.” The decision “reflects the agency’s recognition that the two-week quarantine rule is onerous for many people and that most of the public health benefit from quarantining people exposed to the virus can be gained with a more flexible approach.”
      USA Today (12/2, Rodriguez) reports, “Dr. Henry Walke, incident manager for the CDC’s COVID-19 response, said people should still monitor for symptoms 14 days after exposure. The CDC based its decisions on study data and modeling by the agency and other outside institutions, Walke said. He said 14 days of quarantine remains the optimal period of time, but seven to 10 days is a good alternative.”