03/17/2021 10:01:34 AM
Message Urgency: HIGH
This message is being sent via the Louisiana Department of Health Emergency Operations Center (LDH EOC) for the Louisiana Health Alert Network (LA HAN) recipients. This message is from Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer, and Theresa Sokol, State Epidemiologist, regarding Updated COVID-19 Quarantine Guidance . Please read the message below. Please share and distribute with relevant stakeholders and partners through your own distribution channels.
Updated Quarantine Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated Persons Including the General Public, Healthcare Providers, and Congregate Setting Employees
CDC has updated the quarantine guidance for fully vaccinated people and fully vaccinated healthcare workers. Fully vaccinated individuals who are not an inpatient in a healthcare facility or a resident of a congregate setting no longer need to quarantine after an exposure, including healthcare personnel, and employees of congregate settings.
Fully vaccinated people who have an exposure (direct contact or are within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period) to someone who has a COVID-19 infection and remain asymptomatic do not need to quarantine if they meet the criteria below:
- Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine) at the time of exposure, AND
- Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure. [Note: If the person develops symptoms of COVID-19 within the 14 days after exposure, they should self-isolate immediately for 10 days after symptom onset, and get tested] , AND
- Are not an inpatient in a healthcare setting or resident of a congregate setting (nursing home, correctional facility, etc.).
All close contacts should still watch for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following an exposure and follow all prevention guidance. Prevention guidance includes wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, following CDC travel guidance, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance, including guidance related to personal protective equipment use for COVID-19 testing.
Additional considerations:
Inpatients in a healthcare facility and residents of congregate settings (long term care facilities, nursing homes, correctional facilities, group homes, etc.) should quarantine following an exposure even if fully vaccinated and asymptomatic since exposure.
New admissions to post-acute care facilities observe the following:
- If a known exposure has occurred in the prior 14 days they do need to quarantine even if criteria above are met.
- If no known exposure has occurred in the prior 14 days and criteria above are met, they do not need to quarantine.
- New admissions who are not fully vaccinated should quarantine, regardless of exposure.