CDC Relaxes Quarantine Requirements for Fully Vaccinated People
By Kiki Council
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) substantially relaxed its previously recommended quarantine requirements for anyone who has received full vaccination.FN1
Under the new CDC guidance, someone who has been exposed to another person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 is not required to quarantine if they meet the following requirements:
· Full vaccination, meaning it has been at least two weeks since the second dose in a two-dose series, or since the receipt of one does of a single-dose vaccine;
· Are within three months following receipt of the last dose in the series; and
· Have remained asymptomatic since the COVID-19 exposure.FN2
For any unvaccinated employee, the old CDC guidelines, recommending a 14-day quarantine, still apply.FN3
This new guidance is like the CDC’s previous recommendations regarding post-exposure quarantine of someone who has recently recovered from a case of COVID-19.FN4 Recently recovered employees are not required to quarantine following another exposure during the three months after recovery if they are asymptomatic. Symptomatic employees, however, should re-quarantine.
Despite these relaxed quarantine requirements, CDC guidance regarding use of personal protective equipment such as masks, social distancing, avoidance of crowds, and frequent handwashing, still apply to employers.FN5
Takeaway
Employers should consider the following:
· Encouraging their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as feasible, and
· Updating any policies or practices regarding quarantining after COVID-19 exposure to make clear that fully vaccinated employees who meet the above criteria do not have to quarantine.
If you would like assistance implementing or updating any COVID-19 policies or practices for your workplace, please contact Campbell Litigation, P.C.
FN1 - Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COIVD-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html, last updated February 10, 2021.
FN2 - Id.
FN3 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, When to Quarantine, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html, last updated February 11, 2021.
FN4 - Interim Guidance on Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/duration-isolation.html, last updated February 13, 2021.
FN5 - See supra n.1.