The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced adoption of the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation to reduce the number of days for isolation and quarantine for COVID-19 positives and close contacts.
The CDC’s new guidance decreases the time of isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19 from ten days to five days if they do not have symptoms. Masks would be required for five days after isolation ends.
The CDC also recommended reducing quarantine from 10 days to 5 days for those who are close contacts to a COVID-19 case and have no symptoms. They would also have to wear masks for five days after quarantine ends.
Individuals who have received two doses of either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, as well as their booster do not need to quarantine after close contact with a case, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
Additionally, individuals who have not yet reached the 6-month mark to receive a booster for Modern or Pfizer-BioNTech, or two months for Johnson & Johnson, do not need to quarantine after close contact with a case, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
Schools and Health Care Personnel have other specific guidance.
For people who have had close contact to a case, public health officials recommend testing at day 5 after exposure. If a person develops symptoms, they should
immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not caused by COVID-19.
IDPH will be updating specific guidance documents in the coming days.
