Isolation & Quarantine Guidance
Positive COVID-19 Cases are put into isolation. People who are in isolation are required to stay home until it's safe for them to be around others and Public Health has released them from isolation. They should not leave their home for any reason except to seek emergency medical care. Cases must be isolated for a minimum of 10 days after symptom onset (or test date if asymptomatic) and be fever free for 24 hours (without fever reducing medications) and with improvement of COVID-19 symptoms. Once a person completes isolation, they are considered to be no longer infectious.
FCPHD contact tracers discuss the medical situation with the individual, provides information about how to safely isolate at home, and links them to care if needed. If you need assistance with services and/or items (groceries, masks, thermometers, Rx pick up, etc.) please discuss this with our contact tracers so you can successfully remain in isolation and prevent transmission to others.
Isolation—a positive case must isolated for 10 days from the day the symptoms start (day 0) or the day the test specimen was collected if no symptoms (day 0)
Quarantine—is for 14 days following the last date of exposure (day 0)
- Early release to school/work may only be allowed if the below can be met and it is between the school/employer and the close contact
- Maintain 6 feet throughout the day (At school only, if all parties are masking then the distance can be 3 feet)
- Properly wear a face mask while at school/work
- Early release with a test
- PCR test on day 6 or 7 of quarantine that is negative and no symptoms, may return to work/school on day 8 but continues quarantine for 14 days
- No test and no symptoms, may return to work/school on day 11 but continues quarantine for 14 days
- Schools may offer Test to Stay
- If masking of all persons and maintains the 3 feet distancing, then the close contact may continue to attend school and
- Complete COVID tests on day 1, 3, 5, and 7 but continues to quarantine for 14 days
- This is only available to close contacts at school
Regardless of an early release to school/work, we still ask that close contacts quarantine for 14 days and complete health assessments.
Vaccinated individuals—not required to quarantine but
- Need to monitor for symptoms for 14 days and if become symptomatic, should be tested
- Recommended to get tested between 3-5 days after exposure
- Quarantining away from the positive case (if in the household) is encouraged to reduce the risk of becoming infected
Close Contacts
Close contact—within 6 feet of a COVID positive person for a cumulative amount of 15 minutes during the contagious timeframe*
*the day of and 2 days prior to symptom onset and until isolation is over
*the day of the test and 2 days prior if no symptoms and until isolation is over
School close contact—
- Within 3 feet for a cumulative amount of 15 minutes regardless of masking, or
- Within 6 feet for a cumulative amount of 15 minutes if either the positive person and/or the close contact are NOT properly masked
Household contacts—quarantine for 14 days from last day of exposure
If a close contact cannot remain separated from a positive case within the household (keeping distance and using separate bathrooms/space)
- 14 days of quarantine does not start until the positive case ends their isolation time
